About

Our program, which includes applied coursework and real-world experiences with quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods, prepares students for careers as faculty, psychometricians, evaluators, and statisticians in a variety of settings including Testing and Evaluation in PK-12 School Districts, Testing Companies (ETS, ACT, College Board, Pearson), Research Companies (AIR, RAND, Abt Associates), Government (Florida Department of Education, U.S. Department of Education), and higher education.

The numbers vary from year to year but usually about 10-20 apply. The number we accept is based on students’ qualifications and fit with the goals of the program. In some years, we’ve accepted as few as two students and other years as many as five.

While many of our students are enrolled full-time, we do have students who are enrolled on a part-time basis. Most of our courses are offered in the evenings so that students who are working during the day are able to attend classes.

The majority of the courses in the program are offered face-to-face. We currently have a few courses in the program that are offered online: EDF 7408 (Statistical Analysis for Educational Research II, 4 credit hours), EDF 7410 (Design of Systematic Studies in Education, 4 credit hours), and  EDF 7477 (Qualitative Research in Education, 4 credit hours).

Students in the Ph.D. program have a wide range of academic and professional backgrounds. Our students come from a variety of fields including education, psychology, mathematics, statistics, and public health. The common factor in our students is that they have a strong interest in the methods and procedures used in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods.

First-year students often receive assistantships working in our measurement/statistics lab.  As students gain more experience other assistantships include teaching an undergraduate measurement course, working on grants, or working in our statistical consulting lab (CORE). There are no guarantees and the budget can change the availability of assistantships.

There are some scholarships and fellowships that students can apply for. There is a College of Education Graduate Fellowship that is based on GRE scores. 

Once you are admitted to the program you will be assigned a faculty advisor whose interests align with your current interests and professional goals (if your interests change, faculty are flexible and changes in advisors can be easily made). Full-time students typically take three courses during the fall and spring semesters and two courses during the summer semester. Part-time students often take one or two courses per semester.

Your previous experiences, coursework, and professional goals will be used to guide the development of a program of study that works best for you.

Our program does offer courses in the summer. Work opportunities are more fluid in the summer. 

Program completion varies depending on whether students are full or part-time. Many students take four or more years. We have about two students graduate per year.

Yes, but this depends on the courses and the committee.

Yes, it is possible to take courses as a non-degree student. Before registering for coursework as a non-degree student, please call or come into the program to discuss possible courses to take. Taking one or two courses may give you a better sense of what the program is about and help you decide if this is the right career path for you.  

Courses taken as a non-degree student may count towards the degree if you are accepted into the program and the courses are approved by the program faculty and your faculty advisor.