Educational Research

Doctoral Degree Program

Graduate opportunities

The educational research field is ever-changing in response to federal and state mandates regarding effective practices. In the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of North Texas, we offer challenging course work that examines research design, human development, measurement, family studies, policy, evaluation and statistics.

The Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Research allows you to pursue a concentration in research, measurement and statistics; or human development and family studies. Each concentration focuses on generating sophisticated data for key decision-makers. This data can be used:

• To help corporations remain competitive
• By faculty members to advance other fields using critical research methods and developing new approaches
• To demonstrate the value of programs serving children and families or social policy

Our faculty members are active in obtaining grants, writing books and publishing scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles. They also serve as officers and leaders in many national, international and regional academic professional organizations including the:

• American Educational Research Association
• National Council on Family Relations
• Society for Research in Child Development

Challenge yourself

We provide you opportunities to present at national and regional conferences, publish journal articles, apply for grants and participate in professional activities along with faculty mentors. You can also interact and collaborate with scholars in the department’s other graduate programs such as the special education program.

The College of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (2010 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20036-1023; telephone 202-466-7496). This distinction means we meet or exceed strict academic standards for excellence in education. The college is also one of Texas’ top producers of teachers, administrators, counselors and other school professionals.

Research centers and opportunities

The Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Analysis offers prospects for practical involvement with program evaluation and methodological/statistical consultation. The staff assists with the conception, design, methods, analysis and interpretation related to research projects, proposal writing, evaluations, dissertations and theses.

The internationally renowned Center for Parent Education provides research and outreach to support parent and family educators, family support professionals and other students. Ongoing projects include:

• Continuing Education through Online Training
• Database Registry for Parent Educators
• The International Conference on Parent Education and Parenting
• The Texas Association of Parent Educators

Additional research opportunities are enhanced by an up-to-date observational laboratory, a testing laboratory and computerized data analysis laboratory facilities.

Attending UNT

Admission requirements

You must meet the admission requirements for the Toulouse Graduate School, including a minimum 3.4 GPA on master’s degree work, and provide the department the following:

• GRE scores on the analytical, verbal and quantitative sections
• Writing sample of research or course work
• Response to an article provided by the department
• Professional résumé or curriculum vitae
• Three letters of recommendation
• Personal statement of career objectives including how this doctorate will advance those objectives (two pages maximum)

Program acceptance is based on a holistic review of these materials.

Degree requirements

A master’s degree in a related field is preferred but not required. You must complete a minimum of 63 credit hours beyond a master’s degree (90 credit hours beyond a bachelor’s degree) to be a candidate for the Ph.D. degree. This includes:

• 9 credit hours of educational psychology core courses
• 18 credit hours of research, measurement and statistics courses
• 21 credit hours of concentration area courses (research methodology or development and family studies
• 3 credit hours of capstone seminar/proposal preparation
• 12 credit hours of dissertation
• 6 credit hours in a tool subject

Financial assistance

A limited number of teaching fellowships and assistantships are available to help you pay for your graduate education. These opportunities include working with professors on research grants and projects or as a teaching assistant, working with undergraduate students in advising and on degree plans, teaching undergraduate classes, and supervising student teaching.

You apply for these positions by submitting an application and a current résumé to the department chair. The letter should address your strengths and interests. We also offer several scholarships. Information about these scholarships is at www.coe.unt.edu/educational-psychology.

Information about other financial assistance programs is at financialaid.unt.edu or www.gradschool.unt.edu