Academic Program

Educational Studies

Master's Degree

The Master of Arts in Educational Studies is a multi-disciplinary graduate degree program exploring fields in Psychological Foundations of Education, Social and Cultural Foundations of Education, and Research Methodologies. The program is offered on the main Clifton campus and at Raymond Walters College. Students may also acquire certificates in Peace and Urban Education, Assessment and Evaluation, and Jewish Education. More detailed information about the program can be obtained by visiting the Educational Studies Program.

Courses in Psychological Foundations cover topics in Cognitive Psychology and Human Development. The emphasis in Cognitive Psychology is on learning and cognitive theories in education. Human Development courses focus on cognitive, social, personality, cross-cultural psychology, and psychological development specific to phases of the human life span. Social Foundations includes courses in Educational Sociology, Anthropology of Education, Peace Studies, History of Education, Philosophy of Education, and Politics of Education. Educational Sociology explores classic and contemporary social theories in education and social issues related to schooling and educational inequities. Anthropology of Education examines the cultural contexts of schooling and the impact of cultural differences and conflict on educational opportunities. Peace Studies offers insights on conflict resolution and other issues related to peace education. Courses in History of Education focus on general historical trends in education and more specific topics such as the history of African American education. Philosophy of Education covers philosophical perspectives on education and Politics of Education examines the political context of education. Research methodology courses introduce students to quantitative, qualitative, and action research methodologies.

Admission Requirements

Students applying for admission to the Master's Program should have:

  • A Baccalaureate Degree from an accredited college or university.
  • A preferred minimum grade point average of 2.8 [on a 4.0 scale] at the undergraduate level.
  • A preferred combined score of 950 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) taken within five years prior to admission.
  • A minimum score of 520 (190 on the electronic version) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) if the candidate's first language is not English
  • Three external recommendations addressing academic and professional background and accomplishments.
  • A goal statement describing academic credentials and professional experiences relevant to a degree in Educational Studies; interests and experiences that match expertise available among Educational Studies faculty; and a commitment to education, and diversity.

Application Information

Application Procedures

For more information, please see our application information.

Financial Aid

Full- and part-time graduate students in Educational Studies may apply for financial aid when they are seeking admission to a graduate program and may reapply every year for a maximum of three years. Additional support beyond the third year may be requested and subsequently awarded depending on availability. Graduate students are ineligible for financial aid from University funds if they 1) have accumulated more than 260 graduate credit hours (or 204 if their master's degree is from another institution) or 2) have more than two C grades or three or more incompletes (I), no grades (N and NG), or failing grades (F) on their graduate transcripts.

Application forms for financial assistance will be sent to students after they have been officially accepted into a program. The most common types of financial aid options for Master's degree students are University Graduate Scholarships (UGS) and those offered by the University.

  • University Graduate Scholarship (UGS): The University Graduate Scholarship is for full- and part-time graduate students and includes partial tuition minus general and other fees for one to three academic terms and no services required.
  • University Programs: The University's Office of Research and Advanced Studies offers several scholarships, fellowships, internships and special assistantships. Students must be nominated by a graduate program to receive any of these awards except for the Summer Research Fellowship where they must be enrolled in a graduate program in order to apply. For more information, locate Graduate Programs under the program listing on the University web site at http://www.uc.edu.

Degree Requirements

Students pursuing the Master of Arts in Educational Studies must complete a minimum of 45 quarter hours of course work. They take a total of 27 credit hours in the Interdisciplinary Core including 6 credit hours in areas addressing diversity and 18 credit hours of electives and project/portfolio/thesis courses. A minimum of 36 credit hours must be completed at the 700 level or above.

Students at the end of their programs are required to complete a Culminating Experience. They must choose one of the following options:

  • Written Comprehensive Exam: The written comprehensive exam is intended to examine the student's degree and breadth of content knowledge and ability to critically understand previously learned concepts. Questions and the exam format are determined by students' Academic Advisor and other members of the Program Committee. No credit hours are given for this option.
  • Master's Project/Portfolio: The Master's Project/Portfolio is an investigation or developmental activity that is applicable to a specified setting such as a classroom, school or training program. Students may take a maximum of 6 credit hours for this option.
  • Master's Thesis: The Master's Thesis is an original research investigation that is made available to the university community. Students may take a maximum of 9 hours of credit hours for this option.