The Educational Psychology program offers a range of study-programs for students. Our faculty are interested in a variety of areas, and we try to work individually to mentor our students. In 2003 we were recognized as being ranked in the top 20 in terms of research productivity in the field of Educational Psychology. The area is primarily concerned with human development, motivation, cognition, learning, memory, social aspects of development, and educational research and research design. These topics may be applied to a broad range of interests and studies for students. Therefore, doctoral programs are tailored to individual needs.

THREE DEGREE PROGRAMS

The graduate programs are governed by the regulations of The Graduate School and the degrees earned through the department are awarded by The Graduate School. Application to any educational psychology program is through both The Graduate School and the department. The three degree programs are described in greater detail in the Educational Psychology Handbook (Word).

Master's Degree Program in Educational Psychology

The Program Objectives depend on the student's program of studies. The following objectives are common ones for the master's degree: (a) To obtain knowledge of theories and perspectives from which the broad areas of human development and group processes, learning and cognition, and research methodologies are viewed. (b) To acquire an in depth knowledge of at least one of the above areas.

Curriculum

The program requires 36 semester hours of graduate work. Thirty hours of coursework are required plus six hours for the thesis, or 33 hours of coursework plus three credits of EDP 658 (Problems in Educational Psychology) to prepare a major paper under the supervision of the student's advisor. A final oral defense of the thesis or the paper is required. A final defense of the thesis will be conducted during the final term of the master's program.

The following courses in Educational Psychology are those most often taken by master's level students. At least four of these courses (12 hours) are required. Most of the courses, however, are taken by most students. Occasionally, the majority of courses for a student may consist of electives. This is unusual, and is dependent on the student's background and future plans. The actual program of study is selected by the student and the major professor and approved by the advisory committee.

EDP 548 Educational Psychology
EDP 557 Educational Statistics
EDP 600 Life Span Human Development and Behavior
EDP 601 Human Social Development
EDP 603 Human Cognitive Development
EDP 610 Theories of Learning in Education
EDP 613 Educational Social Psychology
EDP 614 Motivation

Electives may be chosen from areas such as Curriculum and Instruction, Special Education, Psychology, Sociology, Family Studies and other areas.

The Master of Science in Education is the master's degree pursued in Educational Psychology.

Specialist Degree in Educational Psychology

The specialist degree requires 30 semester hours of work above the master's degree. The major professor and the student plan the course of study based upon the needs of the individual. A major paper of from 3 to 6 hours credit is required.

Doctoral Degree Programs in Educational Psychology

Because Educational Psychology is a broad field, entering students are expected to obtain a general perspective of the theories, problems and research techniques in a variety of knowledge domains. The core requirements for this emphasis will include those basic concepts which fall under the rubrics of human development, learning and cognition, and techniques of scholarly inquiry.

This program is designed to produce researchers, college- university teachers or other professionals in the areas of human learning and cognition, assessment, human development and social processes, research and evaluation procedures, and instructional design. The specific characteristics of a program of study in the Educational Psychology area are determined by the faculty members of the student's advisory committee and the student. Each program is tailored to meet the needs and career aspirations of the individual. The typical doctoral program ranges between 40 and 60 semester hours (depending on the decision of the Advisory Committee) above the master's degree and requires about three or four years to complete.

An individualized internship program designed for each student is required. Such internship settings might include supervised college teaching, professional work in educational research settings and internship experiences with specific faculty supervising individual projects.

CAREER OPTIONS

A degree in Educational Psychology affords a student a number of career options. These options are dependent upon the focus of the student's coursework and the level of degree earned. At the master's level an individual might attain expertise in areas that would be readily marketable in a school system: The individual might work in curriculum development, training programs, setting up testing programs, research, and other areas. Additional job opportunities might be found in training departments of various industries, and in training divisions of state and federal agencies.

At the doctoral level an individual's expertise and marketability may be much broader than at the master's level. For example, with a doctorate in Educational Psychology one might opt to teach and/or do research and development in colleges and universities, be an administrator in higher education, work in medical education or medical research, develop and manage training departments in industry, work in various areas of publishing, conduct product design and research and/or program development, consult for or head state and federal agencies, conduct measurement and evaluation in school districts, and establish a private consulting firm.

These are only a few of the options available to the holder of degrees in Educational Psychology. With a well-planned and carefully executed program of study, students in the department enjoy excellent job opportunities.

The point of contact for Educational Psychology is Dr. Fred Danner who can also be reached at 859-257-7878.

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Updated on March 14, 2008 14:54 by the Webmaster - Content by Dr. Lynda Brown Wright