Educational Psychology
Department of Educational Psychology
Chairperson: Todd Kettler
The Department of Educational Psychology offers graduate courses leading to:
- Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.)
A minimum of thirty-six semester hours of graduate work, twenty-one of which must be in Educational Psychology, and eighteen of which must be 5000 level or above. A specialization in gifted and talented, is available with this degree. More information regarding course requirements are included in the program description. - Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.) with Concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis
A minimum of thirty-six hours of graduate work, twenty-one of which include coursework in applied behavior analysis. All coursework must be 5000 level or above. - Master of Arts (M.A.)
Thirty semester hours of graduate courses including three hours of thesis and completion of a satisfactory defense. A quantitative specialization is available with this degree. Other requirements must be met as specified for all other master’s degrees. - Master of Arts (M.A.) with Concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis
A minimum of thirty-six hours of graduate work, including three hours of thesis and completion of a satisfactory defense. This program includes twenty-one hours of coursework in applied behavior analysis. All coursework must be 5000 level or above. - Master of Arts (M.A.) with Concentration in Twice-Exceptionalities
A minimum of thirty hours of graduate work, including three hours of thesis and completion of a satisfactory defense. This program includes eighteen hours of required coursework and twelve hours of elective courses. - Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in School Psychology
The Education Specialist degree requires a minimum of sixty graduate hours and prepares students for practice as a school psychologist (or Licensed Specialist in School Psychology in Texas). More information regarding admission and other course requirements are included in the degree program description. - Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Educational Psychology
The Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Psychology requires a minimum of seventy-two graduate hours. Students take 39 hours in required core courses and 33 hours in one or more specialization areas: applied behavior analysis, gifted and talented, special education, or quantitative methods. More information regarding admission and other course requirements are included in the program description. - Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in School Psychology
The Doctor of Philosophy in School Psychology requires a minimum of 101 hours of academic course work, practica, and research. It typically consists of four full years of graduate study on campus followed by a culminating internship. - Graduate Minor in Educational Psychology
The graduate minor in educational psychology focuses on Research Methods and Data Analysis. It is available for students enrolled in any master’s or doctoral program. Students must complete twelve semester hours of graduate courses (including any prerequisite courses), which must include EDP 6360 Experimental Design I and EDP 6362 Applied Multiple Regression/Correlation Analysis in Education. Two additional courses are selected with the approval of the Graduate Program Director in the Department of Educational Psychology.
Please note the following important information regarding application for admission:
- Contact the Graduate School to begin the application process.
- All aspects of the application must be completed by the deadline. If everything is not submitted, the application file is not complete and will not be considered.
- Applicants submitting their materials by the admission deadline may be contacted for an interview. Following the interview, applications will be considered and applicants will be notified of the results.
- Prospective students who wish to begin in summer or fall are encouraged to apply by February 1 to increase their chances of obtaining scholarships or an assistantship; students who wish to begin a program in the spring are encouraged to complete an application by Oct. 1.
Educational Psychology (EDP)
A field-based experience for students in the School Psychology program earning an Education Specialist degree. Experience must meet the requirements specified in the School Psychology program handbook. May be repeated. Graded on credit-non-credit basis.
Continuation of EDP 5182. A field-based experience for students in the School Psychology program. Experience must meet the requirements specified in the School Psychology program handbook.
To fulfill requirements for non-thesis master's students who need to complete final degree requirements other than coursework during their last semester. This may include such things as a comprehensive examination, oral examination, or foreign language requirement. Students are required to be registered during the semester they graduate.
This course provides students with an introduction to the philosophy behind the science of behavior analysis. We review the history of behaviorism and transition from methodological behaviorism to radical behaviorism. Students have the opportunity to explore the philosophical underpinnings of behavior analysis and gain a better understanding of what it means to be a behavior analyst.
This course provides students with an introduction to the concepts and principles of behavior analysis. Students examine the fundamental concepts including operant and respondent conditioning, reinforcement, punishment, extinction, stimulus control, and motivating operations. Students have the opportunity to gain the foundational knowledge necessary to design behavior analytic interventions.
This course surveys practices and models of gifted education, including the theories of individual differences, talent development, and differentiated learning. Students explore how these theories and models are applied to learning and development, assessment, curriculum and instruction, learning environments, educational programs, and professional learning.
Development of differentiated curricula for gifted students. Students will learn the components of a scope and sequence in gifted programs, how to adapt for individual differences, how to organize thematic, interdisciplinary content, and how to teach higher-level cognitive skills.
Concept of creativity and its relationship to the development of programs for the gifted and talented. Topics within this course will include instruments and techniques for identifying creativity, theories and models of creativity, instructional strategies for enhancing creativity, futuristics, and problems of creatively gifted.
This course provides a basic introduction to quantitative methods needed by educational practitioners to inform professional decisions and guide evidence-based practice. Topics include scientific method, internal and external threats to research validity, research designs, measurement, and statistical conclusion validity. The centrality of quantitative methods to competent practice is emphasized.
Theories of intelligence, practical administration, and interpretation of intellectual measures, including giving, scoring, and interpreting test results.
Basic theories, strategies, and techniques in counseling and helping relationships. Special focus on the role of the interventionist.
Processes and stages of human growth and development: physical, social, emotional, and intellectual. The impact of social, political, and economic factors on individuals and families is explored.
Philosophical and historical roots of theories of learning, cognition, and affect. Major constructs of current theories and their application in instructional, administrative, and counseling settings.
Exercises in the computation of the most commonly employed statistical indices in tabulation, graphic representation, and presentation of data in educational reports. The techniques used are also applicable to other fields.
Historical, descriptive, and experimental inquiry. Emphasis on interpretation of research. Use of references and resources; the problem; expression of hypotheses; research design; organizing the review of literature; gathering data; statistical analysis of data; reporting and discussing findings; drawing conclusions. Writing style will be applied to the student's major field of study.
Continued knowledge and practice of intellectual assessment will be presented, as well as different types of academic assessment, including both norm-referenced and curriculum-based approaches. Integration of intellectual and academic assessment will be stressed within a problem-solving model.
Group counseling theories and techniques. Analysis of group processes. Practice in leading simulated groups.
Overview of psychometrics and its application to psychological and educational decision making. Specific attention given to the design and development of specialized assessment instruments.
An overview of the profession of school psychology is addressed, including the history and foundations of the field as well as service delivery models. Emphasis is placed on the application of current ethical, legal, and professional standards to professional practice in schools and alternative settings.
Overview of current methods of brief therapy and simulated experiences using brief therapy. Identification of situations having the potential for crisis, description of clients in crisis, consideration of theories devoted to explanation and possible amelioration of crises. Practice in counseling clients using brief therapy or crises interventions. Visits to appropriate settings.
Provides an extended understanding of the philosophy and methodology of applied behavior analysis. Applied behavior analysis is an extremely well developed approach to solving problems in educational settings, and provides one of the best examples of a consistent model for being an accountable, scientifically-oriented practitioner. In this course, students learn to implement assessment and intervention techniques based on the science and theory of behavior analysis.
Differential affective characteristics of gifted students; general counseling theories; communicating with the gifted; assessing affective needs; helping the gifted develop social and interpersonal skills; the defining role of the school in affective development; and measuring the potential of the gifted to achieve and contribute to society and the lives of others.
Integration of principles of religious faith with various counseling problems and psychotherapeutic systems. The course includes subject areas such as ethics, the identity of the counselor, and an evaluation of selected psychological theories for their usefulness in a religious setting and/or from a religious perspective.
This course is designed to help students increase their awareness and knowledge of diverse spiritual and religious traditions, the role of spirituality and religion to human development and mental health, and assessment and treatment approaches to counseling clients' spiritual and religious concerns.
The course provides information on the profession of behavior analysis, including the history, foundations, and ethical principles. The course emphasizes the ethical principles and professional expectations within the field of applied behavior analysis. This includes a detailed review of the Behavior Analysis Certification Board Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysts.
An overview of behavior management, including different beliefs as to why behavior occurs. The process of collecting data for the purpose of assessing individual and group behavior and making decisions about the education of children will be studied.
An initial course in the use of single-subject research methodology. Single-subject research designs are empirical designs rooted in the field of applied behavior analysis that are regularly used in the study of individuals with low incidence disabilities, but are also appropriate for other populations. This class examines the characteristics of single-subject research designs.
Covers specific teaching techniques utilized among individuals with developmental disabilities. Data collection techniques used to monitor progress will be introduced, as well as preference assessment(s) and communication intervention(s).
An overview of developmentally appropriate evidence-based approaches to counseling children and adolescents in school and mental health settings. Addresses foundational techniques, assessment of treatment progress, working with parents and teachers, and ethical/legal considerations.
Provides a general understanding of severe challenging behaviors, such as self-injury and aggression, including various reasons that individuals with disabilities develop and maintain such behaviors, as well as assessment and treatment methods to address them.
An overview of evidence-based approaches to intervening with children and adolescents who have academic difficulties. Addresses foundational aspects of teaching and learning, assessment of intervention effectiveness, and ethical and legal considerations.
Clinical teaching experience in a local school where teacher candidates interact with special education students. Includes completion of content modules, conferencing with clinical instructor and university instructor, observation of lessons taught by master teachers, written lesson reflections, and preparation of and evaluation of benchmarks.
This course involves in-depth study of basic cognitive behavioral procedures and research specific to the treatment of a number of clinical problems of children and adolescents. This class consists of five units: 1) overview of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT); 2) critical issues for the field; 3) special applications of CBT; 4) internalizing disorders and problems; and 5) externalizing disorders and problems.
This course provides interdisciplinary leadership training in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other related disabilities. Content will address integrating services, developing community partnerships, and promoting innovative practices to enhance cultural competency, family-centered care, and interdisciplinary partnerships. The course is modeled after Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) programs.
Problems of the exceptional child in a developmental framework. Differences in intellectual functioning, academic achievement, and social relationships will be explored. A social psychological perspective will also be presented, i.e., the degree to which society accepts the exceptional and what effect this has upon their development.
Overview of behavioral and emotional disorders of childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood from a developmental perspective. This course focuses on the description, assessment, epidemiology, etiology, and evidence-based treatment of each disorder.
Techniques for the education of emotionally disturbed children and adolescents. Emphasis is placed on understanding classroom behavior, developing teacher-student relationships, and structuring classroom learning.
Individual diagnosis of learning disabilities. Experiences will be provided in preparing individual educational plans and materials, both from developmental and remedial approaches.
Knowledge of and skills for consulting with parents and teachers; collaborating with teachers, school administrators, and other professionals; and building family-school partnerships. Techniques are provided for gathering information regarding the needs of exceptional children and for involving teachers, parents, and others in better meeting these needs.
This course teaches students to apply the principles of applied behavior analysis to develop goals and interventions based on integrated information, utilize a data-based decision-making model to evaluate efficacy of programs, and learn effective supervision techniques. Students learn skills needed to analyze cases and develop appropriate behavior change programs for clients' maximum desired performance.
All courses in the certification program. Field experiences with various types of exceptional children.
Designed to meet individual needs of graduate students. May be repeated.
This course explores topics relevant to providing educational services to diverse student populations in higher education. Students will develop knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to function within their own microculture, the United States macroculture, other microcultures, and the global community. Students will develop skills and understanding of effective strategies for academic assessment and intervention, and strategies to facilitate student success in higher education.
An overview of the psychosocial and educational needs of ethnically and linguistically diverse children is discussed, including the impact of culture, cross-cultural assessment, and treatment models in a multi-systems approach.
An overview of social-emotional, behavior, and personality assessment techniques. Primary focus is on administering, scoring, and interpreting data from instruments for children and adolescents.
Full time teaching experience where teacher candidates interact with special education students. Includes completion of content modules, conferencing with mentor teacher and university instructor, observation of lessons taught by master teachers, written lesson reflections, and preparation of benchmark evaluations.
Three to six semester hours of practicum experience or two years of successful classroom teaching experience in an approved program for gifted and talented students to meet the requirement for an endorsement in this area. Regular consultation with program faculty to develop teaching skills is arranged in conjunction with the setting, May be repeated for credit.
Supervised practicum in School Psychology. May be repeated. Graded on credit/no-credit basis
Designed to meet individual needs of graduate students. May be repeated.
A supervised practicum in applied behavior analysis. Throughout the practicum experience, students receive regular consultation with program faculty and instructors to develop applied assessment and interventions skills within the field experience. This course may be repeated for credit.
Credit received when the thesis is finally approved.
Research resulting from the examination of contemporary issues, problems, and/or themes from a multidisciplinary perspective will be shared in a symposium.
In this course, students will develop ongoing plans for research, teaching, and service as they prepare for graduation. Students will learn how to develop a line of research to continue building on the framework of research initiated during the Ph.D. program. Additionally, students will learn how to identify and interpret academic job postings and prepare successful application documents.
In this course students develop ongoing plans for research, teaching, and service as they prepare for graduation. Students learn how to develop a line of research to continue building on the framework of research initiated during the Ph.D. program. Additionally, students learn how to identify and interpret academic job postings and prepare successful application documents.
This course provides students with skills necessary for dissemination in research. Students learn the skills associated with participating in peer review, present research, and publish research.
This course provides students with the skills necessary to begin a successful doctoral experience. This course introduces methods for systematically identifying existing literature, developing research questions, and producing meaningful lines of research.
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of measurement and evaluation in applied behavior analysis (ABA). Students learn the history of behavioral assessment as well as traditional concepts (e.g., reliability, validity) related to assessment development and research. Students also learn to critique and analyze measurement-related research for commonly used assessments in behavior analysis.
This course prepares students to work effectively within a positive behavior interventions and supports framework. Positive behavior interventions and supports is a school-wide approach to managing behavior that targets teaching and reinforcing desired, positive behavior among children in a classroom.
This seminar examines current issues in educational psychology from a historical and research perspective. Readings will focus on the application of psychological concepts to the educational process.
This course is an advanced study of human development from birth through adolescence. The relationships between the individual, the family, and society are explored within the context of social justice, as are the ways that these relationships vary within and across cultures. Key research studies are examined.
Individualized, directed study of topics in human learning. Topics include attention and perceptual learning, language acquisition, memory, and social learning. Students choose a research problem in human learning, do a review of the literature, and conduct a pilot study to investigate the problem.
Educational research writing. Emphasis will be placed on the organization of the prospectus, the thesis, the dissertation, and the abstract which are typically required by graduate schools in professional fields. Individualized and critical assistance will be given in the research writing style and composition mechanics befitting the research design chosen.
The development of an in-depth understanding of the major methods of inquiry associated with qualitative research will be emphasized. These include participant observation, interviewing, and document analysis. Additionally, an appreciation for the strengths and limitations of engaging in qualitative research and a general understanding of the paradigms that undergird qualitative research and their implications for conducting qualitative inquiry will be cultivated.
Review of the theoretical literature and construction of direct and indirect performance tests. Course will cover cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains, theoretical assumptions underlying test design, criteria for the appropriate construction of discreet item forms, processes used to establish test validity and reliability, and use of test construction software.
Information about sources of external funding and instruction in the techniques of grant writing.
See EDC 6339 for course information.
Campus-based experiences in a higher education setting. Particular attention will be given to the design of courses of study and instructional strategies that encourage inquiry with the adult learner.
In-depth experiences in a field-based educational or other setting. Particular attention will be given to the development, implementation, and evaluation of programs for adult learners.
This course teaches students to apply the principles of applied behavior analysis to consultation, supervision, and management. Students learn skills needed to analyze cases and provide effective behavioral consultation. There is an emphasis on the practical application of consultation skills within a problem-solving, behavioral consultation framework.
Characteristics of the young and mature adult learners with an emphasis on intellectual development. An analysis of theories of adult learning will be included.
This course explores historical and emerging paradigms of giftedness and gifted education. Topics include paradigms and conceptual frameworks that are based on theory and research. In this course students explore ways paradigms and frameworks influence policy, research, and practice.
How systems of psychological thought develop in the context of the philosophy of science. Changing systems in psychology are examined, emphasizing their influence on theory, design, and the delivery of educational programs and psychological services.
Focuses on how to teach and instruct from examining the basic theories, models, and research of creativity and problem solving and their applications to the development of individuals. Differences that result from an interaction among personality, creativity, and ecological factors will be related to the design of programs and curriculum that meet the changing abilities and needs of adult learners.
An advanced study of single case research designs. The course prepares students to conduct single-case research utilizing advanced, combined, and modified designs. Additionally, students learn how to conduct meta-analyses of single-case reviews, employing a variety of advanced effect size measures. Finally, students learn to critique and analyze published research employing a variety of single-case designs.
This course is an advanced study of applied behavior analysis. The content of the course is related to principles and advanced concepts in applied behavior analysis. Students learn how to gather information about an advanced topic and how to present that information to others.
In this seminar advanced school psychology doctoral students convene to discuss and critically evaluate key professional and scientific issues. Students read and discuss seminal articles on topics of interest with the aim of generating future research projects to test theory or inform practice. Students learn how to prepare grant proposals, craft journal articles, navigate the peer review process, and integrate science and practice.
See EDC 6359 for course information.
Course focuses on applied experimental designs that address the unique settings and systems of education, including data collection strategies for field work.
Course focuses on unique models for research in education settings including advanced experimental designs, path analysis, general linear modeling, hierarchical linear modeling, and structural equation modeling.
Applications of correlation and multivariate regression analysis procedures to issues in education research, such as building, evaluating, and validating multiple regression models.
This course is an advanced study of language conceptually based upon the principles of behavior analysis. The course develops an understanding of language according to the two primary theories in the field of behavior analysis, Skinner’s verbal behavior and relational frame theory (RFT).
An advanced statistics class that builds on general multiple regression models to extend to the measurement of latent variables, such as factor analysis and structural equation modeling.
An advanced psychometrics class designed to introduce the development and testing of item response models, as well as applying the models to measurement instruments.
An advanced psychometrics and statistics class, introducing selected topics in behavior genetics, intelligence, and personality research.
See EDC 6370 for course information.
Students complete a field experience within a publicly funded program for children with developmental disabilities. Approved placements include public school special education classrooms, early childhood services programs, and Mental Health Mental Retardation (MHMR) programs. Students complete activities associated with applied behavior analysis (ABA) and the therapeutic or educational services provided by the supervising entity.
A supervised internship in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Students complete 150 hours of field experiences in a pre-approved placement. Students in this course are expected to complete activities associated with the practice of ABA as well as become actively involved in the research activities of the supervising entity. A Board Certified Behavior Analyst supervises all field experiences.
Designed to meet individual needs of doctoral students. May be repeated.
For doctoral students who have completed all required coursework but have not yet completed preliminary examinations. Students will prepare a doctoral research proposal. The course may be repeated up to three times.
This course prepares health-service providers to support the academic development and psychological well-being of youth. It provides supervision and opportunities to reflect on the experiences of professional practice in school and clinic settings.
A field-based experience for doctoral students in school psychology. Experience must meet the requirements specified in the school psychology internship handbook. May be repeated. Graded on credit-non-credit basis.
Research, data analysis, writing, and oral/written defense of an approved doctoral dissertation. At least nine hours of EDP 6V99 are required.