Each student entering a REMS program has a unique set of interests and experiences. Consequently, programs of study are unique. Beyond Department core requirements (see coursework below), students in consultation with their advisor (for the master degree) or advisory committee (for a doctoral degree) are free to design a unique program of study to meet individual career objectives. All master level students, however, are expected to be knowledgeable in research design, univariate statistical methods and qualitative methods. In addition, doctoral students are expected to be knowledgable in multivariate statistical methods and measurement theory.

Masters Degree

For a masters degree, a student may select either a Master of Education (MEd) or a Master of Arts (MA) program. The primary difference between the programs is the MA degree requires a thesis while the MEd degree is based on course work but may include an applied project in education. Students considering pursuing a doctoral degree are strongly encouraged to earn the MA degree.

A minimum of 30 and a maximum of 36 semester hours of graduate study is required of all masters degree programs. For the MA degree a minimum of 24 semester hours of coursework and a maximum of 6 additional semester hours for thesis work are required. For the MEd degree 36 semester hours of graduate study is required. An MEd or MA student may choose a concentration in evaluation, measurement, or applied statistics.

An MEd degree can be completed in three semesters of concentrated study. An MA degree typically requires two academic years. Students in all master programs have the following Department requirements:

ERSH6200   Methods of Research in Education
ERSH6300   Applied Statistical Methods in Education
ERSH6600   Applied Educational Assessment
EPSY6990   Master Seminar (1 credit)

and one of the following:

EPSY6010   Foundations of Human Development for Education
OR
EPSY6800   Foundations of Cognition for Education

In addition to the above MEd course work, MA candidates are required to take:

QUAL8400   Qualitative Research in Education
OR
ERSH8310   Applied Analysis of Variance Methods in Education

While a set program of study is not prescribed the following program of study is offered as illustrative.

Example program of study for an MEd degree:

Note *For the MA degree, thesis hours (EPSY730) would be generally substituted for two electives.

The entire course list can be found in the subsequent section of COURSE OFFERINGS.

All students completing a master degree must complete an oral or written examination over the program of study. If a thesis is written, the student forms a three member committee that must approve the student’s research. Upon completion of the research, an oral exam is scheduled during which the student presents his/her work.

Doctoral Degrees

The Department has two doctoral programs, the Doctor of Education (EdD) and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) for students interested in REMS. The PhD program differs from the EdD program in career objectives, depth of training in statistical and measurement theory, non-course experiences, and dissertation research. Students are generally admitted into a doctoral program of study only after completing an MEd or MA program of study. For students not completing a master thesis, a publishable paper must be written before admission into candidacy for the doctoral degree (before work on a doctoral dissertation is begun). All students are expected to have course experiences in a variety of areas of study (e.g., applied statistics, psychometrics, qualitative methods, cognitive psychology), and are encouraged to take courses outside the Department as electives (e.g., anthropology, computer science, marketing, psychology, sociology, statistics).

All doctoral programs generally require a minimum of three years of study beyond a master degree.

A requirement of two consecutive semesters of full-time work must be spent in resident study on the University of Georgia campus in Athens. For additional information on University requirements regarding residency and time limits see the Graduate Bulletin.

Doctoral candidates have the following Department requirements:

EPSY6010   Foundations of Human Development for Education
EPSY6800   Foundations of Cognition for Education
ERSH8400   Qualitative Research in Education
ERSH8310   Applied Analysis of Variance Methods in Education
ERSH8320   Applied Correlation and Regression Methods in Education
ERSH8610   Educational Measurement Theory

The entire course list can be found in the subsequent section of COURSE OFFERINGS.
Example PhD* program of study:

Note: *Students working as a teaching or research assistant typically will enroll for approximately 10 credits per semester.