Anytime after the second year students are required to attend a topics and issues seminar, and informal series on professional socialization in the field. During the first two years, students are expected to initiate and complete an original research project. The recommendation is made by the Executive Committee of the program and normally takes place at the beginning the third graduate year. All students are expected to develop a basic knowledge in the fields of education, educational psychology, and psychology as foundational or core requirements and then select additional advanced courses. For the foundational core, a minimum of 12 hours in educational psychology, nine hours in psychology, and nine hours in statistics or measurement are required.
Students choose additional courses that best meet their professional goals.
Should a student enter with advanced standing, the student will elect alternative or more advanced courses at Michigan for the core requirements but in no case will these elections represent less than the minimum number of hours. Background courses may be required in preparation for students without substantial undergraduate work in Psychology. Students fulfill this requirement by completing one year of graduate statistics courses. 786, or an ISR course on survey research is required. They must use the logical deductive method, hypothesis formulation, and develop operational definitions data collection, analysis, and interpretation.