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
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