MS Degree in Educational Psychology

Graduate Degrees - Master of Science in Educational Psychology

The Master of Science in Educational Psychology is appropriate for students seeking the core knowledge, research tools, and educational experiences necessary to succeed in various educational settings. This program is appropriate for elementary, secondary, and special education teachers who wish to enhance classroom skills; students interested in pursuing advanced studies in educational psychology; students interested in obtaining a specialist degree in school psychology; as well as students who plan to apply their skills in government or business settings. Students' individualized programs are tailored with attention to their area of specialization. A minimum of 34 credits is required for the degree. Students must maintain a grade point average of 3.00 or better in the program and a grade of B or better in core coursework. The culminating experience for the M.S. degree is the defense of the students' master's thesis or completion of an internship and written comprehensive examination.

Admission Requirements:

Admission will be limited to the most qualified applicants based on a combination of the following:

An undergraduate grade-point average of 3.00 or above.
If graduate coursework has been completed, a graduate, grade-point average of 3.00 or above.
Preference may be given to students with scores above the 50th percentile on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
A score of 600 or above on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is also required for students who do not speak English as their first language.
Three letters of reference from university faculty or other individuals qualified to judge the applicant's academic potential.
The applicant's statement of professional interests and goals.

The admission process begins with applications submitted to the Graduate College and to the Department of Educational Psychology. Click here to download the application forms.

Specific instructions are included in the application materials. Admission applications are reviewed in the spring semester. Applications must be received by February 1.

Program Requirements:

Students will be required to take core courses in three specialty areas: (1) learning and development, (2) research methods and measurement, and (3) specialty electives. Students may specialize in learning, development, evaluation, instructional design, quantitative and/or qualitative research methodologies.

The M.S. consists of 34 credits. Of these, 16 are required courses, 12 are electives, and 6 will directed toward the culminating project. Individual programs of study may exceed the minimum requirements and specific coursework will vary depending on particular area of emphasis.

A. General Program Requirement
	EPY 701, Proseminar in Educational Psychology	1 credit

B. Learning and Development
	EPY 711, Human Growth and Development	3 credits
	EPY 712, Foundations of Learning & Cognition	3 credits

C. Research and Measurement
	EPY 702, Research Methods	3 credits
	EPY 721, Descriptive and Inferential Statistics	3 credits
	EPY 723, Theory & Practice of Human Measurement I	3 credits

D. Specialty and Elective Courses		12 credits

E. Culminating Experience		6 credits

	Minimum Total Credits	34 credits

Culminating Experience

The culminating experience for the Master of Science in Educational Psychology is determined by the area of specialization. Examples are:

Thesis Option:

EPY 749, Thesis

6 credits

Students who choose to complete a thesis will select a Graduate Faculty member to serve as chair. The chair and the student will select the other committee members. Each committee must have three members. Committee members must be named by the time the student submits their Program of Study to the Graduate College. The student must defend a thesis proposal before data to be used in the thesis are collected. The committee will meet and determine whether to accept or reject the proposal. A proposal can be accepted provisionally given that the student follows the committee's suggestions for revision. Upon completion of the thesis, an oral defense will be scheduled. This defense will be scheduled and conducted in accordance with the Graduate College's policies for thesis and dissertation completion.

Professional Paper Option:

	EPY 794 Internship	3 credits
	EPY 782 Independent Study (Professional Paper)	3 credits

Students who choose to do an internship will be asked to complete either a Comprehensive Examination or a Professional Paper. The Professssional Paper is an in-depth exploration of a topic agreed upon by the student and adviser. In general, it is not original research but explores constructs from Educational Psychology and is related to the student's internship experience. The Professional Paper is evaluated by the adviser and approved by the department before the degree is granted.

Comprehensive Exam Option:

The comprehensive exam option for the culminating experience is comprised of questions reflective of the core areas (learning and development, research and measurement), and the specialty. All students who take the comprehensive exam in a given semester will respond to items from a set selected for that semester. In consultation with the Comprehensive Examination Evaluation Committee, the student's adviser/committee chair may create an additional item to reflect the student's internship experience. Students will have 15 days to complete the examination.

A department Comprehensive Examination Evaluation Committee will evaluate the responses for each examinee. Each student's adviser/committee chair will also evaluate his/her student's responses to the selected items. For students who do not complete an internship, additional specialty/elective courses are required for the minimum of 34 credits for the Master of Science degree.