The mission of the Research, Measurement, and Evaluation (RME) Program is to educate students with the fundamental skills related to measurement and research methodology pertaining to research and program/treatment evaluations conducted in the social sciences. The Master’s program provides individuals with the requisite competencies to serve as a data analyst, research coordinator, and measurement advisor in a variety of professional settings such as federal, state, and county boards of education, universities and agencies conducting publicly and privately funded research projects related to education and other behavioral sciences, and public and private testing agencies.

The 36-credit program is comprised of nine core courses (27 credits) plus three elective courses (9 credits) selected from a list of courses approved by the student’s advisor according to the student’s educational and career goals.  Courses are generally offered in the evenings and the program may be completed within two years. 

Graduates of this program find career opportunities as test directors in school districts, in research in universities, as measurement specialists or data analysts in personnel departments of corporations or government agencies, as consultants or statistical specialists for certification examining boards, particularly in medical or allied health areas.

Description of the RME Program

The RME program is offered through the Department of Educational and Psychological Studies in the School of Education. The primary objective of the program is to train individuals to become experts in the methodology related to measurement, applied statistics, and evaluation. An emphasis of the program is on gaining experience in the application of the relevant methodologies using real-world data examples.

Areas of specialization within the RME program fall into two broad categories: (a) research methodology and statistics, and (b) measurement. Research methodology and statistics concern how to collect and analyze data to answer desired research questions. Statistical analyses can range from very simple descriptive analyses, to cutting-edge methods using sophisticated statistical models. The field of measurement concerns how we obtain measures of mental, psychological, and cognitive traits (e.g., ability, intelligence, depression). Because many of the traits investigated in education, psychology, and the health sciences are not directly observable the field of measurement makes use of a variety of statistical models to obtain the best possible estimates of an individual’s level on the desired trait based on the responses given to a set of items (i.e., a test, rating scale, or psychological inventory). These techniques are of particular importance to testing agencies that are assessing the ability of examinees taking high-stakes tests.

The RME program has four primary faculty involved in teaching the core course sequences and mentoring graduate students. These faculty members specialize in the areas of measurement, evaluation, and research methodology, and are actively engaged in research advancing the methodology in these areas. Because our faculty are actively engaged in research directly related to the courses they teach, they can provide in-depth coverage of the material, often with applications to real-world data examples stemming from the researcher’s own research and consultation work.

Program faculty includes Dr. Soyeon Ahn , Dr. Nicholas Myers , Dr. Randall Penfield .

See also RME - Master’s Frequently Asked Questions

Course Requirements: M.S.Ed. in
Research, Measurement and Evaluation

The Masters degree in Research, Measurement and Evaluation requires a total of 36 credit hours of course work, divided between a core set of required courses and a set of elective courses. An introduction to statistics course must be successfully completed prior to commencing the program. In addition, the successful completion of a comprehensive exam is required for graduation from the program.

The progression through the courses of M.S.Ed. program can vary. Click here for an example of a progression for a full time student.

Because several of the courses (i.e., EPS 671, 672) are often offered in the Fall and Spring semesters, alternate sequences can be followed upon committee approval. In addition, EPS 553 is often taught in the Summer II session (as a condensed two-week course), allowing students to take EPS 553 prior to the Fall Semester of Year 1. In addition, some electives may be offered over the summer, permitting students to progress through the sequence at a different rate than displayed above.

(*) This program is also available at the Doctoral level - For further information, please contact the EPS Department at (305) 284-3001.