Educational Psychology M.A.

Program Overview

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences 

Site: Greeley
Mode: In-person
Start term: Summer, Fall, Spring

Director: Carl E. Granrud, Ph.D.

Location: McKee 0014

Telephone: [phone]

Website: www.unco.edu/cebs/psychological-sciences/

The master's and doctoral programs are designed to prepare individuals for educational activities such as instruction, evaluation, test construction, educational research, educational consulting to business and public schools, and university teaching. All students must abide by the codes of ethics of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the American Educational Research Association (AERA).

Educational Psychology offers programs and service courses at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. The program faculty provide courses on psychological principles and theories and research methodologies as applied to the educational process. These applications range from everyday concerns in the public school classroom to basic research on learning and cognition, and the development of children, adolescents, and adults. Faculty and students have access to computers, a complete set of data analysis software packages and laboratory facilities available for both teaching and research purposes. Service courses are offered to support other university programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Educational Psychology M.A. en route to the Ph.D.

Students may apply for admission to the Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and complete their M.A. in Educational Psychology on the way to the doctoral degree. The application process and the admission criteria are the same as for the Ph.D. program. Once admitted, students will complete the 30 credit M.A. program. Students must complete all program requirements (including Comprehensive Examination) for the M.A. in addition to the minimum credit hours required for the Ph.D. Students must be conferred with the M.A. degree prior to admission to doctoral candidacy.

Admission

General Master's Degree Admission Requirements

Program Requirements:

Upon meeting the admission criteria for the Graduate School, the candidate's application is forwarded to the program area faculty for review. Applications are processed as they are received. Decisions regarding admission are communicated to the applicant before the beginning of the next semester. Although students may enroll any semester following admission, they are strongly encouraged to begin their program in either the summer or fall term in order to enter the proper sequencing of courses. Applications require a description of educationally-related work experience, statement of interest and career goals, three letters of reference, and GRE scores should be submitted if available, but are not required.

Applications are evaluated case by case according to the following preferred guidelines:

• GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 semester hours of academic work.
• Three letters of recommendation indicating a high potential for academic success.
• Congruency between the applicant's career goals and the purpose of the M.A. program as indicated by the letter of interest.
• Educationally-related work experience is desirable, but not required.

Degree Requirements — 30 Credits

Theoretical Foundations — 9 hours

PSY 530	Life Span Developmental Psychology	3
PSY 540	Theories and Principles of Learning	3
PSY 644	Motivation in Education	3

Research Methods — 6 hours

SRM 600

Introduction to Graduate Research

3

One of the following:

SRM 602	Statistical Methods I	3
SRM 680	Introduction to Qualitative Research	3

Professional Foundations — 9 hours

PSY 575	Educational Assessment	3
PSY 661	Trends and Issues in Educational Psychology	3
PSY 674	Measurement I: Classical Test Theory	3

Elective Credits — 6 hours

NOTES: Students choose electives in consultation with their advisor. Options include, but are not limited to courses in Education, Psychology, Educational Technology, Statistics and Research Methods, Professional or School Psychology, Special Education, or Educational Leadership. Courses numbered 508 or 513 are not acceptable for credit in graduate programs.

PSY 699 is a highly recommended elective for students intending subsequently to enter a doctoral program. Student competencies are examined by comprehensive examination during fall, spring or summer semesters.

Accelerated (4 + 1) Psychology B.A. and Educational Psychology M.A.

Site: Greeley
Mode: In-person
Start term: Summer, Fall, Spring

Motivated and high-achieving students may seek to complete the requirements for the B.A. in Psychology and M.A. in Educational Psychology in five years. To obtain both degrees, students must complete all the requirements for the B.A. described in the Undergraduate Catalog and all of the requirements for the M.A. described in the Graduate Catalog. Completing the requirements for both degrees in the accelerated Master's program is made possible by taking 9 credits of graduate course work in the junior and senior years (paid for at the undergraduate tuition rate). Students remain eligible for financial aid as an undergraduate; any Graduate School aid is not available until students are admitted as a Graduate student.

Students interested in transferring into an accelerated Master’s Program must:

• Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 to take graduate-level courses as a junior or senior.
• Meet with the program’s advisor in their junior year, apply (following the same procedure and meeting the same requirements as other M.A. applicants). Full admission is dependent on completing the B.A. requirements in the senior year while maintaining a minimum 3.0 GPA.
• Students and faculty identify the graduate courses the students should take. The program application will be signed and forwarded to the Graduate School with signatures of the program advisor indicating the approval of graduate course transfer.

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