Adult Education Concentration
The master’s program involves a minimum of 36 hours of course work (except for the thesis option, which is 33 hours minimum). Programs typically consist of the following.
| |
Hours Credit |
| 1 Adult Education Core |
15 |
| 2 Research |
3 |
| 3 Courses outside of Educational Psychology |
6 |
| Departmental Electives |
12+ |
1 Educational Psychology EDPY 513 , EDPY 520 , EDPY 521 , EDPY 522 , EDPY 525 .
2 Options could include Cultural Studies in Education CSE 560 , CSE 661 ; Educational Administration EDAM 516 ; Educational Psychology EDPY 530 , EDPY 550 , EDPY 582 .
3 This category will include course work outside of educational psychology that provides a more specialized focus to the program or as a complement to current professional competencies. Some examples of possible supporting areas include higher education administration, counseling, educational administration and supervision, cultural studies, sociology, psychology, human resource development, and agricultural and extension education.
Remaining course work can be taken in a combination of electives within adult education or course work in related areas. Examples of courses in educational psychology that meet this expectation include EDPY 504 (recent examples have included Multicultural Perspectives in Adult Education, Learning in the Workplace, and Writing for Professional Publication), EDPY 509 , EDPY 510 , EDPY 514 , EDPY 515 , EDPY 516 , EDPY 524 , EDPY 527 , EDPY 528 , EDPY 529 , EDPY 573 , EDPY 574 .
Most students opt to write a comprehensive examination. This involves preparing written responses to questions from the student’s graduate committee. Typically, these are done in a take-home format. However, a thesis option is also available.
The thesis is an original piece of research. Students who opt to write a thesis register for 6 hours of EDPY 500 . The final document is presented to the student’s graduate committee and discussed in an oral examination with the committee.
Applied Educational Psychology Concentration
This master’s program focuses on concepts, principles, techniques and models of educational psychology as they are used to facilitate teaching and learning and the creation of effective classroom environments for learners of all ages. The program includes traditional themes in educational psychology (e.g., human development, learning principles, assessment, and psychoeducational intervention). It is unique in its focus on meeting the needs of nontraditional and underachieving learners from birth through adulthood through the use of cognitive education interventions.
The master’s program may be used as a stepping stone for entering a doctoral program in educational or school psychology or as an additional preparation for functioning in an educational role in schools, mental health centers, and business programs devoted to personal and professional development. The faculty members in the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling are committed to the creation and study of environments that enhance learning potential and promote lifelong learning for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.
Students complete 36 hours beyond the baccalaureate degree. A minimum of 24 hours must be at the 500 level or higher. At least 6 hours must be taken outside the department. Students must choose between thesis and non-thesis options. Approved courses are listed below. Equivalent courses may be substituted with the consent of the program committee.
| |
Hours Credit |
| 1 Applied Educational Psychology Core |
3 |
| 2 Human Development |
6 |
| 3 Learning Principles |
9 |
| 4 Research |
3 |
| 5 Assessment |
3 |
| 6 Intervention |
6 |
| 7 Thesis or Electives |
6 |
| |
Total 36 |
1 Educational Psychology EDPY 507 .
2 Courses related to human development help students explore the role of development in learning for more and less successful learners. They include a choice of Educational Psychology EDPY 510 , EDPY 522 and/or Psychology PSYC 511 .
3 Courses related to learning principles provide an opportunity to compare behavioral and cognitive learning theories in-depth and other theories in comparison. Students may study learning as it relates to adults as well as children. Courses include Educational Psychology EDPY 671 , and a choice of two of the following courses – Educational Psychology EDPY 515 , EDPY 516 , or EDPY 522 .
4 Students explore statistics and research from a conceptual perspective. Non-thesis students take Educational Psychology EDPY 550 . Thesis students take Educational Psychology EDPY 577 .
5 The assessment course provides an overview of assessment concepts, approaches, and issues. Students take Counselor Education EDPY 525 .
6 The courses related to intervention include exploration of approaches for meeting the needs of nontraditional and underachieving students, program development and facilitation of adult learning, self-management and reflective practice, and facilitation of group change. Students choose two courses from Educational Psychology EDPY 572 , EDPY 573 , and/or EDPY 574 .
7 Thesis students take 6 thesis hours toward the 36-hour program in lieu of electives. The thesis involves an original research project. A written document of the research is presented to the student’s graduate committee members and discussed in an oral examination regarding the research. Non-thesis students complete a comprehensive examination. This typically involves the writing of scholarly papers in response to questions from each of the student’s graduate committee members. A minimum of 6 hours of non-thesis electives may be chosen from Educational Psychology EDPY 513 , EDPY 522 , EDPY 525 , and/or EDPY 529 .
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