Prospective Students

Admissions | Tuition, Fees & Financial Aid | FAQ

Admissions Process

Accepting applications for January 2012 through November 15th, 2011!

1) Complete Online Application (recommended) for Admission to the Graduate College. The application is located at: http://www.grad.illinois.edu/admissions/apply

Download Step-by-Step Application Instructions (PDF)

The GRE is not required by the department of Educational Psychology (EPSY).

2) Pay application fee ($70 for domestic students, $90 for international).

3) Send official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate studies, issued by the institutions and sealed in original envelopes, to the Department of Educational Psychology. Have the transcripts sent to the following address:

Educational Psychology
226 Education Building
1310 S. Sixth Street
Champaign , IL 61820

4) Ask three (3) people to send letters of reference, preferably people who can speak about your scholarly potential, by uploading them to the university application as instructed in the application.

For further questions on admissions to the EPSY Department, please call 1.888.843.3779 or 217.333.2245.

5) For International Applicants: in addition to the above materials, you will need to submit TOEFL scores as well.

An international student verification form is not required. However, we do require either an email confirmation that you will not enter the U.S. during your studies, or a copy of a current non-student visa and an email confirmation that you will remain on this visa for the duration of your studies.

Visa eligibility documents (I-20 and DS-2019) cannot be issued for students in online programs. Also, no proof of funding is required for admission.

For further information on International Admission Requirements, please visit: http://www.grad.illinois.edu/admissions/apply/begin/international

Application Deadline

For January 2012 admission, prospective applicants must complete and return ALL information by November 15th, 2011. It is your responsibility to see that all required information is received on time.

A student who is currently enrolled in college study should not wait until the end of the semester or quarter to have transcripts sent. If the applicant is admitted, the Office of Admissions will request final transcripts.

Letters of reference directed to the department office should be requested at the earliest possible time. Missing transcripts and letters of reference are the main causes of incomplete applications.

Admissions Requirements

Applicants with at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited college in the United States or a comparable degree from a recognized institution of higher learning abroad. A grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (A=4.0), or comparable GPA for an international applicant, for last two years of undergraduate study is a minimum requirement for admission.

Applicants enrolled in the final year of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college in the United States or a or comparable degree program from a recognized institution of higher learning abroad, and who meet the GPA requirements stated above.

International applicants must meet minimum requirements based on their country of origin. Please note that proposed programs of study may require a higher GPA than the Graduate College's minimum standard.

For International Applicants: TOEFL scores are required. The minimum score for the Department of Educational Psychology is 590.

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Tuition and Fees

Registration for the Evidence-based Decision Making program is handled by the Office of Contuning Education. The 2011-12 tuition rate for each 4-hour course is $2,344 (USD). This rate includes both tuition and fees. Reading materials are not included in these fees. The tuition rate for this online program is the same for in-state, out-of-state, and international students. The cost for future courses may be subject to moderate changes in accordance with the actions of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.

For more information about tuition and fees, billing and assessments and refund policies, go to: http://oce.illinois.edu/Registration/SemesterBasedCourses/TuitionAndFinancialAid

Financial Aid

Students who are on a two-year program are eligible for financial aid. All students are eligible for financial aid in the Summer semesters.

Summer: Must be enrolled in .75 units (3 hours).

Spring or Fall: Must be enrolled in 1.5 units (6 hours).

To qualify, a student must be accepted into a degree program.

For more information on obtaining Financial Aid please go the University of Illinois Financial Aid Website: http://www.osfa.uiuc.edu or call them at 1-800-252-1360 x30100.

Financial aid is available to eligible degree-seeking UIUC students; however, the types and amounts of aid and the eligibility criteria vary greatly. The Office of Student Financial Aid uses a formula for determining student eligibility for need-based financial aid that includes three components: estimated educational expenses, estimated family contribution, and financial need. In order to receive federal financial aid, you must maintain satisfactory academic progress toward a degree. State and institutional financial aid funds are also subject to this requirement. For full consideration of all sources of need-based financial aid, please visit the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA).

Consistent with University guidelines we do accept Veteran's Grants. For more information, visit the Veterans Affairs website or contact their office (veterans@illinois.edu or 1-800-252-1360 x39283).

Tuition waiver policy for courses in EPSY online programs

Waivers granted through Fellowships/Assistantships are governed by the Graduate College Tuition Waiver Policy. By college and campus policy, these courses are part of self-supporting programs and DO NOT accept the following tuition and fee waivers (TFWs):

• Cooperating Teacher waivers
• Non-Academic waivers (including UIUC employees and employees of other state institutions)
• Academic waivers from UIUC, UIC and UIS employees
• Related Agency waivers
• Field Supervisor waivers
• Retiree waivers.

These courses/programs DO accept statutory waivers (veterans grants, etc) and waivers granted through fellowships/assistantships as governed by the Graduate College at UIUC. The waiver policy above is subject to moderate changes in accordance with the actions of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.

The Department of Educational Psychology does not currently offer any assistantships for online students.

For more information on scholarship and loan opportunities, please visit the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)

Other employer tuition waivers, military waivers, and Veteran's grants are not affected by this policy.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is Evidence-based Decision Making Online an accredited program?

2. Does this program lead to a teaching certificate?

3. Who is this program designed for?

4. Does the Evidence-based Decision Making program follow the regular university schedule?

5. What is a "cohort"?

6. Is a Master's Thesis mandatory for this program?

7. Who can I contact for more information as well as administrative questions during the course?

8. Can I get an extension on my course?

9. How do I get Evidence-based Decision Making course materials?

10. What kind of support will be available?

11. What benefits do I receive while enrolled at the University of Illinois?

12. Do we ever meet in person?

13. How will we be evaluated?

14. Are any of these courses transferable?

15. Do you accept other courses at the University, or from other institutions?

16. What if I am unable to continue in the program before I finish?

17. How do I know if an online degree program is for me?

18. Are there cost savings to getting an online degree?

19. Can I use waivers for this program?

1. Is Evidence-based Decision Making an accredited program?

The Master of Education degree you earn with Evidence-based Decision Making Online is just like any other degree from the Department of Educational Psychology in the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. UIUC is a fully accredited university , and Evidence-based Decision Making Online is a fully accredited masters program.

2. Does this program lead to a teaching certificate?

No. Evidence-based Decision Making Online is not a certificate program.

3. Who is this program designed for?

Evidence-based Decision Making is designed for practicing educational professionals in a variety of educational settings—including teachers, unit heads, principals, mid-level managers, public agency managers, youth program coordinators, and the like. It is for those who seek understanding of how to make sense of and work with numerical data in the decisions they face; how to draw reasonable and warranted inferences from such data; and, how to assess current arguments for evidence-based and data-driven decision making.

4. Does the Evidence-based Decision Making program follow the regular university schedule?

No, Evidence-based Decision Making follows a ten week schedule with four terms per year:

• Term 1: January - March
• Term 2: April - June
• Term 3: July - September
• Term 4: October - December

5. What is a "cohort"?

The Evidence-based Decision Making program is cohort-based, so the same group of students enroll together at the beginning of the program, move through the sequenced courses together, and graduate at the same time. Throughout the program there will be opportunities to work together with your cohort, online primarily, thus, you will certainly develop a sense of community with your cohort colleagues. This is a unique feature of the Evidence-based Decision Making program.

6. Is a Master's Thesis mandatory for this program?

No. Unlike a Master of Arts degree, a masters thesis is not required in a Master of Education degree. Evidence-based Decision Making Online does have two entire courses devoted to individual projects useful to the student's own school or organization. These are considered to be capstone projects. The projects will utilize some of the theoretical and practical ideas explored in the core courses during the program.

7. Who can I contact for more information as well as administrative questions during the course?

You will be able to contact the Coordinator of Online Programs in the Educational Psychology Department with any concerns or questions throughout your time in the program. You will also know your course instructors' email addresses. This information will be provided during the orientation, and will be made available again each semester. Because we have small cohorts, there is a great deal of personal attention. Additionally, you may contact the Evidence-based Decision Making staff for assistance.

8. Can I get an extension on my course?

Extensions for student coursework are a matter to be determined by individual instructors.

9. How do I access Evidence-based Decision Making course materials?

Most course materials are available online in pdf and word document formatting. Those books that are required to be purchased can all be ordered online.

10. What kind of support will be available?

A variety of support will be available for all Evidence-based Decision Making students. First of all, students will have access to regular, ongoing technical support to assist in the nuts and bolts of using the online course features. Second, each student will be in regular communication with course professors and teaching assistants.

11. What benefits do I receive while enrolled at the University of Illinois?

As an Evidence-based Decision Making student at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, you will benefit from access to a great many resources. First of all, the Educational Psychology (EPSY) department resides within the College of Education, where a variety of educational resources can be found. Also, the University of Illinois has one of the finest libraries in the United States, and the Education and Social Science Library provides very helpful online services for educators as well as access to multiple online text publications and articles. Our library is a profound asset, both for its holdings and for its services. As graduate students you are encouraged to ask librarians for any assistance you require.

12. Do we ever meet in person?

There may be opportunities to meet in person, but it is not required. Online students are certainly encouraged to travel to campus for Graduation!

13. How will we be evaluated?

You will be evaluated based on course requirements set by individual course instructors.

14. Are any of these courses transferable?

As these courses are part of the College of Education catalogue, they certainly may be transferred in precisely the same manner as any University of Illinois course.

15. Do you accept other courses at the University, or from other institutions?

This decision will be made at the discretion of the Faculty Coordinator and the Coordinator of Online Programs. It should be kept in mind that the program is set up with specific requirements in a set order. Also, often courses are not equivalent from one institution to another in terms of content, hours and other factors.

 

16. What if I am unable to continue in the program before I finish?

Evidence-based Decision Making courses are cohort-based, so the same group of students enroll together at the beginning of the program, move through the program together, and graduate at the same time. This means that all courses are only offered in that scheduled sequence. So if you are unable to continue in the program for any reason, you will have to wait for the next time that course is offered for the next cohort.

17. How do I know if an online degree program is for me?

Online classes are often very different than traditional face-to-face classes in terms of how the material is presented, the nature of the interaction among class members, and the overall learning experience. Many students report that they actually learn more in online classes than in face-to-face classes and find the experience more rewarding. But online classes aren't right for everyone. Even if you are an excellent student, you may find that online classes are not compatible with your learning style. So, before enrolling in your first online class, give some thought to whether online learning is right for you. Answering the following questions may help you with this process:

http://www.online.uillinois.edu/students/well_suited.asp

18. Are there cost savings to getting an online degree?

Yes, most people do not stop to factor in many of the cost savings. Online students can study from the comfort of their own homes. They do not need to pay for gas or parking. Often they can save childcare costs as well. Many of the readings needed for online classes are posted on the course management site. Many courses do not require the purchase of a textbook.

In addition, the online format creates an environment where many students can obtain a prestigious higher education degree while still continuing to work. It is an excellent solution for working professionals.

19. Can I use waivers for this program?

As of the Fall 2008 semester, unlike students in other on-campus programs, Evidence-based Decision Making students cannot use the following waivers:

• Cooperating Teacher waivers
• Non-Academic waivers (including UIUC employees and employees of other state institutions)
• Academic waivers from UIUC, UIC and UIS employees
• Related Agency waivers
• Field Supervisor waivers
• Retiree waivers.

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