Office: Lawrence Street Center, 701
Telephone: 303-315-6300
Fax: 303-315-6311
E-mail: education@ucdenver.edu
Website: www.ucdenver.edu/education

Faculty

Information about educational psychology faculty is available online at www.ucdenver.edu/education.

Master’s Degree

The MA program in educational psychology prepares students to facilitate the teaching/learning process and to lead and work in community-based environments. Thus, many students pursue the degree to enhance their skills as professional classroom teachers. The degree also provides skills necessary for a variety of roles in educational and teaching settings or community environments where knowledge of learning, development, motivation, and research is essential such as teaching at the community college level, teaching adults, consulting, developing assessments, community-based leadership, and conducting program evaluation. Other students seek the MA as preparation for advanced study in educational psychology, human development and family studies, research, or related fields.

Areas of Study

Five major areas of concentration are available-human learning, human development, human development and family relations, research and evaluation, and assessment. Regardless of the concentration area selected, all students must:

• demonstrate competence in educational psychology by successfully completing 36 semester hours of relevant course work;
• complete either a practicum, a master’s thesis, or an independent study project in consultation with their faculty advisor based on the students’ professional and academic goals; and
• perform satisfactorily on a written comprehensive examination (typically during the last term enrolled in regular courses).

Human Learning

This program prepares students to apply research-based knowledge and to develop culturally relevant knowledge and skills that inform a wide range of practices and issues within the field of education and innovative learning environments. This program concentration provides opportunities for the student to develop an in-depth understanding about human learning across age groups, in formal and informal educational and community contexts. Courses will focus on the learning process including cognition, instructional design, motivation and developmentally appropriate practices to support learning for children, adolescents and adults within a sociocultural framework.

Human Development

This program concentration provides opportunities for you to develop in-depth understanding about educational psychology as it relates to human development. You’ll study developmental characteristics of children, adolescents, and adults - including cognitive, social and emotional, language, and physical development.

Human Development and Family Relations (HDFR)

Students will engage in developing their skills to work in and lead community-based organizations including, but not limited to secular, faith-based, for profit, nonprofit, school-based, and local, state, federal and international organizations. Students can also develop their knowledge in family relations in preparation for doctorate studies in HDFR or related areas. Students who complete the MA in EPSY with HDFR emphasis will also be eligible to complete the bilingual (Spanish) Family and Community Services concentration area in preparation to work with Spanish speaking families and communities. Advisor approval is required for this concentration. 

The HDFR area also provides classes to all School of Education and Human Development (SEHD) graduate programs, offering courses in Latino family, school and community systems, family resource management, leadership and organizations, grant writing and program development and fund raising.

Research and Evaluation Methods (RSEM)

RSEM students will acquire skills necessary for a variety of roles that involve data driven decisions. Students who complete the MA will be better prepared to facilitate decision making based on evidence. Some students pursue the degree to enhance their skills as classroom teachers; others move out of the classroom and work in environments where information and data from different sources can be used to make informed decisions.

The RSEM area also provides classes to all education graduate programs, offering courses in research methods, evaluation, statistics, analysis, assessment, and measurement.

Assessment

This program concentration provides opportunities for you to develop an in-depth understanding about educational psychology as it relates to learning-related assessment. You’ll address issues in both classroom and large-scale assessment and focus on other forms of assessment, such as portfolios and performance assessments. You also may specialize in assessment in a content area like literacy or mathematics.