Educational Psychology - Applied Developmental Science: M.Ed. - Master of Education

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements that apply specifically to this program are listed below. 

• College transcript(s) (Official scores and transcripts will be required on acceptance of an offer of admission).
• Resume or CV
• Two letters of recommendation
• Statement of professional goals
• When submitting a statement of professional goals (typically 500 - 1000 words), applicants should identify their interests in educational psychology and applied developmental science, their rationale for applying to this program, and their long-term professional and academic goals.
• Application fee. A fee waiver is available for those who qualify. See information on fee waiver eligibility and steps for applying here.

Visit our Graduate Admission page for the full admission process.

Information for Current UVA Undergraduates (Direct Admission Option)
If you are a current UVA undergraduate interested in a direct admission option into this program, please view our Direct Admission Option page.

Coursework

All M.Ed. in educational psychology-applied developmental science students must begin in the summer, in Charlottesville (there is no option to begin in a different semester and no option for taking summer courses remotely). 

The start dates for incoming cohorts are typically in June of each year. Specific start dates will be listed on UVA's main summer academic calendar.
 

To learn more about specific courses taken as part of the completion of this degree, visit the Graduate Record website. These webpages represent the official repository for academic program requirements. 

Required courses fit into two categories: substantive courses on developmental science and methods courses in education science.

• Substantive courses in developmental science offer students a broad understanding of child, adolescent, and lifespan development.
• Methods courses provide instruction on the qualitative and quantitative tools that researchers use to answer questions about child and youth development.
   

Internship experience. Students must complete a 3- to 6-credit field experience internship. The goal of the internship is to provide students with an in-depth experience of some aspect of educational psychology and/or developmental science. Interns are expected to work cooperatively or under the direction of a supervisor for a minimum of 200 hours. Almost all students conduct their internships over the fall and spring semesters. Both the supervisor and a program faculty member develop an internship plan and evaluate job performance and any final products. Students have engaged in a variety of internship experiences. Some students select an internship focused on improving their research skills, while others seek to gain experience in an educational setting with youth. The program coordinator helps each student find an experience that matches their interests and career goals.

Comprehensive exam. Students must pass a comprehensive exam prior to receiving a masters degree. All comprehensive exam questions include issues that pertain to developmental science. The goals of the exam are to:

• Give students an opportunity to read, evaluate and synthesize a body of empirical literature on a topic of their choice.
• Give faculty an opportunity to evaluate students’ ability to understand, evaluate and synthesize a small body of empirical research.

Comprehensive examinations are administered during the last semester of the program at a time set by the advisor and student. The examination must be taken at least one month prior to the date when all materials must be approved to enable graduation.