Doctoral Program Plan of Study

Core Competencies and Credit Requirements for the  Research Methods, Measurement, & Evaluation Doctoral Program

 

Competency 1: Research Methodology and Quantitative Expertise
(24 credits or 8 courses)

Course Number Description
Courses for which students may test out
EPSY 5601 Introduction to Educational Research Methods*
EPSY 5605 Introduction to Quantitative Methods I*
EPSY 5607 Introduction to Quantitative Methods II*
Required
EPSY 5610 Applied Regression Analysis
EPSY 5613 Multivariate Analysis in Educational Research
EPSY 6601 Methods and Techniques of Educational Research
EPSY 6611 Hierarchical Linear Models
EPSY 6615 Structural Equation Modeling
EPSY 6619 Advanced Modeling Using Latent Variable Techniques
EPSY 6651 Methods for Causal Inference from Educational Data
EPSY 6655 Advanced Methods for Causal Inference from Data

*Expected (equivalent or competency exam required to be waived) but do not count towards 24 credits in this area

 

Competency 2: RMME: Theories, Methods and Models
(21 credits or 7 courses)

Course Number Description
Required
EPSY 5602 Educational Tests and Measurements
EPSY 5621 Construction of Evaluation Instruments
EPSY 6621 Program Evaluation
EPSY 6194 Advanced Program Evaluation
EPSY 6636 Measurement Theory and Application
EPSY 6637 Item Response Theory
EPSY 6638 Advanced Item Response Theory

 

Competency 3: Theories of Educational Psychology
(3 credits)

Course Number Description
Required
EPSY 5510 Learning: Its Implications for Education**

** Students may request to have this requirement waived if they have taken a graduate-level Educational Psychology or Learning course from another university and earned a B or better.

Additional Coursework (12+ credits)

Students must take a combination of elective courses and independent study/practica which total at least 12 credits. At least 3 of these credits must be from coursework and at least 3 of these credits must be from independent study/practica.

Dissertation Research (15 credits)

Students must also register for 15 credits of dissertation research.

The anticipated total number of credits for the PhD is 75. This includes 54-57 credits of coursework, 3-6 credits of independent study and 15 credits of dissertation preparation (required by the Graduate School). For most students, the PhD degree will require four or five years of full-time study, although for students with Masters’ Degrees in highly relevant areas, such as statistics, it may be possible to complete the PhD in as little as three years of full time study.  For more information about the course sequences, including sample plans of study, please consult the RMME Handbook.