Master's in Educational Psychology

A master's degree in educational psychology can provide an important step for a professional in education. This degree program is ideal for educators who wish to pursue professional development opportunities as a condition for licensure. Because of its flexibility, it permits students to specialize in numerous areas included gifted and talented studies, human development, and research methods. The degree is also ideal for those who wish to earn certification in other fields and for those who are interested in pursuing doctoral studies on psychology or education.

Currently, there are three specialization areas that can be applied to the MA degree in EDPSY:

• Gifted & Talented Education
• Human Development
• Statistical & Research Methods

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Doctor of Philosophy
(Ph.D.) Track - General

Objectives and Emphasis

The objective of this program is to train research scholars who will contribute to the understanding of teaching, learning and development; educational accountability and program evaluation; and individual differences in learning and adjustment in educational settings.

The program features areas of study common to degree programs in Educational Psychology, including learning, human development, statistics, measurement and research methods.   In addition the program affords a unique opportunity to pursue advanced training in gifted studies, educational program evaluation, educational technology, and neuropsychology.

The emphasis of program training is twofold: to develop the requisite research competence to make significant contributions to the knowledge base in cognate areas of specialization; and to develop the skills necessary to address applied problems in educational settings, particularly with respect to data-driven decision-making and research-based educational applications. 

This includes the problem of measurement and assessment in educational accountability; determining curricular and educational program effectiveness; and consultation concerning differentiated instruction for developmental and individual differences. Program graduates will be experts in both core areas of the discipline and cognate areas of specialization; they will be skilled researchers with substantive knowledge of measurement, research design, analysis of data.

Program Requirements

The doctoral program requires 90 credit hours beyond the baccalaureate.  Students with a Masters degree must complete at least 60 hours of program coursework at Ball State University.  Each student must complete 20 hours in a Research Core; 6 hours in Human Learning; 6 hours in Human Development; 6 hours in Research Applications, and 9 hours from an Education Core (e.g., multicultural education sociology and philosophy of education, educational technology, history of education, history and systems of psychology, analysis of educational data) for a total of 47 credit hours in the core program.  An additional 9 credit hours will be earned in Directed Electives; 10 hours for dissertation research; and 24-30 hours in cognate areas of study. 

The cognate requirement consists of one 24-hour cognate or two 15-hour cognates.  Students may choose from among the cognates within the Department of Educational Psychology (Gifted Studies, Human Development, Neuropsychology, Statistics and Research Methods) and within other departments of Teachers College.  These cognate areas include Educational Technology, Counseling Psychology, Teacher Education, Educational Leadership, among others).   There are 90-96 total program hours. Required Classes

Admissions

Admission to the doctoral program will minimally require a baccalaureate degree in psychology, education or related field granted by an accredited institution. 

Successful candidates will meet admission standards established by the Graduate School of Ball State University; present evidence of academic excellence; and show promise in scholarship. The proposed program does not require internship or practica.

Application

Applicants must apply to both the Graduate School and the Department of Educational Psychology.  We suggest that you submit materials to The Graduate School and the department concurrently. The department must receive notification from the Graduate School that your application meets their standards for admission before your departmental file can be evaluated for admission to the program. It takes the Graduate School approximately four weeks to process a completed application, so it is imperative that you submit your materials to the Graduate School in plenty of time (by February 2nd) to meet the departmental deadline of  March 18th.     

The Graduate School application can be submitted on line at:

http://www.bsu.edu/gradschool/article/0,,12046--,00.html

Indicate that your degree objective is "Educational Psychology"

The Department's application materials can be downloaded from here:

Application for Ph.D Track -EDPSY General.pdf

The application deadline for educational psychology is March 18th.  All materials must be postmarked by the deadline. Send these items directly to:

Admissions Coordinator,
  Ph. D. Track in EDPSY - General
Department of Educational Psychology,
524 Teachers College
Muncie, IN 47306

(Telephone 765-285-8500; FAX 765-285-3653)