Ph.D. in Education, Concentration in Educational Psychology

 
Designed for research-oriented doctoral students who want to promote the success of students in educational environments, the Ph.D. in education, concentration in educational psychology degree is ideal for students who want to specialize in achievement motivation and other related social processes.

Students in the program integrate theory and research in the areas of cognition, social psychology and motivation, assessment, educational policy and diversity to better study learning in schools or other educational settings. Graduates are well prepared to teach in educational psychology and related programs at the university level; as well as take leadership positions in state and local research and policy environments.

Doctoral students may be admitted with only a bachelor’s degree. It is expected that these students will have coursework related to educational psychology, research experience and/or academic writing experience.

Regardless of whether the student has a master’s degree or not, prerequisites will be determined by an analysis of the student’s transcript. All students who are admitted need to show competence in research methods in education and introductory social statistics. Students without the competencies will take up to two prerequisite classes for credit either at VCU, another institution or online.

Curriculum requirements

The Ph.D. in education, concentration in educational psychology requires a minimum of 51 total graduate credit hours:

Degree requirements for the Ph.D. in education, concentration in educational psychology »

Please keep in mind, however, that the exact course requirements may vary depending on when you matriculated into the program, so please consult your adviser or the program coordinator with any additional questions.

VCU BULLETIN INFO

• Ph.D. in education, concentration in educational psychology

PROGRAM BASICS

How to apply: Graduate application
Semester of entry: Summer or fall
Application deadline: Jan. 15
Additional materials:
Concentration handbook [PDF]
Faculty listing: Foundations of Education
Research labs: 
Discourse and Learning Lab
Motivation in Context Research Lab

Resources and Checklists

Application checklist [PDF]

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• General admission requirements of the VCU Graduate School
• Baccalaureate or master’s degree in psychology, educational psychology or related discipline
• Three letters of recommendation addressing the student’s potential for graduate study in education
• Statement of intent
• Satisfactory scores on the GRE
• Transcripts of all previous college work
• A personal interview and additional writing sample (may be requested)
• Professional vitae/resume

For more information about admission requirements, please consult our concentration handbook.

FOR MORE IN-DEPTH INFO

• Foundations of Education degree programs
• Project CRESST curriculum
• Student spotlight: Fa Zhang