Program Overview

About This Program

The Qualitative Research graduate certificate provides advanced training in research methods, data analysis and theoretical approaches to qualitative research across a variety of disciplines. Whether you are a graduate student seeking to enhance your research skills or a professional looking to expand your expertise, this program will help you achieve your goals.

Contact Information

• Sheryl Chatfield
• Tricia Niesz

Program Delivery

• Delivery: In person
• Location: Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries

• Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary
  • 4.9% about as fast as the average
  • 13,400 number of jobs
  • $78,840 potential earnings
• Education teachers, postsecondary
  • 4.8% about as fast as the average
  • 77,300 number of jobs
  • $65,440 potential earnings
• Social sciences teachers, postsecondary, all other
  • -0.3% little or no change
  • 19,300 number of jobs
  • $69,340 potential earnings
• Social scientists and related workers, all other
  • 0.8% little or no change
  • 38,800 number of jobs
  • $87,260 potential earnings
• Sociologists
  • 3.6% about as fast as the average
  • 3,200 number of jobs
  • $86,110 potential earnings
• Survey researchers
  • -3.7% decline
  • 12,200 number of jobs
  • $59,870 potential earnings
• Additional Careers
  • Epidemiology investigator
  • Rural sociologist

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
• Minimum 2.750 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
• Official transcript(s)
• Résumé
• Goal statement
• Two letters of recommendations
• English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:
  • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
  • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
  • Minimum 58 PTE score
  • Minimum 110 DET score

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester
  • Rolling admissions
• Spring Semester
  • Rolling admissions
• Summer Term
  • Rolling admissions

Program Requirements

Certificate Requirements

• Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours
  • Certificate Requirements
    • Introductory Elective, choose from the following:
      • COMM 65040 | QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS IN COMMUNICATION
      • GEOG 60900 | QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS IN GEOGRAPHY
      • POL 60010 | QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS
      • SBS 63010 | QUALITATIVE METHODS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH
      • SOC 62219 | QUALITATIVE METHODS IN SOCIOLOGY
      • RMS 65516 | QUALITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN
    • Research Design/Analysis Electives, choose from the following:
      • COMM 65040 | QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS IN COMMUNICATION
      • GEOG 60900 | QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS IN GEOGRAPHY
      • NURS 70742 | ADVANCED QUALITATIVE METHODS FOR HEALTH SCIENCES
      • POL 60010 | QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS
      • RMS 65516 | QUALITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN
      • RMS 85518 | ADVANCED QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
      • SBS 63010 | QUALITATIVE METHODS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH
      • SBS 63011 | QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS
      • SOC 62219 | QUALITATIVE METHODS IN SOCIOLOGY
      • SOC 62221 | ADVANCED QUALITATIVE METHODS IN SOCIOLOGY
    • Certificate Electives, choose from the following:
      • CULT 60050 | HUMANITIES-ORIENTED RESEARCH IN EDUCATION
      • GEOG 52053 | GEOGRAPHIES OF MEMORY AND HERITAGE
      • MUS 63283 | RESEARCH IN MUSIC EDUCATION
      • MUS 63285 | PHILOSOPHY OF MUSIC EDUCATION
      • MUS 63286 | SOCIOLOGY OF MUSIC EDUCATION
      • NURS 70742 | ADVANCED QUALITATIVE METHODS FOR HEALTH SCIENCES
      • RMS 65522 | BASICS OF QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWING
      • RMS 65530 | PRACTITIONER INQUIRY
      • RMS 65533 | INTRODUCTION TO NARRATIVE INQUIRY AND ANALYSIS
      • RMS 68795 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN EVALUATION AND MEASUREMENT
      • RMS 85520 | MIXED METHODS RESEARCH
      • RMS 85540 | GROUNDED THEORY AND PHENOMENOLOGICAL RESEARCH
      • RMS 85550 | ETHNOGRAPHY AND CASE STUDY RESEARCH
      • RMS 85560 | CRITICAL SOCIAL RESEARCH
      • RMS 88795 | SPECIAL TOPICS: EVALUATION AND MEASUREMENT
      • SBS 60030 | CODING FOR QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
      • SBS 60040 | TRANSCRIBING INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP INTERVIEWS FOR QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
  • Minimum Total Credit Hours: 18

Graduation Requirements

• Graduation Requirements Summary - Certificates
  • Minimum Certificate GPA | Minimum Overall GPA
  • 3.000 | 3.000

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Argue for the value of qualitative methodological approaches and help others understand the value of this form of inquiry to enhance understanding within their respective fields.
2. Critique and review a wide variety of qualitative research in their respective fields.
3. Create and enact a variety of forms of high-quality, ethical qualitative research in their respective fields.

Graduate Certificate Policy for the College of Education, Health and Human Services

• Students seeking a graduate certificate must maintain a minimum 3.000 grade point average. A graduate certificate student who receives a combination of more than 8 credit hours of B- or lower grades, or more than 4 credit hours of grades lower than C is subject to dismissal. Students who are unable to maintain academic standards of the College are subject to dismissal for academic reasons. Grades of C- or below are not counted toward completion of the certificate.
• Certificates must be completed within six years after the first graduate enrollment.
• No more than 2 credit hours of workshop may be used toward a certificate.
• Before being eligible to be awarded a Certificate, students must be admitted to the Certificate program.
• Students currently in a graduate degree program may also apply to a certificate program. Their degree seeking coursework may be applied to the certificate coursework with advisor approval. The courses must be completed within six years and satisfy certificate course requirements.
• Students who have a previous graduate degree and are not currently seeking another graduate degree may transfer a maximum 6 credit hours with advisor approval. These credits may include hours from another KSU program, or from another accredited institution, if the following conditions are met: (1) courses were at the graduate level; (2) a grade of "A" or "B" was earned; (3) credit will be less than six years old at the time the certificate is conferred at Kent; and (4) student was admitted as a graduate student at the time the course was taken.

Full Description

The Qualitative Research graduate certificate is for students who wish to improve their ability to design, conduct, analyze and quality-assess qualitative approaches to research used in the context of funded research, educational assessment, program evaluation, critical, creative, exploratory or theoretical endeavors or other applications.

The courses in this program offer students inter- and trans-disciplinary opportunities to learn and develop skills in qualitative methodologies, including grounded theory, phenomenology, ethnography and descriptive approach; as well as methods, including observation, interviewing, transcription, data analysis, use of software, analytic memoing and others.