Program Evaluation Certificate

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Return to: Department of Educational Policy Studies

The Graduate Certificate in Program Evaluation combines program evaluation models, specialized topics in program evaluation, and issues in program evaluation and policy analysis with practical application of learned abilities in a program evaluation. The certificate is designed for individuals interested in working in a wide variety of education, training, and development areas, including those found in business, industry, government agencies, the military and nonprofit organizations. There is also the possibility of working independently as a consultant in program evaluation. The certificate targets two goals: (a) providing students who have already earned master’s degrees a concentrated means of preparing themselves to pursue careers in program evaluation and (b) benefiting society by increasing the quality of program evaluators, who can contribute to the improvement of educational and other service programs.

Objectives

Students who complete the Certificate in Program Evaluation will be able to:

Compare theoretical approaches employed in program evaluation;
Evaluate program evaluation standards;
Identify ethical principles in program evaluation;
Relate the context of a program to its evaluation plan;
Implement various methodologies involved in program evaluation;
Conduct various analyses of program evaluation data; and
Contribute to a comprehensive, context-appropriate program evaluation report.

Program Academic Regulations

To accomplish these objectives, the Graduate Certificate in Program Evaluation is a 15 credit hour program of study beyond the prerequisite requirements. The content includes courses taught in the M.S. in Educational Research and/or Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies.Through a combination of classroom and hands-on activities, this Certificate Program provides participants the opportunity to design and conduct various aspects of program evaluation. Opportunities are provided for applying the competencies learned in the classroom to job-related situations.

A collective GPA of 3.0 or higher in certificate coursework is required to successfully complete program requirements.

Certificate Requirements

Prerequisites

Applicants must have completed an accredited, master’s degree program prior to admission to the Graduate Certificate in Program Evaluation. Also, students must be prepared in both quantitative methods and qualitative methods. This preparation can be accomplished through completing the following coursework:

EPRS 8500 - Qualitative/Interpretive Research in Education I 3 Hours or equivalent
EPRS 8530 - Quantitative Methods and Analysis in Education I 3 Hours or equivalent
EPRS 8510 - Qualitative Research in Education II 3 Hours
or
EPRS 8540 - Quantitative Methods and Analysis in Education II 3 Hours or equivalent

Program of Study

Graduate level courses equivalent to courses in the program of study may be substituted if the courses are approved based on the existing College of Education and Human Development policy for equivalent courses and approval by the student’s advisor for this certificate.

EPRS 8620 - Program Evaluation I 3 Hours
EPRS 8670 - Practicum in Research and Program Evaluation 1 to 3 Hours
EPRS 8820 - Program Evaluation and Institutional Research 3 Hours
EPRS 8830 - Survey Research, Sampling Principles and Questionnaire Design 3 Hours
EPSF 8630 - Critical Policy Studies 3 Hours