Learning – Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) & Master of Arts (MA)

About the program

Learning is a concentration within the Educational Psychology program. The Educational Psychology program is housed within the Division of Psychology in Education, one of three divisions in the College of Education. The Learning concentration focuses on theoretical and empirical issues in the cognitive and learning sciences, and their educational applications and implications. Faculty interests include parent and teacher education, cognition, motivation and self-regulation, and literacy.

Students in the Learning concentration come from a variety of backgrounds. Some have recently graduated from college, while others have been working in schools or industry for 20 years. All students are matched with a faculty member early in their graduate career; ideally, students will have some idea of which faculty they would like to work with before they apply. Because of this, we encourage and welcome students to contact faculty early in the application process.

Application

Decisions about admission to the doctoral program in Learning are made by the ASU Graduate College using recommendations from the Learning faculty. The Learning doctoral program is a limited-admission program. In making their decision, faculty members consider several items, including:

• Undergraduate G.P.A. Scores on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
• References from two university faculty or other individuals who can judge an applicants' academic potential
• The statement of professional goals and interests. It is essential that students' interests and goals match with those of the faculty. Even the strongest students cannot be accepted if we do not have the resources to help them achieve their full potential. In your application, you should identify faculty members with whom you are interested in working.
• The applicant's likelihood of academic and professional success.
• The number of students currently in the program. The number of students is carefully controlled to insure that the faculty will be able to give each student individual attention.
• A score of 600 or above on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is also required for students who do not speak English as their first language.

Application material should all be submitted by October 15 for the spring semester and February 15 for the fall semester.

Program of study

The PhD program in Learning in Educational Psychology requires a minimum of 84 semester hours beyond the bachelor's degree. At least 54 of these hours must be taken at Arizona State University. The length of time required to complete the program varies from student to student. Students entering the program with a bachelor's degree normally take approximately one to two years to complete the master's degree. Students with a master's, either from the Learning concentration or a related field typically take an additional three years to complete the program. Part-time students can expect to take longer than this, with the length of time depending upon the amount of time they can devote to the program each term. Each student develops a personal program of study in consultation with faculty members. Upon admission to the program, the student is assigned a faculty advisor with whom the student consults regarding his or her coursework and other academic matters. When the student forms a supervisory committee, the committee chair becomes the student's advisor. Following the comprehensive examination, the student may form a new committee for their dissertation work, or may keep the same committee. Program of study forms are available from the ASU Graduate College. Once the program of study is filed, the student may petition for changes when necessary.

Program course requirements

These requirements are not absolute. Additions, omissions, and substitutions may be made in consultation with the faculty. The program of study each student files with the Graduate College represents their personal contract with the faculty and the university. However, most students will follow the program detailed below.

• Master's Degree (30 credits)

  Learning Core
  EDP 540 Theoretical Views of Learning (Stamm)
  EDP 542 Research Methods (Brem)
  EDP 591 Motivation (Husman)
  EDP 591 Learning Science Lab (should enroll every semester) 1-6 I
  Interdisciplinary Core
  EDP 530 Human Development 3
  EDP 502 Introduction to Statistics 3
  EDP 503 Introduction to Qualitative Methods 3
  EDP 550 Intro to Measurement 3
  One additional methodology, qualitative or quantitative course 3
  Specialization
  EDP 690* Reading & Conference 3
  EDP 691* Research Practicum 3

• Ph.D. Degree (84 credits; 54 credits beyond the Master's)

  Learning Core
  EDP 544 Psychology of Reading (Blanchard) 3
  EDP 545/EDP 591 Higher-Order Cognition (Brem) 6
  EDP 591 Self-regulation (Husman) 3
  EDP 591 Learning Science Lab (should enroll every semester) 1-6
  EDP 680 Internship in Undergraduate Teaching 1-6
  Interdisciplinary Core
  EDP 552 Data Analysis I 3
  EDP 554 Data Analysis II 3
  Specialization
  EDP 690* Reading & Conference 3
  EDP 692* Research Practicum 3
  EDP 799 Dissertation
  24 (Electives) To be determined by student & advisor 0-6
  *EDP 690 & EDP 692 are usually taken with Ph.D. advisor. EDP 690 allows specialization in a theoretical or practical area, while EDP 692 results in an article or research paper.

Comprehensive examinations

The master's comprehensive is not required by the Graduate College, and the student's committee will determine the need for such an exam. Most students seeking a master's degree are required to take the master's comprehensive. All doctoral candidates must complete a comprehensive examination. The comprehensive exam is an essay-type examination that is constructed and evaluated by the members of her or his committee. Students take the comprehensive examination after they have completed all or nearly all of the courses in their approved program of study. The comprehensive exam will take place over two days, 4 hours each day. Students will answer 4 one-hour questions each day, for a total of 8 questions. Questions must be completed on the day that they are begun. The exam does not need a proctor to be present for the full session; students are honor-bound to abide by the rules laid out for comps. The questions will be written by their committee members, and will reflect any assigned comps reading, plus the material covered in their Learning courses. The comp will be limited to material that is considered part of the Learning concentration. Students should discuss what material will be included with their committee; the committee's decision is final and overrides any standing requirements with regard to readings. Students may write their answers using any medium they choose, such as computer, paper-and-pencil, etc. They will be allowed to bring notes ONLY if they have previously cleared this with ALL members of their committee. The exams will be graded on a 1 to 4 point scale. The scoring rubric and grading sheet is available here. Each question will be scored by the author of the question, and by the chair of the committee. If the scores are more than one full point apart, they will be averaged; otherwise, the author’s score will be recorded. A final average of 2.5 or better is passing; students receiving a failing score can retake the exam once, after which they will be terminated from the program. Prior to sitting for the comp, students should get IN WRITING the following information, and have ALL committee members sign off on it. There is no form; the student should simply write a brief letter containing all the information, and have it signed by all members of the committee. > Dates of exam. > Whether notes can be brought to the exam. > The medium in which the exam will be taken (computer, pen-and-paper, etc.). > An attached list of the readings the student will be responsible for. > A description of any special needs, and the reason for these accommodations. > In addition, students must complete an application for the comprehensive examination for the Graduate College and provide it to the committee chair prior to the examination. The form is at http://www.asu.edu/graduate/forms/pdf/RtDcCmEx.pdf. Under certain circumstances, the comprehensive examination may be replaced with the literature review option, in which the student conducts a comprehensive and exhaustive review of a broad area within learning. The completed paper must be of the quality of papers published in Psychological Bulletin or Review of Educational Research. This option is granted only to those students who have proven their grasp of a broad body of knowledge within learning through exemplary performance in coursework and research. All members of the students committee must approve the literature review option. Students must submit a 3-5 page proposal to apply for this option; the paper must be completed within two semesters after the proposal is approved. The application for comprehensive examinations must be still be provided to the committee chair prior to the completion of the paper.

Publication requirement

Prior to admission to candidacy, the student must satisfy a publication requirement. This requirement will be met when a written report of a research study is accepted for (a) publication in a refereed journal of the quality of the journals published by the American Psychological Association (APA), or the American Educational Research Association (AERA) or (b) presentation at an annual conference of a national organization of the quality of APA or AERA. The student must be the primary researcher and first author of the research report. The student is responsible for obtaining approval of the paper or article from his or her doctoral committee chair. Students are encouraged to meet the publication requirement as early as possible so that it does not delay their progress after they pass the comprehensive examination.

Dissertation prospectus

The student's proposed dissertation research must be in an area that is familiar and acceptable to his or her dissertation chair and committee members. The student's prospectus must be approved by all members of the committee. The same form that is used to record the results of the comprehensive exam is used to record the acceptance of the prospectus. After both of these requirements are met, the form is filed with the Graduate College. Guidelines for the prospectus are available on this Website. If you feel that you will need to deviate from these guidelines, you must clear your plans with all members of your committee before doing so. This is to your benefit, as any member could reject your prospectus if they feel it does not fulfill the guidelines.

Candidacy

Candidacy status is granted after successful completion of the publication requirement, comprehensive examination, and dissertation prospectus. The student must enroll in at least 12 hours of dissertation (EDP 799) following the semester in which he or she is admitted to candidacy. Students can complete up to 12 dissertation credits before being admitted to candidacy.

Dissertation and Dissertation Defense

At least ten working days before the dissertation defense, the candidate must file with the Graduate College: The "Recommendation for Dissertation Defense" form. The "Format Approval Sheet."

Residence requirement

PhD students must enroll full-time at Arizona State University for a minimum of two consecutive semesters, not including summer sessions, after admission to the doctoral program. His or her advisor or committee chair must approve each students proposed residency period and course load in advance. The residence requirement provides the student with opportunities to interact fully with faculty and other graduate students.

Continuous enrollment

Once admitted, the student is expected to enroll continuously, excluding summer sessions. If a program of study must be interrupted, the student may apply for leave status not to exceed one calendar year.

Maximum time limit

The dissertation defense must take place within 5 years after comprehensive exams are passed.

Faculty

David Berliner, Regents' Professor (Stanford University)

Research interests: the study of teaching, teacher education, and educational policy.

Jay Blanchard, Professor (University of Georgia)

Research interests: the psychology of reading and technology applications in learning. Jay has also been an Arizona State Senator.

Sarah Brem, Associate Professor (Northwestern University)

Research interests: the dissemination of scientific and technical information, argumentation, science & society.

Jenefer Husman, Assistant Professor (University of Texas at Austin)

Research interests: future time perspective, identity, self-regulation and motivation.

Jill Stamm, Clinical Associate Professor (Arizona State University)

Research interests: the relationship between infant brain development and later capacity for learning. She is also co-founder of New Directions Institute, an non-profit organization specializing in brain-based education.

GRADUATE DEGREES & PROGRAMS

DOCTOR OF EDUCATION (EdD)

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PhD)

MASTER OF ARTS (MA)

MASTER OF COUNSELING (MC)

MASTER OF EDUCATION (MEd)

CERTIFICATION AND CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS