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Qualitative Research in Education, Graduate Certificate

If you’re enrolled in a doctoral program at Georgia State, you’re eligible to study for a graduate certificate in Qualitative Research in Education. The program is for those interested in conducting research or gaining expertise in qualitative research.

To earn the certificate, you must complete a minimum of eight 3-credit-hour doctoral-level qualitative research methods courses with a collective GPA of 3.5 or higher in those courses, with no grade lower than a B in any course to be counted toward the certificate.

Program Details

Eligibility

In order to be eligible to earn the certificate, students must:

  • be enrolled in a doctoral program at Georgia State University
  • have completed at least three courses from the College of Education and Human Development Doctoral Research Core, with a collective GPA in those courses of 3.5 or higher
  • submit the application to the Department of Educational Policy Studies, with the endorsement of an RMS faculty member, prior to defending the prospectus. Download the application to apply to this certificate program.

Program of Study

A Graduate Certificate in Qualitative Research in Education is available from the College of Education and Human Development to eligible students enrolled in a doctoral program at Georgia State University. To earn the certificate, students must complete a minimum of eight 3-credit-hour doctoral-level qualitative research methods courses with a collective GPA of 3.5 or higher in those courses, with no grade lower than a B in any course to be counted toward the certificate.

Four of the eight courses must be the following:

  • EPRS 8500 Qualitative/Interpretive Research in Education I (3)
  • EPRS 8510 Qualitative Research in Education II (3)
  • EPRS 8520 Qualitative Research in Education III (3)
  • EPSF 9260 Epistemology and Learning

The remaining four courses must be doctoral-level qualitative method courses, bearing a call number of 8000 or higher, from the approved list of certificate courses. The list is updated yearly and available in the Department of Educational Policy Studies. A current list of these courses is provided below:

  • EPRS 8450 Popular Culture as Qualitative Text (3)
  • EPRS 8640 Case Study Methods (3)
  • EPRS 8700 Visual Research Methods (3)
  • EPRS 9120 Poststructural Inquiry (3)
  • EPRS 9380/ ECE 9380 Discourse Analysis (3)
  • EPRS 9400 Writing Qualitative Research Manuscripts (3)
  • EPRS 9820 Advanced Qualitative Data Analysis (3)
  • EPRS 9830 Research Ethics in the Professional and Social Sciences (3)
  • EPRS 9920 Special Topics in Qualitative Research (3)
  • EPSF 9850 Historical Research in American Education (3)
  • EPSF 9930 Philosophical Analysis and Method (3)
  • Other Qualitative Methods courses as approved by the Certificate Coordinator and the Department Chair.

In addition, students must successfully defend a qualitative research dissertation. A faculty member from the Research, Measurement and Statistics (RMS) program of the Department of Educational Policy Studies is required to be on the student’s dissertation committee.

Learning Outcomes and Assessments

The faculty evaluate students on the following learning outcomes for the certificate:

  • Addresses the research question(s) with appropriate methodology
  • Demonstrates knowledge of previous research and/or literature in the field
  • Document adheres to the standards of quality writing
  • Oral presentation communicating research in a manner appropriate for the material and audience
  • Potential for contribution to the discipline
  • Demonstrates knowledge in the field of the certificate program in the dissertation defense

Description

Careers

The Qualitative Research in Education Certificate aids in the preparation of students to be employed as:

  • ethnology professors
  • ethnologists
  • historians

Contacts

Program Contact
Kevin Fortner
[email protected]
404-413-8275

Educational Policy Studies
[email protected]
404-413-8030

Educational Policy Studies
4th Floor, Suite 450
30 Pryor St. SW
Atlanta, GA 30303 USA

College of Education and Human Development Logo30 Pryor Street SW
Atlanta, GA 30303

The information shared provides an overview of Georgia State’s offerings. For details on admissions requirements, tuition, courses and more, refer to the university catalogs.