DEGREES

M.Ed. in Educational Research

The M.Ed. in Educational Research requires the completion of 36 graduate hours (12 courses). At least half of the coursework must be in courses numbered 700 or above. The student must earn a minimum grade point average of 3.00 (B) in the total graduate program and a minimum average of 3.00 (B) on all 700-800 level courses.

The coursework is designed to provide students with a set of research skills applicable to a variety of areas within education. Specifically, these skills include the critical reading of research, use of statistical techniques, and the construction, selection, and interpretation of cognitive tests. Coursework includes core requirements for students working toward the Ph.D. degree in Educational Research. Students with a baccalaureate degree who are interested in pursuing doctoral work in educational research are encouraged to enroll in the M.Ed. in Educational Research.

The final requirement is the successful completion of a comprehensive examination. The comprehensive examination for the M.Ed. in Educational Research consists of developing a proposal for a research study for a specific research problem.

Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Research

The Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Psychology and Research offers the opportunity to study in one of two major areas of specialization. They are educational psychology and educational research.

Educational Psychology

The focus of the educational psychology track is to develop an understanding of both the psychological factors that influence human learning and their relationship to the educational setting. Included are the applications of principles of learning to classroom situations, human cognition and information processing models, the relationship of human development to the processes of learning and methods to critique and analyze current research on human learning and cognition. This track is appropriate for qualified individuals who wish to teach and/or conduct research in the area in higher education as well as those who are responsible for classroom learning in other areas of education and industry.

Students may enter the doctoral program with a masters degree in any of a number of fields. Students with only an undergraduate degree may wish to earn a masters degree in educational research or educational technology before entering the doctoral program.

Educational Research

The field of educational research is concerned with the improvement of education through the application of research methods to educational problems and questions. The track in educational research prepares students for a wide variety of positions. Examples include serving as directors and coordinators of educational research in school districts, government agencies and the private sector. Another career path is teaching at the university level in educational research or other areas.

Core skills acquired in this track include using measurement and statistics, evaluating programs, designing research, constructing tests and using computer statistical packages to analyze data. Depending upon individual interests, students may also select courses in a supporting area, such as learning and cognition, teaching methods, human development, advanced quantitative techniques, and others.

Students may enter the doctoral program with a masters degree in any of a number of fields. Students with only an undergraduate degree may wish to earn a masters degree in educational research before entering the doctoral program.

Ph.D. in Foundations of Education

The programs in history, sociology and philosophy of education offer substantive training in the relevant disciplines and their relationship to education. Philosophy of education includes both the historical study of philosophical theories as they apply to education and the application of philosophical methods and questions to educational thought. Sociology of education is the study of human efforts to achieve cultural continuity. Examined are the dynamics of schools and other institutions established to transmit culture to future generations, the relationship between formal and informal educational processes and the relationships between race, class and education. History of education examines those institutions devised to communicate the human experience and the systems developed to meet social needs--economic, political, religious and aesthetic. A primary subject of inquiry is that of educational institutions and formal systems of education. Opportunities are provided for students to apply methods of historical research to the study of the origin and evolution of educational ideas and the role of education in cultural history.