Program Overview

Educational Psychology Ph.D. with a concentration in Research, Measurement and Statistics

Overview

The Educational Psychology Ph.D. with a concentration in Research, Measurement and Statistics (RMS) is designed to prepare scholars and researchers in both quantitative and qualitative methodology.

Program Details

• Program Type: Doctoral Degree
• Format: On Campus
• Estimated Time to Complete: 3-4 years
• Credit Hours: 63 with prior Master's, 78 with prior Bachelor's

Requirements

• Foundational Courses: Intermediate statistics, research methods, and qualitative inquiry
• Core Courses: Educational Psychology
• Advanced Training: Quantitative methods, measurement and psychometrics, latent variable modeling, multivariate statistics, and structural equation models
• Comprehensive Examination: Prior to completion of a dissertation under a faculty member of the RMS program

Marketable Skills

• Synthesize and apply relevant literature
• Advanced research methods/statistical analysis
• Provide technical assistance to agencies
• Advanced oral and written communication
• Collaborate with stakeholders to improve outcomes

Program Highlights

• Accreditation: The College of Education is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation
• Flexibility: All course instruction is provided in the evening hours, providing flexibility to accelerate through the program or permit students to take courses at a pace that allows the program to fit with busy family and/or work lives
• Graduate Assistantships: Full-time students are eligible for competitive Graduate Assistantships (Research or Teaching) that usually require students to work 20 hours per week and provide tuition compensation in addition to a stipend for the work performed
• Faculty Expertise: Faculty members obtain grants, write books and publish scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles, and have been recognized by or serve as officers and leaders for many national, international and regional academic professional organizations
• Research Opportunities: Students have opportunities to present research at national and regional conferences, publish journal articles, apply for grants and participate in professional activities with faculty mentors

Career Opportunities

• Academic Career: This preparation supplies most of the necessary skills for pursuing an academic career
• Corporate Research: Approximately half of graduates opt to pursue careers in corporations conducting research or in development (such as in test development)
• School Districts: Graduates may also pursue careers in school districts directing assessment, evaluation or accountability functions

Sample Courses

• Statistics for Educational Research: Application of statistical techniques to research in education; the development of skills in interpreting statistical concepts
• Statistical Theory and Simulations: Statistical theory and simulation of statistical distributions
• Technology in Research: Use of data analysis in the planning and implementation of research projects in the disciplines of educational psychology
• Item Response Theory: The Common Factor model of measurement and latent variables with IRT concepts, models, and assumptions
• Structural Equation Modeling: Multiple regression, path analysis and factor analysis methods are reviewed
• Foundations of Educational Psychology: History of educational psychology, advanced philosophical and empirical foundations of learning, cognition, development, individual differences; applications to teaching and learning contexts