Quantitative Methods

Department of Educational Psychology

The Quantitative Method Master’s in Education program in the Department of Educational Psychology entails 30 credit hours and can typically be completed in two years over four consecutive long (fall and spring) semesters. The program is designed to provide the knowledge and technical skills in the areas of applied statistics, psychometrics, and program evaluation. This training prepares graduates for doctoral study in Quantitative Methods and other social science fields as well as for professional positions, such as statistical analyst or social science researcher in academic institutions, testing companies, state and federal agencies and school districts.

Core Goals

Goal 1: Learn to plan and execute quantitative research, as well as analyze and evaluate the research carried out by others.

Goal 2: Acquire expertise in a variety of statistical techniques, including the computing skills needed to carry out analyses.

Goal 3: Learn to develop research designs and analysis strategies that are tailored to and appropriate for specific quantitative research questions, based on an understanding of the relationship between the design, the measures used and the relevant data analysis techniques.

Goal 4: Develop and understand the proper use and assessment of use of measurement instruments (surveys, questionnaires, etc.) that are appropriate for specific educational, psychological and social science research and evaluation purposes.

Required Coursework

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.

Students in the Quantitative Methods master’s (MEd) program are required to complete:

QM Program Courses,
QM Program Electives, and
Out-of-Specialization courses.

Student coursework may vary depending on prior graduate coursework and waivers. All required courses must be completed with a grade of at least B-.

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.

Foundation Courses (20 credit hours)

EDP 380C.2 Fundamental Statistics
EDP 480C.6 Statistical Analysis for Experimental Data
EDP 380D.4 Psychometric Theory & Methods
EDP 480C.4 Correlation & Regression Methods
EDP 381C.2 Research Design & Methods for PSY & ED
EDP 380C Data Exploration and Visualization in R

Program Electives (9 credit hours)

Three courses from the following (may include alternative QM program elective approved by Area Chair):

EDP 380C.12 Survey of Multivariate Methods
EDP 380C.14 Structural Equation Modeling
EDP 380C.16 Hierarchical Linear Modeling
EDP 380C.18 Applied Bayesian Analysis
EDP 380C.22 Analysis of Categorical Data
EDP 380C.23 Missing Data Analysis
EDP 380C Machine Learning for Applied Research
EDP 380D.6 Program Evaluation Models and Techniques
EDP 380D.8 Item Response Theory
EDP 380D.11 Computer Adaptive Testing
EDP 380D.14 Applied Psychometrics
EDP 381C.12 Meta-Analysis
EDP 381C.14 Causal Inference
EDP 381E Advanced Item Response Theory
EDP 381D Advanced Statistical Modeling
EDP 380C Statistical Modeling & Simulation in R

Out-of-Specialization Courses (6 credit hours)

In addition to foundation and program area requirements, students must complete the following additional coursework outside of their program area. These courses are an opportunity to enhance interests and form relationships with out-of-area faculty; course choices must be approved by the Quantitative Methods Area Chair.

1 course taken outside of the EDP department (3 hours)
1 course taken either outside of the EDP department or in another program area within EDP (Counseling Psychology, School Psychology, or Human Development, Culture, and Learning Science) (3 hours)

Faculty