Educational Psychology Degrees

What is Educational Psychology? Educational psychology is the study of how people learn in educational settings. Educational psychologists research teaching and learning. They also apply research and theory to develop educational materials, programs, and strategies that promote learning. In addition, the term "educational psychology" is sometimes used interchangeably with "school psychology." This understanding expands the definition to include the application of research and theory in K-12 schools and other educational settings. Examples of this are assessment and counseling. What work is done by educational psychologists? Educational psychologists work with all age groups and in a variety of formal and informal educational settings. Those who work at universities tend to work in colleges of education and departments of psychology. There they may conduct research, teach courses in educational psychology, develop curricula for print or online publication, and/or be involved in training programs for teachers and learners. In K-12 schools, educational and school psychologists collect data concerning students who have academic or behavioral problems. They assess students’ strengths and weaknesses in light of the school context and, in conjunction with parents and teachers, devise strategies to help students experience more success in school. They may also counsel students and provide crisis intervention. Some other work settings for educational psychologists include government agencies, the military, and industry. Sample jobs in such fields include analyzing educational data, developing tests, and training staff. What degrees are available in educational psychology? A bachelor’s degree in educational psychology may lead to a job in elementary or secondary education, or perhaps an assistant researcher position, but most jobs in the field require a graduate education. A person may become an educational psychologist by completing a master or doctoral degree in educational psychology or a closely allied field. The majority of educational psychologists are trained in schools of education, and others are trained in psychology departments. A sampling of top-ranked programs is provided below. Additional schools can be found on the US News list of best graduate schools in educational psychology.

  • The University of Wisconsin at Madison offers M.S. and doctoral degrees in educational psychology. Both degree programs provide comprehensive knowledge of the field and intensive specialization in several research areas.
  • Stanford University awards the Ph.D. in educational psychology and several related fields through its Psychological Studies in Education department.

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