APHD: Developmental Psychology and Education MEd; Emphasis: Program Evaluation

Emphasis: Program Evaluation

Program Description

Within the MEd program in Developmental Psychology and Education, the emphasis in Program Evaluation is designed to engage students in an exploration of program evaluation used in education, psychology, and the social sciences. Program evaluation is a systematic analysis of the process, effectiveness, and outcomes of programs whose primary purpose is to assess what components of a program are or are not working, and why.

Students will learn the concepts and theories needed to critically review evaluation designs and how to develop the core components of program evaluation proposals and reports. As such, students will develop the basic competencies needed for program evaluation, including the ability to: critically appraise evaluation research; assess program needs; develop a logic model; evaluate the processes and outcomes of a program; evaluate program efficiency; weigh ethical issues; warrant evaluation claims; and communicate with interested parties. Furthermore, students will also learn how social, cultural, and political factors impact program evaluation.

Program Requirements

Coursework. Students must successfully complete a total of 1.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs), which are counted towards the total FCEs required for the student's degree program, as follows: 1.0 FCE from the Program Evaluation menu and 0.5 FCE from the Research Methods menu, listed below.

  • Program Evaluation menu (1.0 FCE from the following, which must include at least one of APD1212H and/or APD3202H):

    • APD1212H Basics to Program Evaluation in Social Sciences.

    • APD1250H Program Evaluation Practicum.

    • APD1292H Instrument Design and Analysis (RM).

    • APD3202H A Foundation of Program Evaluation in Social Sciences (RM).

    • APD3305H Systems and Organizational Change.

  • Research Methods menu (0.5 FCE from the following):

    • APD1210H Research Practicum.

    • APD3201H Qualitative Research Methods in Human Development and Applied Psychology (RM).

    • JOI1287H Introduction to Applied Statistics (RM).

    • JOI1288H Intermediate Statistics and Research Design (RM).

    • JOI3043H Development and Use of Surveys in Education Research (RM).

    • JOI3048H Intermediate Statistics in Educational Research: Multiple Regression Analysis (RM).

    • JOI3228H Mixed Methods Research Design in Social Sciences (RM).

Upon successful completion of the emphasis requirements and successful completion of the degree requirements, students may make a request to the MEd Developmental Psychology and Education Program Liaison to have the emphasis noted on their transcript. This request must be made before graduation.