Overview
The Educational Research program focuses on research methodology and prepares scholars to critically engage in educational research and evaluation, develop appropriate and innovative research designs, and contribute conceptually sound analyses to the overlapping fields of education, the social sciences, and the health sciences. The strength of our program centers around a core of collaborative faculty and prominent scholars who remain dedicated to the development and application of dynamic research methodologies situated within contemporary conceptual frameworks. Areas of specialization within our degree program include qualitative methods, quantitative methods, mixed-methodology, psychometrics, and evaluation.
Admission Requirements
The doctoral program in Educational Research requires successful admission to graduate study within the Graduate School, a statement of purpose and letters of recommendation consistent with goals of the program, GRE score of 300 or above, and a GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Prospective students are encouraged to complete their applications by the priority application deadline of December 15th. Applicants who submit their materials prior to December 15th will receive priority consideration for graduate assistantships and other forms of funding. Applications received after the 12/15 date will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.
Application Process
- Complete the Application Form.
- Pay the application fee. The application fee is $65 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents and $80 for international students. Please note that application fees are non-refundable. The application fee is waived for the following groups:
- Veterans and current members of the US military (please email your DD 214 or current assignment orders to gradschool@ua.edu).
- Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program students (please email gradschool@ua.edu for more details).
- University of Alabama undergraduates applying to a graduate program in the same subject area. To qualify for this application fee waiver a student must have no time break between the undergraduate and graduate program and have an overall GPA of 3.0 or greater.
- Applicants who have previously enrolled in Graduate School at The University of Alabama.
- Within 48 hours of completing steps 1 and 2 you will receive an email with your Campus Wide Identification (CWID) number. It is VERY important that you keep this number somewhere safe.
- Submit supporting documents and check application status by selecting Manage Documents.
Program Requirements
The Educational Research program consists of 18 hours of core courses and a minimum of 12 hours in a specialization. A specialization could be qualitative methods, program evaluation, assessment/measurement or quantitative methods. The doctoral program also requires a minimum of 12 hours of foundations. A minimum of 48 is required by the Graduate School of which only six may be transferred in from another university. Incoming students with an earned master’s degree may transfer in up to 24 hours of course credit with approval. An additional 24 hours of dissertation research is required.
Professional Seminar in Ed. Research (3 hours)
Required Core Courses (15 hours)
- BER 500 Introduction to Educational Research (unless an equivalent to BER 500 was taken on a M.A. degree)
- BER 540 Quantitative Research I
- BER 657 Psychometric Theory and Practice*
- BER 600 Quantitative Research Methods
- BER 631 Inquiry as Interpretation: Qualitative I
- BER 660 Introduction to Program Evaluation
- BER 687 Field Work in Educational Research OR BER 689 Practicum in Educational Research
* Note that BER 657 is cross-listed with BER 558.
Specialization Courses (18 hours)
- Any additional BER 600 level courses
Practicum Hours in Specialization (6 hours)
Foundations (12 hours)
- 12 hours in a single area outside of BER courses
Dissertation (18 hours)
Other Requirements
- Obtain a grade of A or B in each of the core courses in Educational Research
- Plan Ph.D. program with student’s advisor. Copy of Program of Study will be given to the Program Chair.
- Successfully complete Practica Experiences
- Perform in a professional manner in practicum and/or internships
- Pass Preliminary Review and Evaluation
- Pass written and oral comprehensive examinations
- Pass oral defense of dissertation proposal; be admitted into Ph.D. candidacy
- Complete dissertation
- Successfully defend the dissertation
Graduate Courses in Educational Research
| Course Number | Specialty Area | Course Title | Special Notation |
|---|---|---|---|
| BER 500 | ALL | Introduction to Educational Research | Master’s and Ed.S. Students Only |
| BER 540 | QT | Quantitative Research I | |
| BER 550 | PS | Evaluation of Classroom Learning | |
| BER 558 | PS | Introduction to Psychometrics | Prerequisite BER 540 |
| BER 600 | ALL | Research Methods in Education | Doctoral Students Only |
| BER 603 | QT | Survey Research in Education | |
| BER 630 | QL | Case Study Research Methods | |
| BER 631 | QL | Inquiry as Interpretation: Qualitative I | |
| BER 632 | QL | Reflexiveness and Resistance in Research Representation: Qualitative II | BER 631 |
| BER 633 | QL | Ethics and Aesthetics Of Meaning Making: Qualitative III | BER 631, 632 |
| BER 640 | QT | Quantitative Research II | Prerequisites BER 540 |
| BER 641 | QT | Multivariate Quantitative Methods | Prerequisites BER 640 |
| BER 642 | QT | Advanced Regression Methods | Prerequisites BER 640 |
| BER 645 | QT | Advanced Experimental Design | Prerequisites BER 640 |
| BER 646 | QT | Structural Equation Modeling | Prerequisites BER 641 or BER 642 |
| BER 658 | PS | Psychometric Theory and Practice | Prerequisites BER 540, 558 |
| BER 660 | EV | Evaluation I: Theory and Practice | |
| BER 661 | EV | Evaluation II: Adv. Theories & Application | Prerequisite BER 660 |
| BER 665 | MM | Mixed Methods | Prerequisite BER 540, BER 631 |
| BER 672 | All | Mentored Teaching in Educational Research Methodology | |
| BER 687 | All | Field Work in Educational Research | |
| BER 688 | All | Internship in Educational Research | |
| BER 689 | All | Practicum in Educational Research | |
| BER 690 | All | Readings in Educational Research | |
| BER 695 | All | Special Topics in Educational Research | May be taken multiple times depending upon the speciality area. |
| BER 698 | All | Research Not Related to Dissertation | |
| BER 699 | All | Dissertation Research | |
| BER 634 | QL | Narrative Inquiry | Prerequisite BER 631 |
| BER 635 | QL | The Material Turn in Qualitative Research | Prerequisite BER 631 |
| BER 636 | QL | Qualitative Interviewing | Prerequisite BER 631 |
| BER 637 | QL | Arts-Based Research | Prerequisite BER 631 |
Special Area Code
- PS = Psychometrics
- EV = Evaluation
- QL = Qualitative Research
- MM = Mixed Methods
- QT = Quantitative Research