Program Description
The Educational Research Methods & Policy Studies program (ERMPS), offered by the Department of Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation, provides excellent training for individuals either seeking a career or expanding their current responsibilities in academic institutions, K-12 school districts, state and federal agencies, healthcare, and certification, licensing and testing organizations.
Developing research knowledge and skills within a problem-of-practice framework, enrolled students will learn to apply research methods, techniques and constructs to real world education settings, issues, and data sets. The inter-disciplinary program will cross fields of study within education, drawing from perspectives in policy, psychology, pedagogy and history.
The ERMPS program offers two different programmatic options. One option is a 15-credit graduate certificate program in Research Methods in Education, which can be stand-alone or a stepping stone towards a Master’s or Doctoral degree. Within the certificate program, individuals will receive a foundation in basic research methods in education, including quantitative and qualitative methodologies, evaluation, and research design. Individuals can complete this program within one academic year.
A second option is a 36-credit Master of Science degree. The core of the M.S. degree is the same as the certificate program, including foundations in basic research methods in education. Outside of the core courses, students choose a focused area of emphasis: quantitative methods, evaluation, research design, or policy studies.
Either program option offers flexibility: both programs are available entirely online (asynchronous), as well as on campus. Students enrolling in the entirely online version of the program will be charged the in-state tuition rate.
This unique approach should attract those wanting to develop academic and applied research skills, undertake commissioned research or evaluations, or progress to doctoral study, as well as those already working as a researcher or evaluator. Components of the program will also support undergraduate education core in quantitative inferential reasoning and offer content to many existing graduate programs across UK.
The Department of Educational Policy Studies & Evaluation also offers a Ph.D. in Education Sciences with a specialization in Educational Evaluation & Policy or Philosophical & Cultural Inquiry.
State Authorization Disclosure
Per state laws, distance education courses and programs must be legally authorized in a state prior to offering courses or programs to students residing there. Therefore, program availability varies by state. Students should check the UK Out-of-State Educational Activities website to determine if a distance education program at the University of Kentucky is available in their state of residence.
Student Relocation Disclosure
All distance education students should keep in mind that relocating during the course of a program to another state could impact whether that student can continue in the course and/or meet the eligibility requirements of that state. If you plan to move to another state during your program, please contact your program advisor as soon as possible.
To find information about tuition refund policies, deadlines, amounts, and other important information please visit UK’s Student Account Services website.