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M.S. in Educational Psychology Named Options

Research

The M.S. named option in Research is the traditional master's program. The Department of Educational Psychology offers the master of science and doctor of philosophy degrees in educational psychology. The programs for the M.S. and Ph.D. in educational psychology provide comprehensive knowledge of the field and intensive specialization in one of three areas of study and research: human development, learning sciences, quantitative methods.  The department also offers M.S., Ed.S., and Ph.D. degrees in school psychology.

The department provides for training in research. Many faculty members in the department conduct controlled research studies with human participants; schools and other agencies in the Madison area cooperate in facilitating such research projects. Principal research facilities include the School of Education's Wisconsin Center for Education Research, and the multidisciplinary Waisman Center.

Professional Educator (MSPE)

The MS Educational Psychology: Professional Educators (MSPE) is a program designed for practicing educators who wish to study at a distance. Your courses are 100% online, so you can conveniently earn your degree from anywhere in the world. Plus, at UW–Madison, you do not have to sacrifice quality for convenience. The same professors that teach our face-to-face programs teach your online courses, and occasional video conferencing keeps you and your instructor connected and engaged in the discussion of coursework and current educational issues. Our curriculum builds depth and breadth in your knowledge and skills, and includes a series of courses which will earn you an instructional coaching certificate in addition to your master’s.

Learning Analytics

The 24-month online Educational Psychology MS-Learning Analytics program empowers graduates to impact teaching, learning, and policy by breaking down ‘big data’ into dynamic analyses that will help guide decisions and improvements in education. A focus on both quantitative and qualitative courses provides balance and trains students to think critically about educational data science, make calculated analyses, and have meaningful conversations. Students will learn the theoretical perspectives on learning, cognition, and ethical decision-making, as well as practice applying and adapting analytic methodologies and tools, and communicating analysis results with stakeholders.

School Psychology

The Department of Educational Psychology also administers a Ph.D. in School Psychology.

Students apply to the Master of Science in Educational Psychology through one of the named options:

Graduate School Resources

Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Program Resources

Students are eligible to compete for UW–Madison fellowships. A limited number of teaching and project assistantships are available within the department, and prospective students are encouraged to refer to the instructions for fellowships and assistantships contained in the program application information.

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Minimum Graduate School Requirements

Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements, in addition to the program requirements listed below.

Major Requirements

CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS

Minimum Credit Requirement See Named Options for policy information.
Minimum Residence Credit Requirement See Named Options for policy information.
Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement See Named Options for policy information.
Overall Graduate GPA Requirement 3.00 GPA required.
This program follows the Graduate School's policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1203.
Other Grade Requirements n/a
Assessments and Examinations See Named Options for policy information.
Language Requirements No language requirements.

Required COURSES 

Select a Named Option for courses required.

Named Options

A named option is a formally documented sub-major within an academic major program. Named options appear on the transcript with degree conferral. Students pursuing the Master of Science in Educational Psychology must select one of the following named options:

Students should refer to one of the named options for policy information:

Graduate School Resources

Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career. 

  1. Acquire a strong foundation in current and past theories, research findings, and methodologies in their program area.
  2. Become acquainted with the implications of human diversity (in terms of individual abilities and orientations and sociocultural backgrounds) for research and practice in their chosen field of study.
  3. Learn the fundamentals of research design, data collection, and data analysis through participating in ongoing research or conducting their own research project(s).
  4. Identify key features of high-quality research or program implementation/evaluation in their chosen field.
  5. Develop writing and oral skills needed to effectively communicate results of scientific research to academic, professional/practitioner, and lay audiences.
  6. Learn how to conduct research or program implementation/evaluation in accordance with ethical standards established in their field of inquiry.

Faculty

Professors: Asmus, Bell, Bellmore, Bolt, Enright, Kaplan, Kim, Nathan, Puntambekar, Quintana, Shaffer, Wollack (chair)
Associate Professors: Albers, Eklund, Garbacz, Hubbard, Kilgus, Matthews, Pustejovsky, Rau, Vlach
Assistant Professors: Karumbaiah (Fall, 2023), Klingbeil, Short, Starr (Fall, 2023)
Clinical Associate Professor: Kelly
Clinical Assistant Professor: Hagermoser-Bayley