Educational Psychology: Master's and Specialist Degrees

Master of Science in Education (MS) Degree Program in Educational Psychology

Students who pursue a Master's degree in Educational Psychology typically have as aims: (a) to obtain knowledge of theories and perspectives from which the broad areas of human development and group processes, learning and cognition, and research methodologies are viewed, and/or (b) to acquire an in depth knowledge of at least one of the above areas.

Master's and Specialist Advisory Committee

At the Master's and Specialist level, the Advisory Committee consists of the major professor, one other member of the Educational Psychology Program faculty, and another professor outside of the EDP department. The three-person committee is formed collaboratively by the major professor and the student at the beginning of the second term of study. The committee approves the proposal for the thesis or the major paper and facilitates the oral defense of the thesis or major paper.

Master's Program of Study

The Master’s program of study is designed by the major professor and the student either before or during the first term of study and includes projected dates for completion of the degree. The program requires 36 hours of graduate work. Students may choose one of two options: A Thesis Option (30 hours of coursework plus a 6-hour thesis) or a Scholarly Paper Option (33 hours of coursework plus a 3-hour scholarly paper). Students are encouraged to pay close attention to Graduate School deadlines as they plan their program of study. A list of required courses is included on the Master's Program Planning Form.

Thesis Option

The major professor works closely with the student in formulating ideas and choosing a topic for the thesis. The student must present a proposal to the Advisory Committee for approval before beginning the study. If the study involves human subjects, the student and adviser must also obtain permission from the UK Institutional Review Board (IRB). The proposal for a master's thesis follows the same format as the doctoral dissertation, but is briefer and addresses a narrower topic than a dissertation. For suggestions on writing the proposal and the thesis, students are encouraged to follow the guidelines put forth by the Graduate School and to work closely with their major professor. The student will schedule an oral examination with the Advisory Committee and will submit the final thesis to the Committee at least two weeks prior to the examination.

Scholarly Paper Option

During the final term of study, a master's student, under the guidance of the major professor, will produce a scholarly paper addressing a specific topic agreed upon by the Advisory Committee. The paper, consisting of a minimum of 20 pages of text, plus references, will be a conceptual-type paper with a review of the literature and will be of publishable quality (i.e., an identifiable theoretical framework, statement of the problem, critical review of the literature, and implications for research and/or practice). It will not be a research study conducted by the student. Toward the middle of the penultimate semester, the student will submit a short proposal (2 to 3 pages) to the Advisory Committee for approval. The student will complete the paper during the final term of study. The paper must be defended by the student at a final oral examination with the Advisory Committee. At least two weeks before the final examination, a copy of the paper should be submitted to each member of the Advisory Committee. It is the student’s responsibility to schedule the final meeting with Committee members.

Specialist Program of Study

The Program of Study is designed by the major professor and the student either before or during the first term of study. The program of study requires 30 hours of coursework beyond the Master’s degree. Fifteen hours of work must be in courses numbered 600 or above. As a final product of the specialist's course of study, the specialist's student, under the guidance of the major professor, will produce a scholarly paper addressing a specific topic agreed upon by the Advisory Committee. The paper, consisting of a minimum of 30 pages of text, plus references, will be a conceptual-type paper and will be of publishable quality. The paper must be defended by the student at a final oral examination with the Advisory Committee. At least two weeks before the final examination, a copy of the paper should be submitted to each member of the Advisory Committee. It is the student’s responsibility to schedule the final meeting with Committee members.