Human Development, Culture and Learning Sciences
Department of Educational Psychology
Designed For
The program is designed for intellectually curious scholars who are deeply interested in understanding how people learn and develop across cultural, social and educational contexts. It is especially well suited for applicants who are motivated by research, value interdisciplinary perspectives and seek collaborative learning environments.
Career Objective
The program prepares graduates to become leaders in research, teaching and applied scholarship focused on learning, development and culture. Alumni pursue careers that influence instructional design, research and educational policy across higher education, nonprofit government and industry settings. Graduates are equipped to generate new knowledge and apply research to improve learning outcomes across formal and informal contexts.
At a Glance
Program Starts: Fall
Deadline to Apply:
December 1
Length of Program: 54-72 months
Full-time enrollment required until admitted to candidacy.
Program Location: On campus
GRE Required? No
Advancing the Science of Learning, Development and Culture
The Ph.D. program in Human Development, Culture and Learning Sciences (HDCLS) provides rigorous scientific and theoretical training within the field of Educational Psychology. The program draws on interdisciplinary perspectives from cognitive science, developmental psychology, social psychology, neuroscience and motivation to examine how learning and human behavior unfold across diverse contexts and populations.
HDCLS operates under a learning community model that emphasizes collaboration, mentorship and individualized pathways of study. Each doctoral student applies to work with a primary faculty adviser based on shared research interests. In addition to their primary advisors, students are also encouraged to collaborate with additional faculty within and beyond the program. Research opportunities are supported through campus-based facilities, faculty-led projects and community-engaged initiatives that allow students to align their scholarly work with career goals.
Coursework and research experiences are intentionally flexible and tailored to individual interests, preparing students for academic, research and applied leadership roles. Equally important, the program fosters a strong network of peers and faculty who support one another through sustained inquiry, dialogue and shared intellectual growth.
Area Chair
Veronica Yan
Program Details
Admissions
The HDCLS doctoral program follows a mentorship model, so applicants should clearly demonstrate fit with faculty research priorities and expectations, as doctoral study involves close collaboration with a primary advisor.
We encourage you to review our faculty profiles and research areas to identify those who align with your academic interests. Be sure to name one or two potential faculty mentors in your statement of purpose and explain why their work resonates with your goals. You are welcome to reach out to these faculty members with any questions you may have before submitting your application.
While a specific academic background is not required, relevant coursework or professional experience in education, psychology or related fields can strengthen your application. Prior research experience is not required but is highly valued.
Program Requirements
HDCLS doctoral students are required to complete:
- EDP Foundation courses
- HDCLS Program courses
- Out-of-Specialization courses
- Qualifying Process and Dissertation coursework
Please note required coursework may vary from year to year. Current students should always refer to their program of work for course requirements and consult with their faculty advisor or graduate advisor for any clarification.
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 Credit 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 (6 Credit 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.4 Psychology of Learning
- EDP 382D.6 Motivation and Emotion
HDCLS Electives (12 Credit Hours)
- EDP 382C Psychologically Wise Interventions
- EDP 382D.20 Current Issues in Motivation
- EDP 382D Metacognition and Self-regulated Learning
- EDP 382E.2 Biological Basis of Behavior
- EDP 382.10 Mindfulness/Compassion/Self
- EDP 398T College Teaching Methodology
Out-of-Specialization Courses (6 Credit Hours)
Out-of-specialization courses give you the chance to explore your interests beyond the HDCLS program and connect with faculty across campus. You’ll choose two courses in consultation with the HDCLS program advisor.
- One course from another EDP program area or another department at UT Austin.
- One course from another department at UT Austin.
Qualifying Process & Dissertation (12+ Credit 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.
Funding
Doctoral students receive priority for TA positions and may also serve as Assistant Instructors (AI), acting as instructor of record after completing EDP 398T. These roles provide valuable teaching experience for those who wish to pursue an academic career.
During the first two years of the program, doctoral students are typically funded through a combination of fellowships, teaching assistantships (TA), and graduate research assistantships (GRA). Most receive fellowship support in the first one to two years, with TA and GRA roles providing funding in later years.
Funding packages vary based on experience, skills and alignment with faculty research. Support generally includes a stipend, tuition coverage (up to nine credit hours) and health insurance. Students are responsible for required university fees. Offers are typically made after admissions (usually in March).
Faculty
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.
Student academic motivation; motivational beliefs about ability and effort; growth and fixed mindset; teacher, parent, and peer effects on student motivation; Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) contexts
Accepting new students
Studies predictors of risk for mental health problems in early childhood.
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
Affiliated Labs
Examines sociocultural and family factors that shape children’s social, emotional and neurological development, including both typical trajectories and early risk for mental health challenges. Integrates developmental, behavioral, sociocultural, psychophysiological and neurological methods to study early life.
Learning and Motivational Beliefs Lab
Studies student motivation and how educators, families and peers create equitable, supportive learning environments by using a social-cognitive lens to examine beliefs and perceptions that shape learning and outcomes. Research focuses primarily on adolescent and college students in STEM contexts.
Motivation and Self-regulation Lab
Explores the mindsets and behaviors that make people effective, and to harness this knowledge to help many more people thrive. By enabling people to think more strategically and to use more effective strategies, we empower them to pursue their goals more effectively.
National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes
Supports postsecondary outcomes for individuals who are deaf, deafblind, deafdisabled, hard of hearing, or late deafened by drawing on evidence-based strategies to educate and engage with stakeholders across the nation.
Science of Learning and Metacognition Lab
Explores how to empower learners to become motivated and effectively self-regulated learners by integrating research from social, cognitive and educational psychology. Research focuses on both the cognitive toolset that deepen learning and the motivational mindsets that support their use.
Additional Information
