Human Development, Culture and Learning Sciences
Department of Educational Psychology
Human Development, Culture, & Learning Sciences (HDCLS), as a core academic area of specialization, represents the scientific and theoretical bases for research and practice within the field of Educational Psychology.
HDCLS doctoral students are required to complete:
- EDP Foundation courses,
- HDCLS Program courses,
- Out-of-Specialization courses, and
- Qualifying Process and Dissertation coursework.
Student coursework may vary depending on prior graduate coursework and waivers. Required courses are designed to meet relevant APA and licensure requirements. All required courses must be completed with a grade of at least B-.
Please note required coursework may vary from year to year. Current students should always defer to their Program of Work for course requirements and consult with their faculty advisor / Graduate Advisor for any needed clarifications.
Note: the first digit in a Course Number denotes the number of credit hours of the course. Example: EDP 480C Correlation & Regression Methods = 4 credit hours.
Program Overview
EDP Foundation Courses (26 credit hours)
The Educational Psychology Foundation courses represent foundational knowledge in educational psychology, and reflect APA guidelines requiring doctoral-level psychologists to have basic knowledge in the breadth of scientific psychology, its history of thought and development, research methods, and applications. Foundation courses must be completed prior to the Qualifying Process.
Methods Foundation (17 hours)
- Prerequisite Course: EDP 380C.2 Fundamental Statistics: prerequisite for all Methods courses.
- EDP 480C.6 Statistical Analysis for Experimental Data
- EDP 380D.4 Psychometric Theory and Methods
- EDP 480C.4 Correlation & Regression Methods
- EDP 381C.2 Research Design & Methods for Psychology and Education
Development & Learning Foundation (9 hours)
Human Development & Social Foundation Courses (Choose 1):
- EDP 382C.2 Social Psychology
- EDP 382F.3 Life Span Development
Learning Foundation Courses (Choose 1):
- EDP 382D.6 Motivation and Emotion
- EDP 382D.4 Psychology of Learning
HDCLS Program Courses (12 hours)
- 1 EDP course with Diversity/Culture focus (course choice must be approved by Area Chair)
- Additional 3 course electives in the HDCLS area (course choice must be approved by Area Chair)
Out-of-Specialization Courses (9 hours)
The Graduate School requires doctoral students complete 9 hours of coursework outside of their area of specialization. These courses are an opportunity to enhance research/clinical interests and form relationships with out-of-area faculty; course choice must be approved by faculty adviser.
- 1 course (minimum 3 hours) taken outside of the EDP department
- 2 courses (minimum 6 hours) taken either outside of the EDP department, or in an EDP program area outside HDCLS
Qualifying Process & Dissertation (12+ hours)
- Qualifying Process: EDP 395R Qualifying Process Research (2 semesters, no later than the semester in which turn in qualifying document)
- Dissertation: EDP 3/6/999W Dissertation, beginning the semester following advancement to candidacy.
En-Route Masters
EDP doctoral students admitted without a master’s in the field must complete an en-route master’s degree before receiving the doctoral degree. See the En-Route Master’s page for requirements.
Doctoral Portfolio Programs (Optional)
Portfolio programs are optional opportunities for doctoral graduate students to obtain credentials in a cross-disciplinary academic area of inquiry while they are completing the requirements for a degree in a particular discipline. A portfolio program usually consists of four thematically related graduate courses and a research presentation.
Faculty
The following faculty will be reviewing applications and plan to admit Ph.D. students in 2025:
- Stephanie Cawthon
- Patricia Chen
- Laura Quinones-Camacho
- Marie-Anne Suizzo
Investigates issues of access and equity for disabled people, with a special focus on systems change, research translation, and assessment.
Studies the mindsets and behaviors that motivate learning, achievement and well-being; develops psychologically precise, scalable interventions to empower people, improving lives and societies.
Falbo uses both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to address problems in education and health. She is an internationally recognized expert on only children, including their academic, social, emotional, and health outcomes. Falbo is also an e...
Focuses on motivation and how individual beliefs and social-contextual factors influence students achievement and academic behaviors.
Studies predictors of risk for mental health problems in early childhood.
Focuses on the efficacy of different kinds of sexuality education programs: teacher preparation for the sexuality education classroom, anddifferences between evidence-informed and evidence-based programs, and differences between teaching and facilita...
Studies how cultural beliefs and values shape parent-child relationships, parental socialization, and children's and adolescents' development and learning.
Studies the cognitive underpinnings of learning and instruction (memory & metacognition), integrated with social-psychological processes (motivation & mindset), in direct applications to classroom practices, online instruction, and self-regulated lea...
Accepting new students
Additional Resources
Program Starts: Fall, Summer
Deadline to Apply: December 1
Credit Hours Required: 59
Schedule: Full-time enrollment required until admitted to candidacy
Program Location: On Campus
GRE Required? No
Area Chair
Veronica Yan
Let us know what your academic interests are within the College of Education and we’ll be in touch.
