Educational Psychology, MS: Cognitive and Developmental Sciences

The Cognitive and Developmental Sciences concentration provides students with the psychological foundations of education. The program emphasizes the perspective of the learner and concentrates on the following content areas: cognition, development, and social. The program focuses on research skills as they apply to education and training, throughout the lifespan, in a broad range of settings.

Graduates of the MS program go on to pursue a PhD (often in Educational Psychology or a related field) or find jobs in education and/or research settings in the private or public sectors. Many graduates of our PhD program pursue careers at research institutes and universities.

Admission Requirements 

Application Deadlines

Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.

Application

Before applying please see the Educational Psychology Website for department-specific application requirements.

Admission

An applicant must meet Graduate School requirements plus these departmental requirements to be considered for admission to the program:

1. An undergraduate GPA of 3.00.
2. Applicants may be admitted with specific program-defined course deficiencies provided that the deficiencies amount to no more than two courses. The student is expected to satisfy deficiency requirements within three enrolled semesters. No course credits earned in making up deficiencies may be counted as program credits required for the degree.
3. Initial advisor assignment will be made by the area chair of the concentration to which the applicant has applied.
4. For the concentrations in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, School Counseling, and School Psychology: a resume or curriculum vitae.
5. Completion of the reason statement in the application.

Credits and Courses

Students are required to complete 30 credits for the master’s degree. Students complete 9 credits of core courses, 15 credits of a concentration, and 6 elective credits. Students’ programs of studies are developed in consultation with their assigned advisor.

Additional Requirements

Advising

Each student will be assigned two advisors: an academic advisor and a faculty advisor. The academic advisor will assist with academic planning. The faculty advisor will be available for additional support regarding course content and/or field-specific questions and concerns. A student who is not assigned to an advisor at time of admission should immediately contact the Department Chair.

Thesis

Optional. Up to 6 degree credits may be awarded for thesis research. The availability of the thesis option is dependent upon faculty availability and time constraints.

Comprehensive Examination

The student who does not write a thesis must pass a final oral or written comprehensive examination. For School Counseling students, the comprehensive capstone exam is the School Counseling National Praxis Subject Exam. For Clinical Mental Health Counseling students, the comprehensive capstone exam is the CPCE. The student who writes a thesis must pass a final oral examination in defense of that thesis. 

Time Limit

The student must complete all degree requirements within five years of initial enrollment.

Accelerated Program Option

This program is offered as part of an accelerated graduate program. For more information, see Accelerated Graduate Degrees.

Community Engagement and Education, BS/Educational Psychology, MS: Cognitive and Developmental Sciences

This accelerated graduate degree involves the following bachelor’s and master’s degrees: Community Engagement and Education, BS (CEED) and Educational Psychology, MS with a concentration in Cognitive and Developmental Sciences (ED PSY CDS). There are 6 forward-shared credits and 15 backward-shared credits for a total of 21 shared credits.

Eligible Forward-Shared Courses

Any graduate course that fulfills an ED PSY CDS elective can be forward shared and must be approved by the advisor and program to move the student toward mastery of the ED PSY CDS standards. ED PSY CDS electives can be taken from any area, including those outside of the CDS concentration, and are tailored to the student's ED PSY CDS degree progression. Courses must be taken at the graduate (G) level. These courses fulfill CEED elective credits.

Eligible Backward-Shared Courses

All courses required for ED PSY CDS are eligible for backward-shared credit and fulfill CEED elective credits. 

Undergraduate Requirements

Interested students must meet with an academic advisor to determine eligibility for the accelerated graduate degree. If eligible, students will submit the following materials to the department:

• 1-2 page statement explaining their interest in the particular field of study as reasons for pursuing an accelerated degree
• copy of their college transcript
• a recommendation letter from a faculty member in the chosen field

Graduate School Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission into Graduate School prior to completing their bachelor’s degree, students must meet the minimum criteria for admission established by the MS in Educational Psychology and the UWM Graduate School and be in progress to complete 105 bachelor’s credits prior to their first term as a graduate student.

Because the ED PSY CDS programs coordinator will be involved in monitoring undergraduate student progress of individuals pursuing an accelerated degree, the ED PSY CDS program will permit guaranteed acceptance into graduate school provided they meet the criteria above.

Students who do not satisfactorily meet graduate school admissions criteria may continue with their BS in Community Education and Engagement.

Sample Plan of Study

The sample plan below illustrates how students can progress through their undergraduate degree and transition into an Accelerated Graduate Degree (AGD). It provides an example of when undergraduate and graduate-level coursework may be completed and how shared credits can be applied toward both degrees. This is a sample plan, not a required course sequence, and your plan may vary. Work with your undergraduate advisor to develop an individualized plan and confirm all Accelerated Graduate Degree requirements.

¹

See ED POL Foundations Upper Division course options below.

²

ED PSY electives can be taken from any area, including those outside of CDS. Course selection must be approved by the CDS advisor and program.

³

See CDS Concentration course options below.

⁴

Forward-shared credit to graduate career.

⁵

Backward-shared credit to undergraduate career.