Graduate programs in the Department of Educational Psychology prepare students for assuming productive roles in research, teaching, and many other areas in which educational psychology is applied. The Department offers two programs: Master of Arts in Educational Psychology and Doctor of Philosophy with a major in... Show Full Description

Graduate programs in the Department of Educational Psychology prepare students for assuming productive roles in research, teaching, and many other areas in which educational psychology is applied. The Department offers two programs: Master of Arts in Educational Psychology and Doctor of Philosophy with a major in Educational Psychology. Student programs in each area are individualized with a wide range of courses, internships, and research offerings.

Master of Arts - Educational Psychology. The master's degree program provides a foundational understanding of the concepts, methods, and theories related to the profession of educational psychology. Admitted students hold undergraduate degrees from diverse academic fields who are interested in learning how psychology is relevant to educational issues. Many are experienced educators who have chosen graduate work in educational psychology to increase their knowledge and skills, gain new knowledge emerging from psychological research and theory, and thus prepare themselves for a wide range of professional positions in education, government, and industry. For other students, master's work provides a level of entry into a doctoral program in Educational Psychology. The master's program offers specialized courses in the areas of the psychology of teaching and learning, human cognition and problem solving, human development, measurement, and research methodology.

Doctor of Philosophy - the Ph.D. program encompasses an integrated degree that calls for knowledge of teaching, learning, development, motivation; and measurement, statistics, evaluation, and research design. Students are expected to acquire a balanced knowledge of both scholarly and applied aspects of the field of educational psychology. This integrated degree prepares students for both teaching and research careers, primarily in colleges and universities, but also in school settings, testing firms, industry, and research organization.

Admission Requirements - admission to graduate programs in Educational Psychology is based on a careful and comprehensive evaluation of the applicant's overall potential. In reviewing applications, major attention is given to the student's long range goals, previous academic record, academic recommendations, GRE scores, and evidence supporting the applicant's ability to communicate effectively in writing. The Department limits the number of new students to available resources and, thus, meeting minimum requirements does not ensure admission into the department. The minimum entrance requirements in Educational Psychology are as follows:

1. A completed bachelor's degree or master's degree from an accredited institution with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in the last 60 credit hours.

2. A completed application form, along with copies of all undergraduate and graduate course work and payment of Graduate College application fees.

3. For M.A. and Ph.D. applicants, three letters of recommendation dated within six (6) months of the date of the application, written by professionals who are in a position to address the applicant's ability to succeed at the graduate level.

4. Completed Personal Data Form.

5. GRE (Ph.D. ONLY) scores (Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical Writing).

6. TOEFL: Total and TWE scores must be submitted for students for whom English is a second language.

7. Writing Sample: A 500-word summary written exclusively by the applicant on a topic within the field of educational psychology. This summary should be from a publication, Master's thesis, or a paper submitted for a recent graduate or undergraduate course provided it is on a topic within your proposed field of study.

8. Long Range Goals: A brief statement (200-500 words) of the applicant's long-range professional goals.

9. If the applicant has published articles s/he had authored or co-authored, copies should be included.

For a comprehensive listing of specific program requirements, please see the EDP web page.