Qualitative Research in Education Certificate

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Return to: 4140 Department of Educational Policy Studies

A Graduate Certificate in Qualitative Research in Education is available from the College of Education and Human Development to eligible students enrolled in a doctoral program at Georgia State University. To earn the certificate, students must complete a minimum of eight 3-credit-hour doctoral-level qualitative research methods courses with a collective GPA of 3.5 or higher in those courses, with no grade lower than a B in any course to be counted toward the certificate.

In addition, students must successfully defend a qualitative research dissertation. A faculty member from the Research, Measurement and Statistics (RMS) program of the Department of Educational Policy Studies is required to be on the student’s dissertation committee.

Certificate Requirements

Four of the Eight Courses Must be the Following

EPRS 8500 - Qualitative/Interpretive Research in Education I 3 Credit Hours
EPRS 8510 - Qualitative Research in Education II 3 Credit Hours
EPRS 8520 - Qualitative Research in Education III 3 Credit Hours
EPSF 9260 - Epistemology and Learning 3 Credit Hours

Remaining Four Courses

The remaining four courses must be doctoral-level qualitative method courses, bearing a call number of 8000 or higher, from the approved list of certificate courses. The list is updated yearly and available in the Department of Educational Policy Studies. A current list of these courses is provided below:

EPRS 8450 - Popular Culture as a Qualitative Text 3 Credit Hours
EPRS 8640 - Case Study Methods 3 Credit Hours
EPRS 8700 - Visual Research Methods 3 Credit Hours
EPRS 9120 - Poststructural Inquiry 3 Credit Hours
EPRS 9380 - Discourse Analysis 3 Credit Hours
or
ECE 9380 - Discourse Analysis 3 Credit Hours
EPRS 9400 - Writing Qualitative Research Manuscripts 3 Credit Hours
EPRS 9820 - Advanced Qualitative Data Analysis 3 Credit Hours
EPRS 9830 - Research Ethics in the Professional and Social Sciences 3 Credit Hours
EPRS 9920 - Seminar in Special Topics in Qualitative Research 3 Credit Hours
EPSF 9850 - Historical Research in American Education 3 Credit Hours
EPSF 9930 - Philosophical Analysis and Method 3 Credit Hours
Other Qualitative Methods courses as approved by the Certificate Coordinator and the Department Chair.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible to earn the certificate, students must:

be enrolled in a doctoral program at Georgia State University
have completed at least three courses from the College of Education and Human Development Doctoral Research Core, with a collective GPA in those courses of 3.5 or higher
submit the application to the Department of Educational Policy Studies, with the endorsement of an RMS faculty member, prior to defending the prospectus.

Normal Time to Complete Program

Two additional semesters with 5 total courses is estimated to be additional coursework which would be included within the doctoral program timeframe because it is likely that at least 4 courses meet both the certificate and doctoral requirements. The certificate program requires 8 courses. Courses beyond the three courses in the doctoral core which meet the certificate requirements may be included in the doctoral program of study for the student based on each student’s individualized program. Typically, at least one course meeting certificate requirements beyond the three from the doctoral core would be included in the student’s doctoral program for the student’s doctoral degree.

Learning Outcomes and Assessments

The RMS faculty evaluate students on the following learning outcomes for the certificate:

Addresses the research question(s) with appropriate methodology
Demonstrates knowledge of previous research and/or literature in the field
Document adheres to the standards of quality writing
Oral presentation communicates research in a manner appropriate for the material and audience
Potential for contribution to the discipline
Demonstrates knowledge in the field of the certificate program in the dissertation defense

On-Time Graduation Rates

On-time graduation rate is 100% based on the College of Education and Human Development doctoral program time-frame.

Program Costs

Current information is available at sfs.gsu.edu/tuition-fees/what-it-costs/.

Occupations

The Qualitative Research in Education Certificate aids in the preparation of students to be employed as:

Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary (SOC 25-1062)
Education Teachers, Postsecondary (SOC 25-1081)
Historians (SOC 19-3093)
Program Analysts (SOC 13-1111)
Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other (SOC 19-3099)
Social Science Research Assistants (SOC 19-4061)

You can find additional information on the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) and occupational profiles on these professions at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*Net websites: www.bls.gov/soc and www.onetcenter.org.

Other Certificate Information

There is no state or accrediting agency that requires tracking placement rates. Students who receive a certificate also complete the doctoral program which is a higher credentialed program; thus, calculation of median loan debt for the certificate program is not required.