Educational Psychology (EDPSY) offers a wide range of opportunities for studying human behavior in education and related settings. The doctoral program emphasizes preparation in human learning, measurement and research design, and also offers the opportunity to learn about individual assessment, counseling, computer applications, learning dysfunctions, behavior management, reading, and test development. The program consists of the following elements:

1. A core of courses to insure a breadth of knowledge in the basic areas of Educational Psychology.
2. Methodology courses to insure an in-depth understanding of behavioral research.
3. Elective courses from other departments/colleges for purposes of obtaining specialization or further program breadth.
4. Research experience to acquaint the student with various aspects of doing research.
5. If desired, internship experiences in industrial training settings.

EDPSY offers two kinds of master's degrees, those that are terminal and those that are the first steps in the doctoral program. In the doctoral program, each student has the opportunity to define a unique program of course work, research, and practicum experiences. At the master's level, the course work is more prescribed, but a number of options are still available.

The program is strongly committed to the view that graduate study is an activity requiring the full energies of the student. Students who attempt to combine graduate study with work (other than the experiences which contribute directly to their program, such as graduate assistantships) limit their opportunities to benefit from the program. The EDPSY Admissions Committee, therefore, gives preference to students who can devote full time to the completion of their courses and related experiences in teaching and research. Under normal circumstances, it is expected that a student entering EDPSY with a baccalaureate degree will require at least 4 years to earn the doctorate.

Experience in teaching or research before entering the program is desirable, but not a prerequisite. Most previous students have come to the program with a relatively limited amount of work experience; many have recently completed their undergraduate work. Most past and present graduate students expect to obtain the PhD, but terminating graduate study with an MS is also possible.

Although the program is oriented toward the preparation of college and university professors, there is an equal emphasis on professional employment with testing services, government agencies, and private research organizations. Opportunities for employment in the government and private sectors are increasingly available and there are now more opportunities for employment for master's level graduates. The PhD program will be based on strong foundations in research and theory but emphasizes the preparation of applied educational psychologists both at the master's and doctoral level.

In general, it is the policy of the program to provide financial support for as many of the graduate students who request it as possible. Students presently receiving assistantships are supported financially by teaching and research assistantships. (See the separate section on financial assistance for more detailed information.)

The activities associated with the financial activity are designed to provide experiences relevant to the professional development of the student. Some of the assistantships involve teaching and instructional support within the EDPSY, and other assistantships are with laboratories and centers outside the program.

The program encourages the student to engage in a variety of experiences that contribute to the development of knowledge about relevant professional organizations. Graduate students, including those in their first year of study, are encouraged to attend the annual meetings of the American Psychological Association and/or the American Educational Research Association, as well as regional and local meetings of relevant professional and scientific groups.

The goal of the program is to have an enrollment of 15-20 full-time graduate students with 4-7 new students admitted each year. There is about an equal number of males and females among the current graduates students.

At the doctoral level, a minor is also possible in EDPSY. Like all University minors, it requires at least 15 credits of work within the program, including the courses EDPSY 406, EDPSY 421, EDPSY 450 plus at least two other courses in EDPSY, in consultation with the minor adviser. The minor adviser should also be a member of the Graduate Faculty and on the doctoral committee. The minor adviser should be appointed as early as possible. Anyone interested in this option should talk to a professor in EDPSY. If you would like to fill out the form for the Minor in Educational Psychology, please see the program staff assistant in 125F CEDAR Building.