Psychometrics (PhD), Program Information

Program Faculty

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Department Chair

Jocelyn Turner-Musa, Ph.D. 

Chairperson, Department of Psychology 

 

Program Coordinator

R. Trent Haines, Ph.D.

Graduate Program Coordinator

Jenkins Behavioral and Social Sciences Center, Room 434

Tel: (443) 885-3291

Email:  trent.haines@morgan.edu

 

Program Faculty

R. Trent Haines, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

 

Justin Bonny, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

 

Damon Bryant, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Program Description

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Scientific research serves as the primary vehicle to advance theories that explain how people learn, teach, and differ from one another. Students will be prepared to conduct and apply research concerned with the development and validation of psychological measures and principles with the potential to optimize human development and learning, and to improve the methodological techniques that are employed in this process.  

Students in Psychometrics will be instructed in a coordinated program of statistics, testing, educational assessment, program evaluation, and other applied research techniques.  Students in the program will be equipped to be culturally competent vis-à-vis the needs of those within the urban environment. The program will afford students the opportunity to attain competency in quantitative and research skills relevant to disciplines within the behavioral and social sciences and education as well as apply their knowledge to instruction, industry, business, and health.

Program Objectives

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The PhD program in Psychometrics is designed to develop scholars who possess sophisticated statistical and analytical capabilities and acquire the quantitative and methodological skills (e.g., measurement theory, statistical analysis, research design, and evaluation) needed to construct valid measurements and assessments of what and how individuals learn.  A secondary objective of the program is to develop a new cadre of researchers and practitioners who have the analytical skills and cultural competence to effectively develop innovative interventions that address issues within the discipline itself as well as inform policies that influence minority or special populations (e.g., African Americans) and those within urban environments. 

General Requirements

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Candidates for the PhD degree must complete a minimum of thirty-six (36) academic credit hours beyond the Master’s degree requirements, submit a first-authored research manuscript to a scholarly journal, pass the qualifying examination, complete at least one (1) internship, and submit an acceptably written dissertation.

All courses in which grades of “C” or “F” have been earned must be retaken.

Admission

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Admission is based on the successful completion of the following requirements: 

• Have earned a Master’s degree with a thesis or the equivalent thereof in Psychology, Mathematics, Education, or a related field, from a regionally accredited college or university; OR have earned a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 in all previous undergraduate and graduate work. 

• Submit a formal application with an official copy of GRE scores and official transcripts submitted to the Graduate School. Test scores may not be more than 5 years old prior to the date of application;

• Submit three academic letters of recommendation; 

• Submit a writing sample or original research paper from your master’s program (or, if applying with a baccalaureate degree, a writing sample or original research paper from your major); 

• Submit a three-page typed essay regarding the candidate’s personal academic and professional plans and the reasons for selecting Morgan State University and the Graduate Program in Psychometrics;  

• Complete successful interview with the Psychometrics Admissions Committee.

• Students for whom instruction has not been in English must submit results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

 

Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements and submitting all the required documents does not guarantee that an offer of admission will be made to the applicant.  The decision of the Program Admissions Committee involves a review and analysis of all the elements of the application as well as the availability of positions in the program.  The committee then recommends to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies that an offer of admission should be made based on that review.

 

Applicants who do not have a Master’s degree in a quantitative research field are strongly encouraged to apply to the Master’s program.

Candidacy

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Students achieve candidacy by passing the qualifying examination.  Once a student has completed all required coursework and prior to achieving candidacy, the student should enroll in PSYM 993: Pre-Candidacy.

Once a student achieves candidacy, enrollment in any course other than PSYM 997 is generally prohibited.  Students seeking additional skills, knowledge, or a certificate must seek approval through the program up to the School of Graduate Studies.  The request must be accompanied with a revised Plan of Study.

Dissertation Completion

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Psychometrics students are guided by a Major Professor and an Advisory Committee throughout their graduate studies. The purpose of the Advisory Committee is to give continuity of direction and counsel and to provide role models and intellectual stimulation to the student from the beginning of the program to the completion of the degree, including the dissertation.  The Major Professor is assigned to the student upon admission to the program. The student, in collaboration with her/his Major Professor, must identify and recruit at least one member of the department faculty to join the Advisory Committee within the first year of study. The remaining committee member(s) must join the Advisory Committee by the end of the third semester of study or at least one full calendar year before the Qualifying Exam is administered, whichever is earlier.  The Advisory Committee must then be kept at its full complement throughout the graduate career of the student.

The Dissertation is the last phase of the PhD program. It is a written analysis of a specific academic topic that applies traditional scientific methods of inquiry to examine specific research questions or hypotheses. The purpose of the dissertation is to ensure that the student has mastered the ability to pursue a systematic investigation which examines significant issues or problems in the area of Psychometrics. The Dissertation is also designed to contribute to the student’s knowledge, skills, and research expertise in Psychometrics.

In consultation with the Major Professor, the student will develop a dissertation study proposal describing the work to be accomplished.  Upon approval by the full Advisory Committee, the student will conduct the study and present final findings at the Dissertation Defense. The full Advisory Committee votes on passage at both the proposal stage and at the time of the Dissertation Defense; students must secure a majority vote from the Advisory Committee in order to pass these final stages of the program.

Additional Requirements

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Additional requirements and guidance can be found in the Graduate Program in Psychometrics Student Handbook.

Program Course Requirements

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PhD in Psychometrics 36 credits

Doctoral students must complete a minimum of 36 credit hours beyond the course requirements of the Master’s in Psychometrics. Students may demonstrate completion of Master’s degree course requirements by completing the required coursework as part of their plan of study, applying for a waiver for courses completed at a regionally accredited institution, or applying for a transfer of up to six credits for courses previously completed at a regionally accredited institution.

Suggested Curriculum Sequence

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• Psychometrics (PhD), Curriculum Sequence