The Foundations Specialization Strands in the Ph.D. in Educational Psychology enable tailoring of doctoral studies to meet student career plans in a variety of applications consistent with advanced training in educational psychology.
Selection of specific coursework in the specialization is guided by the doctoral committee. Strands include assessment, learning and cognition, program evaluation, and research. The common theme is preparation to become an independent scholars who will make significant contributions to knowledge in the discipline.
Students admitted for this specialization must have completed a Master's degree prior to admission for doctoral studies. Admission to the Ph.D. in Educational Psychology: Foundations Strands is imited to the most qualified applicants based on a combination of undergraduate grade-point average, standardized test scores, letters of reference, and statement of professional interest and goals. Applications must be received by February 1.
Click here for more information about admission requirements.
Residence Requirement:
Students in the doctoral program must be enrolled full-time at the University Nevada, Las Vegas for a minimum of two consecutive semesters, not including summer sessions, after admission. Each student's advisor/committee chair and the Department Graduate Coordinator must approve proposed residency periods and courses in advance. Once admitted, the student is expected to enroll continuously, excluding summer sessions. If a program of study must be interrupted, the student may apply for leave status not to exceed one calendar year.
Course Requirements:
The required coursework for the PhD-Foundations Specialization Strands is minimum of a 67 credits beyond the master's degree. Specific programs of study are determined by a number of factors, including the area of emphasis chosen by the student and doctoral committee. Individual programs of study frequently exceed these minimum requirement. Click here for an illustrative course sequence.
Program Completion Requirements:
All specialization strands within the Ph.D. in Educational Psychology share some common program completion requirements. Click here for general information about these requirements, including the comprehensive examination, and the dissertation.
| Required Courses are: | ||
| Course Number | Title | Credits |
| EPY 718 | Qualitative Research Methodologies | 3 cr. |
| EPY 722 | Inferential Statistics and Experimental Design | 3 cr. |
| EPY 723 | Human Measurement | 3 cr. |
| EPY 730 | Advanced Research Methods | 3 cr. |
| Select one to complete core: | ||
| EPY 716 | Evaluation Research Methods | 3 cr. |
| EPY 719 | Advanced Qualitative Research | 3 cr. |
| EPY 724 | Human Measurement II | 3 cr. |
| EPY 787 | Individual Research | 3 cr. |
| EPY 790 | Research Design in Education | 3 cr. |
| EPY 733 | Multivariate Statistics | 3 cr. |
| Course Number | Title | Credits |
| EPY 757 | Theory/Philosophy of Educational Psychology | 3 cr. |
| EPY 767 | Human Learning and Cognition | 3 cr. |
| EPY 777 | Cognitive Development | 3 cr. |
Specific specialization courses in the assessment, program evaluation, research, and learning in school domains strands are determined by the student in consultation with her or his committee. A minimum of 18 specialization credits is required. The actual number will vary up from this minimum based on individual student needs.
In addition to the required specialization courses, each student, in consultation with advisor and doctoral committee, selects an individual emphasis area and determines the specific courses to be completed. A minimum of 12 post-master's credits is required for the emphasis area. Some examples of possible areas include:
The first review point in your program is a scholarly product requirement that must be completed by the end of your fourth semester. This requirement can be met in one of two ways: you can submit a research study to a refereed journal or submit a proposal for a presentation at an annual conference of a national organization. This is Review I and your doctoral committee will determine whether the scholarly product is acceptable.
The second review point is the completion of a comprehensive examination during your fourth semester. You and your committee will determine the content of this examination. It differs from the traditional comprehensive examination format in that it will focus on in-depth reading and writing directly related to your planned dissertation topic rather than on mastery of preciously learned core information. This is Review II.
After successfully completing Review I (satisfying the scholarly product requirement) and Review II (passing the comprehensive examination), you may then submit a dissertation proposal to your doctoral committee and submit the accompanying "Dissertation Prospectus" form to the Graduate College. The doctoral committee will meet and determine whether to accept or reject the prospectus. A prospectus can be accepted provisionally given that the student follows the committee's suggestions in the dissertation.
A dissertation is an original contribution to current knowledge in the field and a demonstration that you have achieved sufficient mastery in the field of pursue independent research and scholarship.
When the dissertation is complete, a defense will be scheduled and conducted in accordance with the Graduate College's policies for thesis and dissertation completion. It will be your responsibility to file the required "Notification of Oral or Written Examination" form with the Graduate College in a timely manner.
Paul Jones, Ed.D., Department Chair 895-3937 | Pamela Staples, Ed.D., Graduate Coordinator 895-1558
Deirdre Lupher, Administrative Assistant IV 895-3253 | Marty Koch, Administrative Assistant II 895-4362
Department Office: Carlson Education Building Room 221 | Phone: (702) 895-3253 | Fax: (702) 895-1658
University of Nevada, Las Vegas | College of Education | 4505 S. Maryland Parkway | Las Vegas, NV 89154-3003