Educational Psychology—Psychological Foundations

Link to a list of faculty for this program.

Contact Information—Psychological Foundations of Education, University of Minnesota, 250 Education Sciences Building, 56 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612-624-0042; fax 612-624-8241; psyf-adm@umn.edu)

Along with the program-specific requirements listed below, please read the General Information section of this catalog for Graduate School requirements that apply to all major fields and see the general educational psychology requirements.

Graduate study in psychological foundations of education prepares students for research and teaching positions in colleges and universities, schools, private industry, human service organizations, health science units, government agencies, and other research and development centers. The goal of psychological foundations of education is to apply and generate knowledge of psychological processes and metrological procedures involved in learning and teaching.

The program offers M.A. and Ph.D. degrees with emphases in learning and cognition/educational technology or social psychological and social developmental processes in educational psychology (including human relations). Students typically choose one of these areas in addition to achieving broad competence in all aspects of the curriculum.

Courses—Refer to Educational Psychology (EPSY) in the course section of this catalog or in Twin Cities Courses on the University Catalog Web site for courses pertaining to the program.

Use of 4xxx Courses—None of the five tracks allow 4xxx or 6xxx coursework to be counted toward Graduate School degree program requirements.

M.A. Degree Requirements

Students must complete at least 30 credits, including credits in EPSY core courses (statistics, measurement, learning, social psychology) and 6 credits in a related field or minor.

Language Requirements—None.

Final Exam—The final exam is oral.

Minor Requirements for Students Majoring in Other Fields—A master's minor requires at least 6 credits of graduate-level EPSY courses.

Ph.D. Degree Requirements

Students must complete credits in EPSY core courses (statistics, measurement, learning, social psychology, issues in educational psychology, and research methods), EPSY electives, 12 credits in a supporting program or minor, and 24 thesis credits.

Language Requirements—None.

Minor Requirements for Students Majoring in Other Fields—A doctoral minor requires at least 15 credits of graduate-level EPSY courses, of which at least 9 credits must be in 8xxx courses. Course selection is determined in consultation with the educational psychology committee member.