Combined M.A. and Ph.D. Educational Psychology

The combined masters and doctoral degree in Educational Psychology is research intensive, with anticipation that students will work closely with an advisor on research. Students should expect research involvement and appropriate authorship throughout their graduate training. The combined MA/PhD training follows an apprenticeship model where students learn the process of conducting research through collaboration with their advisor and affiliated researchers in a productive research environment. Through convenient access to coursework and close work with your advisor, you will engage in:

• a research-based curriculum covering basic concepts and theories in educational psychology as they relate to learning and instruction.
• an integrated sequence of courses and other learning experiences that will ensure the development of a clear basis for understanding the connection between teaching, learning, and assessment.
• a rigorous training sequence in educational statistics and research methodologies that will allow graduates to evaluate and conduct educational research in a variety of contexts.
• a variety of opportunities, especially in research, that will prepare you for your future professional endeavors.

The PhD. in Educational Psychology is built for you! You can tailor your elective coursework to meet your goals by emphasizing either practitioner-oriented courses or researcher-oriented courses. You should expect to work closely with your advisor on scholarly projects as well as authorship opportunities throughout your graduate degree.

Plus, earning an advanced degree is a factor that determines pay grades in many school districts, organizations and corporations. This degree will strengthen the knowledge and practices for a variety of professions. Get started today!

Program Requirements

The combined Master’s and Doctor of Philosophy (MA/PhD) program in Educational Psychology provides students with the opportunity to earn an MA in Educational Psychology before advancing directly to the doctoral program. Students are expected to develop advanced expertise in one or more research methodologies and gain hands-on research experience through research internships.

Given the research-intensive nature of the program, we strongly encourage MA/PhD students to enroll on a full-time basis. To support full-time study, we will make every effort to provide financial support through teaching assistantships and/or graduate assistantships throughout the approximately four to five years typically required to complete the PhD. Assistantships include tuition remission, health benefits, and a stipend.

Students in the combined program are typically expected to complete a master’s thesis rather than pursue the coursework-only option for the MA degree. The thesis option provides students with valuable research experience and helps prepare them for the advanced research expectations of the PhD program.

See the links below for the EDPY MA and EDPY PhD program requirements.