Graduate Bulletin

Educational Psychology, Ph.D.

Concentration: Special Education

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: May 1

Spring: November 1

Applications are processed on a rolling basis. The program makes every attempt to process all applications in a timely manner. Applications that are completed after May 1 may not be acted upon until the fall semester.

APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program.

Letters of Reference:

Number Required: 3

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained from anyone familiar with the applicant's academic competence. In general, the most common source of these letters is college/university faculty members.

Coursework Required for Admission Consideration:

No specific coursework is required for admission.

Master's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline:

A master's degree is not required.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline:

All applicants must present credentials that are the equivalent of the appropriate baccalaureate degree at Temple University.

Statement of Goals:

Applicants should indicate their goals and objectives for obtaining a Ph.D. degree. This statement is evaluated against the program's mission. A typical goal statement contains the following items: the applicant's reason for seeking a Ph.D. degree, with a specific focus on the career to which s/he aspires; her/his research interests; and academic and job-related experiences, relevant to the program. A typical goal statement is 2 to 3 pages in length.

Standardized Test Scores:

The GRE is required. It is expected that the score will generally be no less than the 50th percentile.

Minimum TOEFL score needed to be accepted: 600 paper-based, 250 computer-based, or 100 internet-based.

Interview:

Applicants who are available for an interview (typically, those who live within the region), and who are considered qualified by an evaluation of their application materials, are asked to meet with the admission committee. The departmental secretary will schedule the interview at a time convenient for the candidate and the admission committee.

Resume:

A resume is required.

Advanced Standing:

The advisor makes any decision concerning advanced standing during the student's first semester in the program. The advisor evaluates the relevancy of the credits the student has taken to the Educational Psychology program. The maximum number of advanced standing credits awarded is 30.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:

Number of Didactic Credits Required Beyond the Master's: 48

Required Courses:

ED 500

ED 510

ED 520

ED 525

ED PSYCH 531

ED PSYCH 541

ED PSYCH 625

ED PSYCH 627

ED PSYCH 710

ED PSYCH 735

ED PSYCH 741

ED PSYCH 826

ED PSYCH 827

ED PSYCH 981

Note: Some of these courses may be waived if the student has taken similar courses prior to admission.

Students must take a minimum of three advanced seminars, either from the program or from related programs at the University. The academic advisor determines the appropriateness of the seminars outside the program.

Internship: A research internship is required.

Language Examination: No language examination is required.

Culminating Events:

Major Area Examination:

The purpose of the Major Area Exam is for the student to demonstrate mastery of a specific curricular area within the general field of Educational Psychology. In general, this field encompasses the area in which the student intends to complete her/his dissertation. The exam consists of a written portion followed, after a period of one to two weeks, by an oral defense. A three-member committee monitors the exam. This committee approves the content of the exam, writes the questions, and evaluates the student's performance.

Within the content area chosen, the content of the exam is divided into three sections: theory, methodology, and application. Students are given two questions in each of these three areas; the student, for the written portion of the exam, chooses one of these questions from each of the three areas. The oral defense focuses on the written part of the exam, but may include the alternative questions not chosen for the written section.

Students take the Major Area Exam when most of the coursework has been completed. Typically, this is prior to writing the proposal for the dissertation. It is expected that a minimum of one year will pass between the Major Area Exam and the dissertation oral defense.

While any three faculty members may constitute the committee to write and evaluate the Major Area Exam, these three faculty members are typically the same as the Doctoral Advisory Committee. Moreover, the chair of the committee is usually the student's academic advisor. The three members of the committee vote on the outcome of the exam at the end of the oral defense.

Students must demonstrate a thorough grasp of the area they have chosen and must be able to articulate the core issues in this area. By choosing a specific content field as the major area, the student is indicating that s/he is an expert in this content. It is expected that the student's level of understanding of the issues in this area be on a par with a faculty member who is an active researcher in this field.

Each Major Area Exam is scheduled on an individual basis. Students work out a time period in conjunction with the three-member committee that evaluates the exam. In general, students should not expect to schedule this exam during the summer, or during other times when most faculty members are not on campus.

Proposal:

The dissertation proposal demonstrates the student's knowledge of and ability to conduct the proposed research. Minimally, the proposal should contain: (a) the context and background surrounding a particular research problem; (b) a survey and review of literature which, though it may not be exhaustive, is at least sufficient to provide the reader with enough information to understand why the research is being conducted; (c) a detailed methodological plan for investigating the problem; and (d) a proposed timeline to complete the dissertation. The Doctoral Advisory Committee must initially approve the student's proposal. In addition, all proposals from students in the College of Education must be approved by the College's Proposal Review Committee.

Dissertation:

The doctoral dissertation is an original piece of scholarship that makes a significant contribution to the field of Educational Psychology. A majority of the dissertations in the program are empirical, typically using statistical analysis as the means of completing the data collection process. However, other types of scholarship (e.g., utilizing more qualitative approaches, or employing theoretical or philosophical analyses of educational issues) are acceptable. It is expected that a successful dissertation should be publishable in a refereed journal.

The Doctoral Advisory Committee consists of a minimum of three graduate faculty members. Two of these faculty members, including the chair, must be from the Educational Psychology program. The third member must be from one of the other programs in the College or University. Doctoral Advisory Committees differing from this rule must be approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of the College of Education and by the Dean of the Graduate School. The Doctoral Advisory Committee oversees all aspects of the student's dissertation, from the proposal to the oral defense. Complete details about the entire dissertation process are available in the College of Education Dissertation Handbook, from the Department of Psychological Studies in Education.

The Dissertation Examining Committee consists of the three members of the Doctoral Advisory Committee plus two additional faculty members. One of these additional faculty members must be from a program outside of Educational Psychology. The College's Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies assigns the other member. The Dissertation Examining Committee evaluates the student's dissertation and oral defense. The Committee votes to pass or fail the dissertation at the conclusion of the oral defense. The outcome of the defense is determined by a majority vote.

A student may change an advisor or a member of a committee by petitioning, in writing, for this change. This petition must be approved by the Chairperson of the Department of Psychological Studies in Education and by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies.

Students who are preparing to defend their dissertation must confirm a date and time with the Dissertation Examining Committee. Notification of this date and time must then be submitted on the appropriate College form to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies no less than three weeks prior to the oral defense. Notification is then sent to the Graduate School by the Associate Dean no less than 10 days prior to the defense. A copy of the announcement is sent to each member of the Dissertation Examining Committee and posted on the bulletin board in the Office of Student Services.

Contacts

Program Contact Information:

www.temple.edu/education/pse/ed_psych_intro.html

Department Information:

Educational Psychology Program
1301 Cecil B. Moore Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19122-6091
ep@temple.edu
215-204-8087

Department Contacts:

Admissions:

Dr. William Fullard
william.fullard@temple.edu
215-204-6022

Program Director:

Joseph Ducette, Ph.D.
joseph.ducette@temple.edu

215-204-4998

Chairperson:

Dr. Joseph Rosenfeld
joseph.rosenfeld@temple.edu
215-204-6236

About the Program

The Ph.D. in Educational Psychology offers students advanced study in the area of learning, cognition, human development, instructional technology, special education, applied statistical analysis, and research design. The program is focused on the application of theories and methodologies from the social and behavioral sciences to education.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 7 years

Campus Location:

Main

A few courses are offered at Fort Washington and Ambler. In addition, some courses that act as electives are offered at the Harrisburg campus.

Full-Time/Part-Time Status:

Students are able to complete the degree program through classes offered before 4:30 p.m. Students are also able to complete the degree program on a part-time basis (8 credit hours or less per semester).

Department Information:

Educational Psychology Program
1301 Cecil B. Moore Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19122-6091
ep@temple.edu
215-204-8087

Interdisciplinary Study:

The program has a strong interdisciplinary focus. Students are encouraged to take courses in the social-behavioral sciences throughout the University. In addition, the program concentrates on applications in a wide variety of educational settings: formal and informal; public and private; schools and industries, etc.

Affiliation(s):

Although there is no certification in Educational Psychology, the program does meet the general requirements for a Ph.D. program as specified by the American Psychological Association.

Study Abroad:

No.

Ranking:

The Educational Psychology program is one of the graduate programs in the College of Education at Temple. The College was ranked 15th in the nation in the most recent U.S. News & World Report ranking of graduate schools.

Accreditation:

Not applicable.

Areas of Specialization:

There are two major specializations in the program: instructional psychology (General Educational Psychology) and special education. Coursework is offered in the areas of human learning and cognition, human development, instructional technology, applied statistics, research design, and educational measurement.

Job Placement:

Graduates typically pursue careers in higher education (departments of education or psychology); in K-12 educational settings; as instructional technology specialists; as trainers in corporate, government, or medical settings; or as educational specialists in positions requiring skills in research design, applied statistics, or testing/measurement.

Licensure:

Not applicable.

Non-Degree Student Policy:

Students may take up to 9 credits prior to admission. In general, all of the program's courses are open to non-matriculated students.

Financing Opportunities

All Assistantships in the program involve teaching one of the two undergraduate courses housed in the program: Education 122: Lifespan Human Development and Education 206: The Evaluation and Assessment of Learning. Most students in these courses in the pre-service teacher preparation program are sophomores or juniors. Assistants receive a stipend and 18 credits of tuition per year. Students who wish to apply for an Assistantship should send a letter of application along with a resume to Dr. Susan Miller, Educational Psychology Program, College of Education, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122.