This interdisciplinary certificate program will provide students with the necessary foundation of skills and experiences needed to enter the field of institutional research.  The 15 credit-hour sequence includes graduate courses in institutional research, research methods, and statistics as well as an experiential learning component.

Institutional research involves the collection and analysis of data related to planning and decision making in higher education. Therefore, the field is a unique combination of research methodology, data analysis, education policy, and applied research.  Institutional researchers typically work in colleges and universities, state and federal government offices, and other organizations related to higher education.

Course Sequence:

The course sequence consists of five courses:

1. an institutional research course (3 credit hours)
2. a research methods course (3 credit hours)
3. a statistics course (3 credit hours)
4. an elective related to research methods or statistics (3 credit hours)
5. a practicum or internship in institutional research (3 credit hours)

Because students will come from a variety of departments, the IR certificate program is designed to allow students to complete the research methods, the statistics course, and the research/statistics elective requirements within their own disciplines.  The various course options are given below in the Course Listing.

Course Listing by Course Requirement Area:

(1) Institutional Research (ID 602)                   

Graduate School 602: Institutional Research (3)

(2) Research Methods (choose one)

• Counseling Psychology 653: Research Methods in Counseling Psychology and Guidance (3)
• Educational Psychology 640: Methodology of Educational and Psychological Research (3)
• Psychological Science 680: Research Methods in Psychology (3)
• Sociology 600: Sociology Inquiry (3)

(3) Statistics (choose one)

• Educational Psychology 641: Statistical Methods in Educational and Psychological Research (3)
• Educational Psychology 642: Intermediate Statistics (3)
• Sociology 682: Social Statistics (3)
• Sociology 684: Advanced Sociological Data Analysis (3)

(4) Electives related to research methods or statistics (choose one)

• Education: Curriculum 660: Ethnographic Research in Education (3)
• Education: Curriculum 661: Introduction to Qualitative Research (3) Education: Curriculum 671: Evaluation of Educational Programs (3)
• Educational Psychology 645: Survey of Advanced Research Methods and Statistical Designs (3)
• Educational Psychology 646: Tests and Measurements (3)
• Social Psychology 610: Social Psychology (3)
• Social Psychology 640: Social Psychology of Attitudes (3)
• Sociology 681: Survey Research Methods (3) 

   (5) Practicum or internship in institutional research.* The existing courses listed below are housed within the academic departments as noted and may be used for a variety of internship or independent study opportunities.  Students completing the IR certificate program may register for any one of the courses; however, only experiences that are approved by the IR Certificate Program Director will satisfy this specific requirement of the IR certificate program. *These courses all require permission of the department and permission of the IR Certificate Program Director.

• Education: Adult and Community 699: Internship in Adult and Community Education (3)
• Education: Higher 699: Practicum in Student Affairs Administration (3)
• Psychological Science 686: Applied Practicum (3)
• Social Psychology 695: Internship in Applied Social Psychology (3)
• Sociology 588: Internship 3: Field Experience (3)

Curriculum Criteria:

1. No transfer credit will be allowed.
2. The certificate program must be earned on campus.
3. Only members of the Graduate Faculty will teach courses included in the certificate program.
4. Students must achieve a 3.0 GPA in the certificate program to receive a certificate.
5. No course with a grade below a 2.0 can be counted toward a graduate certificate.
6. The student's official transcript shall contain not only the listing of courses taken in this program, but will also indicate successful completion of the program.
7. Students will receive a printed certificate acknowledging their completion of the program.

Admission Requirements:

1. Applicants pursuing only a certificate program will be admitted as non-degree students.
2. Applicants must complete an application form from the Office of Graduate Admissions and provide two copies of official transcripts from the institution granting the Baccalaureate degree and each institution attended for undergraduate and graduate work. International students must apply through the Rinker Center for International Programs. 
3. Standards for Admission
   1. Hold an earned Bachelor's degree from a college or university that is accredited by its regional association.
   2. Satisfy one of the following:
      I. An undergraduate cumulative grade point average of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale (all undergraduate course work, including work complete prior to the baccalaureate, is used to calculate the grade-point average).
      II. A cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in the latter half of the baccalaureate.
      III. Students not meeting these criteria may be considered for admission at the discretion of the Certificate program director.
4. Students who are currently enrolled in the Graduate School and who wish to pursue this certificate program must apply for admission to the program before six of the credits are completed.
5. Graduate students enrolled only in a certificate program may not hold a graduate assistantship.
6. Students may be enrolled full-time or part-time in the certificate program.
7. Students who are currently enrolled in a graduate program of study leading to a degree who wish simultaneously to pursue this graduate certificate program with the Graduate School must inform the Graduate School of their intent to seek the graduate certificate.
8. Completion of a graduate certificate does not guarantee admission into a graduate degree program.

Contact Information:

Sherry Woosley, Ph.D.
Assistant Director of Institutional Effectiveness
Office of Academic Assessment and Institutional Research
Ball State University
Muncie, IN 47306
(765) 285-5976
sawoosley@bsu.edu

Donald Whitaker, Ph.D.
Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness
Office of Academic Assessment and Institutional Research
Ball State University
Muncie, IN 47306
(765) 285-5974
dwhitake@bsu.edu