Education PhD, Educational Psychology Emphasis
Admission and General Requirements
In addition to meeting the application and admissions requirements of the Graduate School, students must submit:
- Three letters of recommendation (at least two from individuals with earned doctorates, preferably prior instructors).
- An original essay.
- A professional resume.
- Evidence of above-average academic records. A GPA of 3.5 or higher is preferred.
- GRE scores. Quantitative and verbal scores at or above the 50th percentile are preferred. An analytical writing score of 4.0 or higher is preferred.
Admission is competitive, and a favorable vote of an admission interview committee, composed of faculty in the emphasis area, is required.
Degree Program
- Coursework: A minimum of 60 credit hours is required beyond the master’s degree, including 6 hours of dissertation research. A minimum of 42 of these hours must be completed in residence. For students who have not completed a master’s degree, a minimum of 90 hours, postbaccalaureate, is required, including 6 hours of dissertation research (the Graduate School’s residency requirement applies).
- Dissertation: All students must defend orally a written dissertation proposal to their dissertation committee. A dissertation embodying the results of original research must be accepted by the dissertation committee and the Graduate School.
Admission Application
To ensure time for review and decision, applicants should submit the Graduate School application, college transcripts, and any program-specific materials (e.g. supplemental application, letters of recommendation, etc.) well in advance of the December 1st deadline. Please note that unofficial transcripts can be uploaded with the Graduate School application to expedite admissions decisions; however, official transcripts must be received directly from all prior institutions attended before regular admission to any program will be granted. In addition, applicants are urged to request transcripts and letters or recommendation two weeks before completing the online application. Consideration of applications cannot be undertaken until all materials are available.
Degree Requirements
Students in the Teaching-Learning Processes, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, and Educational Psychology emphasis areas complete the following requirements.
| Research Methods (21 hours) | 21 | |
| Educational Research Methods and Design | ||
| Statistical Analysis for Education Research (Prerequisite) | ||
| Advanced Research Design In Education | ||
| Three of the following: | ||
| Quantitative Research Methods I | ||
| Quantitative Research Methods II | ||
| Qualitative Methods in Educational Research I | ||
| Qualitative Methods in Educational Research II | ||
| One of the following: | ||
| Classroom Measurement And Evaluation | ||
| Academic Assessment and Intervention | ||
| Directed Readings (12 credit hours) | ||
| (Special topic) | ||
| ED REM 6990 | Internship (Research Focus: literature review of theories and models) | 3 |
| ED REM 6990 | Internship (Research focus: literature review of empirical research) | 3 |
| ED REM 6990 | Internship (Research focus: Introduction) | 3 |
| ED REM 6990 | Internship (Research focus: Methods) | 3 |
| Educational Psychology Core (Eight of the following) | 24 | |
| Educational Psychology | ||
| Personality And Social Development | ||
| Life-Span: Individual and Family Development | ||
| Psychology of Early Childhood Development | ||
| Advanced Studies in Child and Adolescent Development | ||
| Mental Health and Development of Children and Youth | ||
| Psychology Of Learning Processes | ||
| Understanding the Psychosocial Development of Emerging Adults | ||
| Psychoeducational Differences | ||
| Required COE courses (12 hours) | ||
| EDUC 7050 | The Research Process I: Framing Research Questions in Education Research | 3 |
| EDUC 7950 | Preparation for Writing the Dissertation Proposal | 3 |
| EDUC 7625 | Building Socially Just and Ethical Educational Communities | 3 |
| Electives | 3 | |
| One of the following if not taken: | ||
| Classroom Measurement And Evaluation | ||
| Academic Assessment and Intervention | ||
| Electives in other disciplines (or master transfer credits) | 15 | |
Teaching and Learning (e.g. special education. elementary and secondary education, etc.) | ||
Leadership | ||
Counseling | ||
Educational Technology | ||
Higher Education | ||
| Dissertation Research (6 credit hours) | ||
| EDUC 7999 | Dissertation Research | 6 |
| Total Hours | 90 | |
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to:
- Demonstrate the knowledge of psychological theories related to learning and teaching.
- Demonstrate ethical and culturally relevant social and emotional skills to help student learning and growth.
- Apply the process and practice of psychological principles, through the utilization of theory, assessment, and ethical and culturally relevant strategies.
- Design course content and assessment methods by integrating psychosocial development concepts in curriculum design and teaching.
- Develop rigorous, ethical, and intentionally designed psychoeducational research utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods.
- Disseminate scholarship and research in professional presentations and/or publications.
- Demonstrate leadership by integrating knowledge of models and approaches to leadership in the program, community, or field.
- Create plans for advocacy for the profession.