Degree Offered
- Master of Arts
Nature of the Program
The Program Evaluation and Research master's degree program is designed for individuals with interest in conducting research and evaluation projects for private and public educational organizations and agencies. All students in this area of emphasis complete six core courses in research and evaluation methodology, additional electives, and are required to design and conduct at least one full program evaluation during the course of their studies. Graduates of this program have a strong foundation for entry into a doctoral degree program or one of many job fields where data analysis, research design, and evaluation skill sets are in high demand.
Admissions
Admissions for Graduate Certificates
Students can apply to the certificate programs online at http://graduateadmissions.wvu.edu/how-to-apply as a non-degree student (CEHS 4597 – Non-Degree Certificate). Students enrolled in a WVU degree program may also apply for the certificate programs, but should be aware that no more than 6 credits earned toward the certificate may be applied to another degree (and vice versa). To be admitted as a non--‐degree student, a student must present evidence of a baccalaureate degree. The student must also maintain a 3.00 grade point average as long as the student is enrolled.
Admissions for Master of Arts Degrees
All masters require the same admissions materials and follow similar processes to make admissions decisions. All faculty members affiliated with the program evaluate the credentials submitted for all completed applications. A majority must indicate acceptance and at least one faculty member must be willing to serve as the student’s adviser. Final approval for admission rests with the relevant Program Coordinator.
In line with best practices for evaluation and assessment, set cutoff scores for tests and GPA are not used to make unidimensional admissions decisions. Instead, applicant materials are reviewed as a total package and admissions decisions are based on multidimensional factors. That said, successful applicants tend to be at or above the 50th percentile on the GRE or MAT, have undergraduate GPAs at or above 3.0, and graduate GPAs (if any) at or above 3.25.
Applicants interested in being considered for admission to the master's programs should indicate that interest on standard online application forms provided by the West Virginia University Office of Admissions and Records, which can be found here: http://graduateadmissions.wvu.edu/how-to-apply
In addition to the completed online application form, the following items must be sent to the appropriate Administrative Assistant (see below) before the admission process can be initiated:
- A completed WVU online graduate application: http://graduateadmissions.wvu.edu/how-to-apply
- The applicant's undergraduate and graduate (if any) transcript(s)
- An official copy of the results of either the Graduate Record Examination or the Miller Analogies Test (GRE/MAT may be waived for General Educational Psychology and Evaluation and Research majors, but is required for Child Development and Family Studies majors) and for non-native English speakers an official copy the TOEFL showing a score of 79 or above (no conditional admissions will be considered)
- Three (3) letters of recommendation
- A personal vita (resume)
- A written statement of approximately 500 words, indicating the applicant's fit for the specific major they wish to be admitted to and goals relative to receiving a master's degree. This statement should indicate which faculty members in the program have research or teaching interests that align with the student's own interests and therefore might appropriately mentor the student if admitted to the program.
Review of applicants for admission will not begin until after all items 1-6 listed above have been received by the relevant administrative assistant.
Admission materials should be uploaded to the WVU online graduate application. For answers to questions regarding application materials please contact the appropriate administrative assistant:
Educational Psychology or Program Evaluation and Research master's contact:
Dana Musick (dmusick2@mail.wvu.edu)
c/o The Department of Learning Sciences and Human Development
West Virginia University
PO Box 6122
Morgantown, West Virginia 26506-6122.
Admission Requirements 2023-2024
The Admission Requirements above will be the same for the 2023-2024 Academic Year.
Major Code: 5520
Master of Arts
Major Requirements
| Major Requirements | ||
| EDP 611 | Measurement/Evaluation in Educational Psychology | 3 |
| EDP 612 | Introduction to Research | 3 |
| EDP 613 | Statistical Methods 1 | 3 |
| EDP 617 | Program Evaluation | 3 |
| EDP 618 | Mixing Research Methodologies | 3 |
| SCFD 615 | Qualitative Research Methods | 3 |
| Select one of the following | 3-6 | |
| Practicum * | ||
| Research ** | ||
| Electives | 6-9 | |
| Educational Psychology | ||
| Statistical Methods 2 | ||
| Instructional Design | ||
| Capstone Seminar in Program Evaluation | ||
| Survey Research Methods | ||
| Multivariate Methods 1 | ||
| Advanced Qualitative Research | ||
Any course 500 level or above approved by advisor | ||
| Thesis or Practicum | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
- *
Students who select the option of three credits of EDP 685 Practicum for practical product development are required to complete 9 credits of Additional Courses/Electives.
- **
Students who select the option of six credits of EDP 697 are required to complete 6 credits of Additional Courses/Electives.
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| EDP 612 | 3 | EDP 611 | 3 | EDP 697 | 3 |
| EDP 613 | 3 | EDP 617 | 3 | ||
| SCFD 615 | 3 | EDP 685 | 3 | ||
| 9 | 9 | 3 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| EDP 619 | 3 | EDP 680 | 3 | ||
| EDP 618 | 3 | ||||
| 6 | 3 | ||||
| Total credit hours: 30 | |||||
- Demonstrate understanding of the philosophical and historical foundations of inquiry.
- Apply appropriate quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research tools to answer practical educational, programmatic, and other social research questions.
- Apply appropriate program evaluation tools to conduct formative and summative evaluations of existing and prospective educational programs.
- Demonstrate understanding of ethical issues in research and evaluation.
- Create informative reports of research and evaluation studies tailored appropriately for multiple stakeholders and decision-makers.