Programs, Policies, and Procedures for Students

Departmental Programs
I. Master of Arts Program
II. Doctor of Philosophy Program
III. Certificate in EDMS
IV. Advanced Special Students

Departmental Policies

Departmental Examinations
A. General Information regarding Preliminary and Comprehensive Examinations
B. Master's Comprehensive and Doctoral Preliminary Examinations
C. Doctoral Comprehensive Examinations

II. Formal Program Approval
A. General
B. Master's Degree Students
C. Doctoral Degree Students

III. Academic Probation

IV. Master's and Doctoral Research
A. Master of Arts Program
1. Thesis Option
2. Non-Thesis Option
B. Doctoral Program

Important Bulletins, Notices, and Forms

    The Department of Measurement, Statistics, and Evaluation offers programs at the master's and doctoral levels for those interested in research methods. In addition, a doctoral Certificate in EDMS is offered for students majoring in other departments. The Graduate School offers admission for study as an advanced special student for those who do not desire a degree. Programs of study are designed to meet the needs of both full-time and part-time students.

    The doctoral program is designed to qualify individuals to teach courses at the collegiate level in applied measurement, statistics, and evaluation, to provide leadership in the conduct of research studies, and to serve as applied statistics, measurement, or evaluation specialists in school systems, industry and government.

    The master's program is designed to provide individuals with a broad range of skills necessary to serve as research associates in academic settings, government and business. Proximity to Washington, D.C. provides opportunities for students to engage in a variety of academic and professional experiences.

    Graduates of the Department are currently employed in teaching and research positions in colleges, school systems, private research and consulting firms, professional associations, industrial firms, and state, and federal agencies.

    Admission requirements, programs of study, departmental policies and course offerings are described in the material, which follows. This document is provided to help guide students in the pursuit of their degree objectives. Should this document be in conflict with College or University rules and regulations, such rules and regulations will take precedence.

    To be admitted to any graduate program, a student must have received a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution and be otherwise fully qualified. The decision to admit an applicant is based on a combination of the following criteria:

1. Quality of previous undergraduate and graduate work. The Graduate School requires as a minimum standard a B average or 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. An applicant who does not meet this standard may be provisionally admitted if resources allow and if other evidence indicates a strong likelihood of success.
2. Strength of letters of recommendation from persons competent to judge the applicant's probability of success in graduate school.
3. Scores on the Graduate Record Examination.
4. Statement by the applicant of his or her academic career objectives and their relation to the program of study to be pursued.
5. Other evidence of graduate potential. Students seeking admission to programs in the Department of Measurement, Statistics, and Evaluation must display evidence of above average aptitude and interest in quantitative methods
6. All students at UMCP are expected to read, write and speak English fluently. International students must demonstrate a proficiency in the English language by taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language. A score of 575 and above with no sectional score below 50) may qualify an applicant for consideration for full admission. Applicants who score between 475 and 575 are considered for provisional admission which requires: (a) a re-evaluation of English skills upon arrival at College Park; or (b) the successful completion of a semi-intensive program of English study at the university's Maryland English Institute during the first semester of matriculation.

    Application forms and complete statements of policy and procedures regarding admission may be obtained from the Office of Graduate Admissions, Lee Building, (301) 405-4191. Applications are also on the web at: APPLICATION

    Information regarding the GRE examination may be obtained from the Testing Center, Shoemaker Building, (301) 314-7688. Specific questions regarding this Department should be addressed to the Chair (C. Mitchell Dayton) at (301) 405-3626 or by e-mail CDAYTON@umd.edu. or FAX: (301) 14-9245.
 
    Applications should be made allowing sufficient time for all documents to be received and acted upon before the date of anticipated matriculation. U.S. citizens should apply by March 1 for admission in the Fall semester, and must apply by June 1. For admission in the Spring semester, applications should be received by September 1, but will be accepted until October 1. Citizens of foreign countries must submit all application materials, including academic credentials, TOEFL scores, GRE scores, and a statement of financial status by February 1 for consideration for admission the following Fall semester, or by June 1 for admission the following Spring semester. Non-U.S. citizens should address any questions regarding the status of their application to International Education Services, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.

    Students are admitted only to a specified department of the Graduate School, and within that department only for the specified objective such as master's degree or doctoral degree. When a student who was admitted for the master's degree completes the requirements for that degree, admission terminates. A new application is required for admission to the doctoral program. Graduate admission status is maintained only by students who demonstrate satisfactory performance in coursework and successfully meet other requirements; additional details are given in the section on Departmental Policies. "Satisfactory performance" is defined in the Academic Probation section, below.

    Degree-seeking students are expected to complete requirements within specific time periods. For master's students, all requirements for the degree must be completed within a 5-year period. This time limit applies to any transfer work from other institutions to be included in a student's program. Ph.D. students must be admitted to candidacy for the doctorate within five years after admission to the doctoral program and at least six months before the date on which the degree will be conferred. The entire program for the degree must be completed, including the dissertation and final examination, during a four-year period after admission to candidacy, or nine years after admission to the doctoral program.

    The written offer of admission is made by the Graduate School and specifies the date of entrance, which will normally coincide, with the date requested in the application. The student must accept or decline the offer of admission by the date indicated in the offer. Any student who cannot register in the authorized semester may make a written request to the Graduate School to have the admission date extended. An individual whose offer of admission has lapsed must submit a new application and fee if he or she wants to be reconsidered for admission at a later date.

    The offer of admission letter is also a permission-to-register for courses and must be presented by the student at that time. Student photo identification will be issued at that time also. Student Registration Cards are a part of the tuition billing statement issued each semester and should be removed from the billing statement before making payment to the Bursar's Office.

    A maximum of six semester hours of graduate level course credits earned at regionally accredited institutions prior to or after matriculation in the Graduate School may be approved toward master's degree at the University of Maryland. Due to academic and procedural differences between foreign and U.S. regionally accredited institutions, credit from foreign universities is not acceptable for transfer. There is no need for transfer of credits at the doctoral level. All graduate study courses offered as transfer credit must meet the following criteria:
1. Credits must be for graduate courses.
2. Courses must not have been used to meet the requirements for any degree previously earned.
3. Courses must have been taken within the time limit framework of the student's program and no more than five years old at the time of transfer.
4. This department must certify the courses are appropriate to the degree program the student is pursuing.
5. The student must have earned a "B" or better in the courses offered for transfer credit, and have a "B" or better average on all the graduate coursework taken at the institution from which the transfer is requested.

    A student seeking transfer credit of previous work is advised to submit the necessary transcripts and certification of department or program approval to the Graduate School as promptly as possible for its review and decision. It should be noted that graduate departments and programs may impose more stringent requirements and time limitations concerning the transfer of credits. In such cases the Graduate School must be notified accordingly.

A copy of the Graduate Catalogue is available on-line at the web address: CATALOG

I. Master of Arts Program

Traditional Masters Program: The design of this program provides balanced intermediate level graduate training in quantitative methods for students preparing for a variety of positions in government, educational institutions, and private industry. The program requires a minimum of 30 credits in courses acceptable for credit toward a graduate degree. With approval of the advisor at least 18 credits must be courses numbered 600 or above, combining content from statistics, measurement, evaluation, or related fields outside of the Department. There is a common core of required courses that comprises EDMS 410, 645, 646, 623 and 651. A written comprehensive examination is required. Both thesis and non-thesis options are available in the Master of Arts program. All requirements for the degree must be completed within five years. The Department does not offer the Master of Education degree.

Fifth Year Masters Program: This program is designed to allow highly motivated undergraduate students to complete both BA (or BS) and MA degrees in five years. Students with high quantitative ability from a variety of fields may take 3 graduate courses (9 credit hours) while still undergraduates and apply these courses to both the bachelors and masters degree programs. The specific courses, in most cases, will be EDMS 645 (or EDMS 451), EDMS 646 and EDMS 651. Occasionally, additional courses may, with Graduate School approval, be applied to both degrees. The Masters degree requirements for this program are the same as for the traditional program described above. To apply for this program, the student should begin by discussing their options with the Chair of EDMS and then, with Department assistance, must secure appropriate Campus approval.

II. Doctor of Philosophy Program

    Courses within the program are selected from offerings of the Department of Measurement, Statistics, and Evaluation and other departments of the University. A program for a student will be structured to take into account the background and future aims of the individual. The following core courses (or equivalent) are required on all doctoral degree programs:

EDMS 410 Classroom Assessment (3)
EDMS 623 Applied Measurement: Issues and Practices (3)
EDMS 645 Quantitative Research Methods I (3)
EDMS 646 Quantitative Research Methods II (3)
EDMS 651 Intermediate Statistics in Education (3)
EDMS 779 Seminar in Applied Statistics (3)
EDMS 657 Factor Analysis (3)
EDMS 723 Latent Structure Models (3) or EDMS 724 Modern Measurement Theory (3)
EDMS 771 Multivariate Experimental Design (3)
EDMS 798 or EDMS 769 (Total of 9 credits)
EDMS 899 Doctoral Dissertation Research (12)
Elective courses (12)

    Appropriate areas for elective coursework include Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science and Survey Methodology or in departments offering courses in general areas of quantitative methods and/or theory of human behavior.

    No student, regardless of the extent of his or her background in this field, may obtain a Ph.D. without at least 30 credit hours (including dissertation credits) of EDMS courses. Approval of the program will be by the advisor with a department check for consistency with the above outline of requirements.

    In addition to coursework, preliminary and comprehensive examinations are required and all students are expected to engage in research. A faculty advisor may require courses beyond those specified in this document. The Department does not offer the Doctor of Education degree.

    The many and varied professional interests of faculty members provide opportunities for presentations of research reports by students as well as faculty. Recent presentations by students have dealt with a variety of original research topics in such areas as applied statistics, modeling of traits, test construction, test evaluation, and survey research.

III. Certificate in EDMS

    The program is designed to provide advanced training in quantitative methods for students majoring in other programs. The Certificate requires 24 graduate credit hours. In addition, an advisor should be selected from members of the EDMS department. See the following for more information Certificate in EDMS

IV. Advanced Special Student

    Advanced Special Student status exists to provide an opportunity for individuals who do not have an immediate degree objective to take graduate level courses. Although the primary mission of the Graduate School is to conduct programs of graduate instruction leading to advanced degrees, the Graduate Faculty welcomes, to the extent that resources allow, qualified students who have no degree objectives. Unofficial transcripts or photocopies of diplomas will be accepted with the application for evaluation purposes, but by the end of the first semester of enrollment the student must submit official copies of all required documents. Official transcripts must be submitted from all institutions except the University of Maryland at College Park.

Applicants for admission to Advanced Special Student status must satisfy at least one of the following criteria:
1. Hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution with an overall "B" (3.0) average. Applicants must submit official transcripts covering all credits used in satisfying the baccalaureate degree requirements.
2. Hold a master's or doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants must submit an official transcript showing the award of a master's or doctoral degree.
3. Hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution and have at least four years of successful post-baccalaureate work or professional experience. Applicants must submit an official transcript showing the award of the baccalaureate degree and a signed statement summarizing successful post-baccalaureate work or professional experience.
4. Achieve a score that places the applicant in the upper 50 percent of an appropriate national standardized aptitude examination such as the Graduate Record Examination morning aptitude test, the Miller's Analogies Test, or the Graduate Management Admissions Test. Where different percentiles are possible, the Graduate School will determine which score is acceptable.

    Admission to Advanced Special Student status will continue for five years. If there is no registration for three consecutive academic year semesters, the status will lapse after which a new application will be required. Advanced Special Students must maintain a 2.75 grade point average.

    Advanced Special Students must pay all standard graduate fees. Students in this status are not eligible to hold appointments as Graduate Teaching or Research Assistants or Fellows, or receive other forms of financial aid from the University. All other services, e.g., parking, library privileges, etc., are the same as those accorded to other graduate students.

    Admission to Advanced Special Student status is not intended to be used as a preparatory program for later admission to a doctoral or master's program. A maximum of six credits earned while an Advanced Special Student may be applied toward a graduate degree program. For consideration of admission to a degree program at a later time, the student must submit a new application.
 

I. Departmental Examinations

A. General Information regarding Preliminary and Comprehensive Examinations.

    A copy of "EDMS Departmental Written Examination: A Guide for Students" may be obtained from the department main office. Departmental preliminary and comprehensive examinations are scheduled once each Fall and Spring semester (usually early in the semester). E-mail notifications of examination dates and registration procedures are made each semester to all students enrolled in EDMS graduate programs. In addition, you should notify your Advisor if you plan to take a Departmental examination. Students are informed by the Department Chair of results approximately four weeks after the examination.

    Examinations are evaluated according to the following criteria:
1. The answers should address the question directly. In general readers will more highly evaluate responses which focus on concepts critical to the problem presented, rather than on recall of trivial formulas or tangential issues.
2. The answers should demonstrate a thorough knowledge and understanding of the concepts being tested. The committee focuses on whether or not the student possesses an appropriate depth of knowledge of the content pertinent to the questions.
3. The answers must be well organized and logically developed.

    Students who fail the examinations are permitted to apply for one retake. The retake may consist of parts of an examination or a complete examination, depending upon the evaluation of the Department and must be taken during the regularly scheduled time for a subsequent semester.

B. Master's Comprehensive and Doctoral Preliminary Examinations

    The Master's Comprehensive and the Doctoral Preliminary require students to demonstrate basic competence in the three areas of measurement, research methods and statistics. Typically, examinations are administered in two 3-hour sessions (morning and afternoon) and consist of essay-type items each requiring 20 to 30 minutes response time. No reference material of any type is permitted during the examination. Sample questions are available in the EDMS office.

    Examinations are based on the introductory and intermediate courses: EDMS 410, 623, 645, 646, and 651. All Master's students must take the Master's Comprehensive examination. Ph.D. students who were awarded a Master's degree from EDMS are exempt from the Doctoral Preliminary examination. Ph.D. students who do not have a Master's degree from EDMS must take the Doctoral Preliminary examination.

C. Doctoral Examinations and Assessments

(1) Doctoral Examination: The doctoral comprehensive examination is tailored to the student's program and consists of two parts: (1) an unproctored portion (2) and an oral examination. The unproctored portion must be taken before the oral examination. If a student fails one or more sections he or she may retake the section(s) failed. Note that College regulations permit only one retake.

    The unproctored portion of the doctoral comprehensive examination is a written examination in open-book, take-home format. Students may use various resources, including, books, computers, etc. The material covered reflects the general nature of the student's program of study. It is required that the unproctored portion be entirely the student's own work and the student has two weeks to complete the unproctored portion.

    The oral examination covers the content of the unproctored portion and requires that the students explain and expand upon his or her written answers. Typically, the oral examination will be scheduled within two weeks of return of the unproctored exam. Filing for advancement to candidacy requires that the student has passed both components of the doctoral comprehensive examination.

(2) Doctoral Assessment: This assessment is intended to determine if the student has mastered the material considered to be background (i.e., defining the context) of the doctoral dissertation topic. A dissertation context assessment is tailored for the individual student and is designed by the chair of the dissertation research committee and two members of the research committee. This committee of three faculty members decides on the nature of the examination including timing, oral versus written model, number and nature of questions, proctored versus unproctored administration, etc. The chair of the dissertation committee shall have the responsibility for convening the committee, for informing the student concerning the results of all deliberations, and to notify the Department Chair of the final decision to pass or fail the student. At the judgement of the dissertation chair, a student who substantively changes his or her dissertation topic may be required to retake the context assessment. Note that the evaluation of the dissertation itself remains the function of the oral defense committee.

II. Formal Program Approval

A. General

    Within the first ten days of the semester in which the degree is to be awarded, the candidate files an application for graduation with the Office of Records and Registration. During the summer session, the application must be filed during the first week of the second summer session. If for any reason the candidate does not graduate in the semester anticipated, the application automatically rolls over to the following semester (unless the student has timed out of their program). Academic regalia are required of all candidates at commencement exercises.

B. Master's Degree Students

    All coursework in fulfillment of the requirements for the Master's Degree must be completed within a five-year period. The Graduate School will notify the Department through the Student Services Office of those master's students who have made application for a diploma each semester. Forms will be completed for each applicant bearing signatures of the Advisor, Department Chair, and the Dean in the College of Education. These forms will constitute certification to the Graduate School of completion of program requirements.

C. Doctoral Degree Students

    Prior to completion of 21 credits, and after passing or receiving a waiver of the doctoral preliminary examination, the student, in consultation with his/her advisor, develops a program of study. It is recommended that students develop their programs as early as feasible. This program of study is then presented in Graduate School format to the Department Student Affairs Committee for review, and its recommendation is forwarded to the Department Chair. A copy of the program of study with the date of approval and the signature of the Department Chair must be filed in the Student Services Office.

    Within five years of beginning the doctoral program, and after successfully completing both the preliminary examination and the comprehensive examination (written and oral), the student submits an Admission to Candidacy Application (available in the Student Services Office) to The Graduate School. This application includes the Approved Program of study. At least two semesters must elapse between admission to candidacy and conferring of the degree.

    The former policy of allowing students to pay a $10 fee to maintain continuous registration after admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree will be discontinued as of the Fall of 2000. Therefore, all doctoral students who have been advanced to candidacy must be in registration for each academic semester until the degree is awarded. A minimum of one credit of EDMS 899 would suffice if a student is using the University in any manner (library, consultation with advisor, etc.). If, however, the student's advisor certifies in writing that the student is not using University facilities during a particular semester after admission to candidacy, the tuition will be waived. Students admitted to candidacy prior to September 1, 2000 may continue to make use of the $10 fee if otherwise eligible. NOTE: The summer session is not considered an academic semester.

    III. Academic Probation

    After every semester, the Department conducts a formal review of the progress of all students majoring in programs of the Department. Each student is required to achieve a grade of B or better in all EDMS courses. Courses may be repeated to satisfy this requirement. With advisor's approval, one course outside of EDMS with a grade of C may be included in a program of study.

    IV. Masters and Doctoral Research

A. Master of Arts Programs

    In consultation with his/her advisor, a student selects one of two options for completion of the research requirement at the Master's level, as may be appropriate to the academic background, experience and aspirations of the individual.

    1. Thesis Option

    The student registers for six (6) credits of thesis (EDMS 799). The thesis must demonstrate the student's ability to do independent work and it must be acceptable in literary style and composition. The student must also successfully complete an oral defense of the thesis. At the time of the oral examination, the student must have a condensed version of the thesis suitable in length and format to be submitted for publication as an article to an appropriate journal.

    2. Non-Thesis Option

    The candidate must present evidence of scholarly writing ability. A copy of the paper or report must be filed with the Department along with a condensed version suitable in length and format to be submitted for publication as an article to an appropriate journal.

    B. Doctoral Program

    When the candidate is ready to plan a dissertation, a research committee composed of a minimum of three faculties must be appointed. The major advisor may chair this committee, although another professor from the Department of Measurement, Statistics, and Evaluation, who is expert in the field of the dissertation may chair the committee. The committee should be selected on the basis of knowledge and interest in the topic. For additional information see Graduate Papers in Education.

    When dissertation proposal has been approved by the research committee, the "Certification of Doctoral Research Committee and Dissertation Proposal" form should be completed and filed in the Student Services Office. Note that the student must have successfully completed the doctoral comprehensive examination and have passed the dissertation context assessment before certification of the proposal.

    When the candidate is ready to submit copies of the dissertation to an oral defense committee, the advisor sends a list of desired committee members to the Graduate School.

    Including the dissertation advisor, the final oral defense committee must consist of (a) at least five members with a doctoral degree; (b) at least one Graduate Faculty member who is external to the Department and (c) at least four members of the Graduate Faculty of the University of Maryland at least three of whom are regular members. One or more members may be distinguished scholars from other institutions or agencies. When nominating a member of the committee from off-campus, the student should check Graduate School requirements well in advanced. The defense committee must be permitted a minimum of ten days in which to review the dissertation before the examination.

    Prior to the date of the oral defense, the student also must produce a manuscript based on the dissertation research that is suitable in length and format to be submitted for publication as an article to an appropriate journal. The Committee Chair must approve the manuscript. Also, at least two weeks prior to the oral examination, the student must notify the Student Services Office of the College of Education so that an announcement may be made formally to all Faculty members of the College.