Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Program Evaluation

From the College of Education & Human Development

• Program Description
• Delivery Format
• Program Curriculum
  
• Admission Requirements
  
• Program Admission
  

Program Description

The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program in Program Evaluation offers intensive study of applied methods of evaluating programs and services in school, health, government, nonprofit agency and market research settings. This interdisciplinary program surveys program evaluation techniques and processes, and examines the social and political contexts of the studies.

Demand for trained professionals in program evaluation has increased steadily to meet the reporting needs of funding agencies, policy makers, and program managers in the public and private sectors. Graduates of evaluation studies programs have found employment in county governments, social service agencies, state departments, and research consulting firms and businesses.

The program allows working professionals from a variety of disciplines to formalize their training in program evaluation by earning a certificate in this area. The program is offered by the Department of Educational Policy and Administration (EdPA) in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD).

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Delivery Format

To accommodate the busy schedules of educators, many courses are offered evenings, Saturdays, and during the summer.

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Program Curriculum

Students must complete at least 12 semester credits (8-9 credits of required coursework and 3-4 credits of elective coursework).

Core Requirements (8-9 credits):

• Foundations of Evaluation
  Students complete one of the following courses:
  • EdPA 5501/EPsy 5243: Principles and Methods of Evaluation
    (3 credits)
  • PA 5311: Program Evaluation (3 credits)
  • PubH 5852: Program Evaluation in Health and Mental Health Settings (3 credits)
  • SW8603: Program Evaluation (2 credits)
• Evaluation Theory
  • EdPA 8502: Program evaluation Theory and Models: Qualitative and Quantitative Alternates (3 credits)
• Internship in Evaluation
  • EdPA 8596/EPsy 8296: Evaluation Internship (3 credits)

Electives (3-4 credits):
Students may choose elective coursework from the following:

• CI 8115: Curriculum and Achievement Outcomes in a Diverse Society (3 credits)
• CI 8148: Conducting Qualitative Studies in Educational Contexts
  (3 credits)
• EdPA 5056: Case Studies for Policy Research (3 credits)
• EdPA 5061: Ethnographic Research Methods (3 credits)
• EdPA 5524/EPsy 5246: Evaluation Colloquium (1 credit)
  Sample topics are listed below:
  • Use and Evaluation of Technology in Program Evaluation
  • Multi-Method Evaluation and Community BAsed Programs
  • Exploring Essential Evaluator Competencies
  • Cultural/Multicultural Issues in Evaluation
  • Ethics in the Field of Program Evaluation
• EdPA 5895: Program Evaluation (3 credits)
• EPsy 5221: Principles of Educational and Psychological Measurement
  (4 credits)
• EPsy 5244: Survey Design, Sampling, and Implementation (3 credits)
• FSoS 8013: Qualitative Family Research Methods (3 credits)
• PubH 5345: Epi Methods: Data Collection (2 credits)
• PubH 5708: Analysis of Administrative Data (3 credits)
• PubH 5724: The Health Care System and Public Health (3 credits)
• SW 8602: Direct Practice Evaluation (2 credits)
• WCFE 5141: Evaluation of WCFE (3 credits)
• WCFE 8914: Critical Science Research (3 credits)

Additional courses may be approved by the Coordinator of Evaluation Studies.

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Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for the certificate program are:

• A completed graduate-level degree (master of education [M.Ed.] or master of arts [M.A.]) in an appropriate content area, including education, social work, public health, or public policy
• Admission to the certificate will be through application to the program's coordinator of evaluation studies. Students must demonstrate relevant academic background, including research methodology and experience in a field in which program evaluation is practiced (e.g., public health, social work, or education). Admission will be based on an assessment of the applicant's advanced knowledge and level of professional experience in the field of program evaluation.

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Program Admission

STEP 1

Meet with University of Minnesota Rochester advisor Joseph Marchesani, Program Director for Education and Human Resource Development. To schedule an appointment, contact him at 507-280-2819 or 507-280-2829; e-mail march027@umn.edu.

STEP 2

Determine certificate requirements—the application process is different according to the individual student description:

• All students pursuing a degree in adult education will complete the requirements for a certificate in adult education. Students from other programs need only to complete the certificate courses noted in the coursework section.
• Students not already admitted to the University and who do not wish to apply for a degree program will register as "non-degree" for day classes.
• All students with a bachelor's degree, and those without a bachelor's degree who are seeking a university certificate, may register as a non-degree seeking student through the College of Education and Human Development. This information is located on the Twin Cities website at http://cehd.umn.edu/students/non-degree.html.

STEP 3

Application forms for the program evaluation certificate program are available from:

Educational Policy and Administration
330 Wulling Hall
86 Pleasant Street S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Telephone: 612-624-1006
Fax: 612-624-3377

Note: Enrollment in the certificate program will be limited to a maximum of 30 students per calendar year.

First-Time Registration for Non-Degree-Seeking Students:
Students who want to begin certificate coursework before admission to the University of Minnesota must complete a First-Time Registration for Non-Degree-Seeking Students packet. This form is located on the Twin Cities website at http://cehd.umn.edu/students/non-degree.html.

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