The department of Educational Psychology (EPSY) offers the Educational Psychology and Research (EPR) program leading to a Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.) degree. This program includes instruction within two specialized areas of emphasis referred to as "tracks:" Development & Learning (D&L) and Research, Evaluation, Measurement and Statistics (REMS).
The Development & Learning track for the M.S.Ed. degree program prepares students for work in schools, nonprofit agencies, and other applied settings, or for future doctoral training. The program includes coursework in the areas of human development, learning and cognition, and educational research methods, as well as completion of a master's thesis or project. The M.S.Ed. is typically completed in 2-3 years of full-time study.
The Research, Evaluation, Measurement, and Statistics (REMS) track prepares students for careers in educational measurement and quantitative methods. The program includes coursework in research methods, psychometrics, and statistical analysis. Students typically complete the M.S.Ed. in 2-3 years of full-time study.
Graduate Admission to the School of Education and Human Sciences
Graduate programs in education are open to students with acceptable baccalaureate and graduate degrees whose academic records indicate that they can do successful work at the graduate level. Applicants must provide evidence of ability to work successfully at the graduate level, including experience in and commitment to the profession.
Each department in the School of Education and Human Sciences sets its own application deadlines and admission criteria. Prospective graduate students should contact the appropriate department for more information.
See Admission in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog for more information.
Admission
In order to be eligible for admission to the M.S.Ed. degree program in EPR, students must first meet the admission requirements for graduate study at the University of Kansas. Admission to the degree program also requires recommendation for acceptance by the Educational Psychology and Research Program Committee.
January 5th is the application deadline for the M.S.Ed. program in Educational Psychology and Research. If accepted as an M.S.Ed. candidate, enrollment begins in the summer or fall semester following the application deadline. The Educational Psychology and Research Program Committee can review only complete applications. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that her or his application is complete. Applicants are encouraged to email the department at epsy@ku.edu if they wish to check on the status of their application.
Required Admission Materials
Required Admissions Materials:
1. Graduate application and application fee. See Admission in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.
2. 1 copy of official transcripts of all previous college work, sent directly to Graduate Studies. The original transcript is forwarded to the School of Education to complete licensing and/or certification paperwork. An undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or higher is required for regular admission. If applicable, a graduate grade point average of 3.5 or higher is required for regular admission.
3. The letter of intent should include the following:
- Track of interest: D&L - Development and Learning or REMS – Research, Evaluation, Measurement and Statistics.
- Indicate whom you would like for an advisor and why.
- Describe your career goals.
- Describe how you see your career goals relating to this degree program; that is, describe how you see this program preparing you to meet your career objectives.
- Describe past work or educational experiences related to this degree program.
- Describe what skills/competencies and experiences you hope to gain in this program.
- Describe any past research experiences and accomplishments.
- Describe one research topic/issue that you would like to pursue in this program.
- Please provide additional information concerning your background, experience, goals, or accomplishments/awards you believe are pertinent to your application
5. Résumé.
6. Writing sample - an example of your best scholarly work.
7. 3 letters of recommendation from individuals in a position to evaluate the applicant’s qualifications for graduate study.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS WHOSE FIRST LANGUAGE IS NOT ENGLISH
The Applied English Center (AEC) maintains a check-in process for international students and non-native speakers of English. This process serves to confirm each student's level of English proficiency and determine whether English courses will be included as a requirement of the student’s academic program. In order to graduate, students who are required to complete AEC courses must meet KU’s English proficiency standards as demonstrated by their performance in AEC coursework and evaluations.
· Students who demonstrate English proficiency at the waiver level or who have earned a degree from one of the specified English-speaking countries listed in the policy are not required to check in at the AEC.
· All other international students and non-native speakers of English who gain admission to campus-based programs are required to check in at the AEC upon arrival on campus.
It takes approximately eight to twelve weeks to process requests for visa documents to enter the United States for incoming international students. These requests cannot be processed unless all documentation has been received. Please consult the KU web site for International Support Services http://www.iss.ku.edu for important information.
M.S.E. Degree Requirements
Area of Focus
Students in the M.S.Ed. degree program select the area of Development & Learning (D&L) or Research, Evaluation, Measurement, and Statistics (REMS) on which to focus their studies.
M.S.Ed. students are required to:
· Take courses to satisfy our “Core Course Requirement” (18 credit hours),
· Take an additional two EPR courses (minimum of six credit hours) to establish an area of emphasis in one of the two tracks,
· Take an additional two courses (minimum of six credit hours) from departments other than EPSY, one of which must be from a department in the School of Education,
· Complete a master's thesis or project.
Core Course Requirement
Students must take at least one course in each of the 5 core areas:
Learning and Instruction
Human Development
Research and Evaluation Methods*
Measurement
Statistics
Examples of courses that satisfy the core course requirements include, but are not limited to:
Course List Code | Title | Hours |
| |
EPSY 704 | Advanced Educational Psychology: Learning Processes in Education | 3 |
| |
EPSY 705 | Human Development through the Lifespan | 3 |
| |
EPSY 715 | Understanding Research in Education (All students must take EPSY 715 to satisfy this core course requirement.) | 3 |
| |
EPSY 725 | Educational Measurement | 3 |
| |
EPSY 710 | Introduction to Statistical Analysis | 3 |
EPSY 711 | Lab for Introduction to Statistical Analysis | 1 |
Program Emphasis Courses
Students must take an additional two courses beyond the core requirements. These courses should reflect your area of interest. EPSY offers a variety of elective courses and seminars on special topics that satisfy this requirement.
Outside EPSY Courses
Students must take at least two courses offered by departments outside of EPSY. One of these courses must be from a department in the School of Education and Human Sciences and one from another department at the University of Kansas. For example, students have enrolled in courses from the Department of Psychology, Applied Behavioral Science, Mathematics, Communication Studies, the School of Social Welfare, and the School of Business.
Thesis/Project
All Master’s students in EPR must complete a master's thesis or project. Each student must take a minimum of six master’s thesis or project credit hours. These credit hours allow students to focus on completing their thesis or project.
The EPR Master’s Plan of Study is used by students and their adviser to track progress toward their degree and can be downloaded by clicking on highlighted link above.