Queries Graduate Certificate in Education
The Evaluation Program within the Quantitative and Qualitative Methodology, Measurement, and Evaluation (QUERIES) division of Educational Psychology in the College of Education offers a Graduate Certificate in Evaluation. The Certificate’s coursework and advising facilitate students building a strong interdisciplinary foundation in the evaluation of educational and social programs. The Certificate is open to graduate students across campus who are interested in using evaluative thinking and strategies to design, implement, and improve social programming and polices that address a range of human needs in and for philanthropic, non-profit, (non-) governmental, social service, and other organizations and sectors.
Coursework Requirements
The core curricula comprising the Graduate Certificate in Evaluation cover the 4 dimensions of evaluation identified in Smith and Brandon’s (2007) Fundamental Issues in Evaluation: evaluation theory, methods, practice, and profession.[1] Completion of the graduate certificate requires a minimum of 16 credit hours as detailed below. Beyond the three required courses, students may opt to take either an additional methods course or additional evaluation course.
Evaluation Graduate Certificate Coursework
| EPSY 470 (4 hours) | Required | Primary dimension: theory Secondary dimension(s): profession, practice |
| EPSY 471 (4 hours) | Required | Primary dimension: practice Secondary dimension(s): methods, profession |
| Methods Course* (4 hours) | Required | Primary dimension: methods |
| Additional Methods Course* (4 hours) | Elective | Primary dimension: methods |
| Additional Evaluation Course** (4 hours) | Elective | Primary dimension: varies by course Secondary dimension(s): varies by course |
| *Students select research methods courses[2] from a pre-approved list or in consultation with their QUERIES faculty advisor. **Pre-approved evaluation courses include EPSY 501 and ERAM 556. | ||
Application Process
Interested students should contact Dr. Melissa Goodnight (mrg@illinois.edu) for further information. The application process consists of completing and submitting the following materials:
- A one-page letter of interest that explains why the student wants to participate in the certificate program, including the student’s interest in evaluation, current research, professional and academic goals, and plans to utilize evaluation in future work.
- A two-page curriculum vitae
- A completed application form with faculty advisor’s signature
Applications are reviewed twice a year. Application deadlines are October 1 (Fall semester) and February 27 (Spring semester).
Certificate Completion
All students accepted into the Graduate Certificate in Evaluation will be assigned a QUERIES advisor to consult regarding coursework and other evaluation interests. Certificates are awarded after successful completion of coursework, and the Certificate’s exit process, which includes completing an exit advising meeting and submitting a brief student-authored report.
[1] Smith, N. & Brandon, P. (2007). Fundamental Issues in Evaluation. New York: Guilford Press.
[2] Methods refers to courses that develop skills in the areas of study design, data collection and analysis, interpersonal skills, and planning and management (Smith & Brandon, 2007). As evaluators’ social inquiry “tools,” methods are concerned with application as the means by which evaluation’s intended purposes are accomplished.