Educational Psychology
Overview
Educational psychology is the study of how psychology is applied to evaluate the educational process.This program looks at how teachers, students, the learning environment, and non-school experiences affect the educational process.
Educational psychology programs include topics such as:
- Learning theory
- Human growth and development
- Statistics and research methods
- Psychological evaluations
- Educational testing
Schools
A few colleges and universities offer bachelor's degrees in educational psychology. A bachelor's degree usually takes about four years of full-time study.
Many universities offer graduate degrees in educational psychology. A master's degree typically requires two years of study beyond a bachelor's degree. Doctoral (PhD) degree programs usually require two or more years of study beyond the master's degree.
See schools that offer this program.
Related Educational Programs
- Education Administration
- Education Measurement and Testing
- Education, General
- Psychology, General
- School Counseling
- School Psychology
- Social Work
Related Careers
Careers Directly Related to this Program of Study
- College and University Administrators
- Education Administrators
- Instructional Coordinators
- Psychologists
- School Psychologists
- University and College Teachers
Other Careers Related to this Program of Study
- Adult and Vocational Education Teachers
- Elementary School Teachers
- High School Teachers
- School Counselors
- Special Education Teachers
Program Admission
You can prepare for this program by taking courses in high school that prepare you for college. This typically includes four years of English, three years of math, three years of social studies, and two years of science. Some colleges also require two years of a second language.
Below is a list of high school courses that will help prepare you for this program of study:
- Biology
- English Composition
- Pre-Calculus
- Probability and Statistics
- Psychology
- Public Speaking
- Teacher Aide
Graduate Admissions
Admission to graduate programs is highly competitive. You need a bachelor's degree, good grades, and good test scores. Your bachelor's degree may not need to be in psychology if you have taken some courses in the subject.
Additional requirements at some schools include:
- Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General
- Graduate Record Exam (GRE) Psychology (less often)
- Miller Analogies Test (MAT)
- Letters of recommendation
Experience assisting with psychological research is a big plus.
Typical Course Work
Program Courses
A bachelor's degree program in general psychology typically requires that you study the following core courses:
- English Composition
- Experimental Psychology
- Introduction to Statistical Methods
- Introductory Psychology
- Pre-Calculus
In addition, you usually must choose several (but certainly not all) of the following subjects. As preparation for graduate school in educational psychology, the subjects nearest the top of the list are most valuable:
- Abnormal Psychology
- Adolescent Psychology
- Child Psychology
- Experimental Design
- History and Systems of Psychology
- Memory and Cognition
- Organizational Psychology
- Physiological Psychology
- Psychological Tests and Measurement
- Psychology of Adulthood and Aging
- Psychology of Learning
- Psychology of Sex and Gender
- Social Psychology
- Theories of Personality
As preparation for graduate school, it helps to include one or more courses in biology.
Graduate Program Courses
A graduate program in educational psychology typically requires courses such as the following:
- Intermediate Statistics
- Introduction to Research and Evaluation
- Psychology of Learning
- Psychology of the Child and Adolescent
In a graduate program in educational psychology you often may choose from courses such as the following:
- Computers and Learning
- Curriculum Planning
- Developing Programs for Gifted Learners
- Educational Technology Strategies
- Families and Schools
- Identification and Behavioral Characteristics of Gifted Learners
- Modern Practices in Early Childhood Education
- Use and Interpretation of Tests
A doctoral degree program in educational psychology typically includes more courses such as the above, plus courses on research methods and advanced statistics, such as the following:
- Applied Regression Methods
- Multivariate Analysis
- Research Methods in Educational Psychology
In addition, graduate programs typically require the following:
- Thesis (master's degree)
- Preliminary exams (doctoral degree only)
- Dissertation and dissertation defense (doctoral degree)
Graduate programs may include one or more practicums, which are supervised experiences of real work in this field. At first you may merely follow a professional around and observe what that person does. Later, you take on more real tasks, including research or teaching.
In graduate school you may have opportunities to work part time as a research assistant or teaching assistant. Although either of these activities can extend the amount of time it takes to get your degree, you are paid for the work, your tuition fees may be waived, and they help build your career.
Things to Know
For your master's degree, you may be able to choose among Master of Education (MEd), Master of Science (MS), and Master of Arts (MA). The MEd is a good choice if you are a teacher and want to upgrade your knowledge and skills for teaching.
With this degree, you can work in a university or college, training teachers and researching what contributes to effective teaching and learning.
Schools
East Side Area
Washington State University - Pullman
- Applied Measurement and Quantitative Methods
- Education--Educational Psychology
King-Snohomish Area
University of Washington - Seattle
- Education--Learning Sciences & Human Development
- Educational Psychology--Measurement & Statistics