M.A. in Educational Psychology

The Master of Arts in educational psychology is designed to help students become more effective practitioners by enhancing their ability to make responsible and creative decisions about how to help all of their students learn. By providing an evidence-based perspective on instructional approaches that work, it also addresses the emphasis on teachers' accountability for choosing empirically supported approaches.

The M.A. in educational psychology is designed for working educators. Many of the program's courses are offered in late afternoons, evenings, and summers.

Full-time M.A. students are expected to complete the degree in two years. Each student's progress is evaluated by the faculty after one academic year (two semesters) of study and during subsequent years.

ADMISSION

Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate College, including minimum grade-point average. They must have a combined verbal and quantitative score of at least 1000 on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test; successful applicants usually score higher. International applicants whose first language is not English must submit acceptable scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Teaching experience is desirable but not required.

Application deadline for fall semester entry is February 1. Review of applications for fall semester begins January 1, when applicants who wish to be considered for fellowships and other awards are screened. Application deadline for spring semester entry is October 1. Admission decisions are announced approximately one month after the application deadlines.

Applicants who accept admission or financial aid and do not relinquish either one on or before April 15 are committed not to solicit or accept another offer. Offers made by the program after April 15 include the provision that the offer is void if the applicant has accepted and continues to hold a previous offer from another program listed in the American Psychological Association publication Graduate Study in Psychology and Associated Fields. This policy is consistent with standards set by the association's Board of Educational Affairs.

REQUIREMENTS

The M.A. in educational psychology requires a minimum of 30 s.h. of graduate credit. A thesis is not required. Students develop a program of study in consultation with their advisors.

Students complete a required common core, select educational psychology courses and electives appropriate to their professional goals, and complete a capstone portfolio project. The two core courses, which are taken during the first year, prepare students for the M.A. program. Educational Psychology for Effective Teaching (07P:221) introduces them to a broad sampling of topics in educational psychology (e.g., development, cognition, motivation). Also during the first year, students begin their portfolios, which they continue to build throughout the program and complete during their final M.A. semester.

Full-time M.A. students typically take at least 9 s.h. each semester, with the option of additional summer session work; they usually complete the program in four semesters. Part-time M.A. students take 3-6 s.h. each semester; they usually complete the degree in two or three years.

Students may apply to substitute equivalent course work from another institution or department for required or recommended courses.

Required Core

Educational Psychology Courses

Five of these:

Electives

Students select two electives (6 s.h.) based on their interests and in consultation with their advisors. Electives typically are chosen from areas outside educational psychology.

Portfolio Project

The program's capstone project is a portfolio. Students enroll in 07P:299 M.A. Project: The Portfolio (3 s.h.) during their final M.A. semester.

The portfolio is a creative and highly individual project. Each student's portfolio reflects his or her own unique learning and synthesis of knowledge. Students begin building the portfolio during their first year, making an entry as they complete each course throughout the M.A. program. Portfolio entries vary widely. For example, the entry for a technology course might include a web site the student developed for the course, while the entry for a development course might detail an intervention program the student constructed to address problems of student aggression.

During enrollment in 07P:299, the student revises and reflects on the portfolio's contents, then presents the portfolio as the culmination of his or her work throughout the program. The portfolio's goal is to show how understanding and practical application of educational psychology can help the student become a more effective educator.