Program Evaluation Certificate

Program Coordinator: Dr. Pete Goldschmidt (Wikipedia)

Program Description

The Program Evaluation in Education and Education Related Settings Certificate Program is designed for individuals interested in acquiring knowledge and skills necessary for evaluating a variety of programs. The certificate program is open to private and public administrators, teachers, trainers, instructors, curriculum experts, counselors, psychologists, and instructional designers, as well as those preparing for doctoral programs. Candidates should have a Master’s Degree or be concurrently enrolled in an Educational Psychology and Counseling Master’s Program. The Certificate Program is practice based and focuses on academic, community, and business (on-the-job training) program assessment and evaluation.

Application Requirements

To be admitted to the Program Evaluation Certificate Program, applicants must provide verification that they have satisfied all the following requirements:

• Completed a master’s degree from an accredited university/college OR be concurrently enrolled in an Educational Psychology and Counseling Master’s Degree Program.
• Have been in good standing at the last institution attended.
• Held at least a 2.50 grade point average in the last 60 semester/90 quarter units attempted, independent of when a degree was granted.
• Completed EPC 600 Educational Statistics for Research and Measurements or an accepted equivalent with a B or better within the past 7 years.

Application Procedures

See our Prospective Students page, or Contact Ashley Walker, Administrative Support Assistant, 818 677-2599, EPC Department Office.

Program Requirements

To successfully complete the program and earn the graduate-level credit certificate, participants must

• Complete all required six (6) courses: EPC 602, 695DC, 613, 684, 614/L, and 695DC.
• Students must earn a grade of B or higher in all courses in order to proceed in the program.
• Complete a final exam, report, or project for each course.
• Complete the program in a maximum of two years.

Program Courses

• EPC 602. Research Principles (3)
  Prerequisite: EPC 600. Introductory course in techniques, use, presentation, and understanding of research principles in education and counseling and the contributions of research to the solution of problems
• EPC 695DC. Seminar in Selected Studies: Applied Qualitative Methods (3)
  Prerequisite: Graduate standing. Basic and advanced techniques in qualitative data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• EPC 613. Assessment and Evaluation of Learning (3)
  Prerequisite: EPC 600 or instructor consent. Investigation of the nature of evaluation and the rationale for translating general objectives into behaviors and into measurement operations in the form of different types of tests in the different fields of knowledge.
• EPC 684. Educational Program Evaluation and Assessment (3)
  Prerequisites: EPC 602. Basic principles and methods of educational program evaluation and measurement within the pre-K-12 schools. Includes evaluation models, current assessments used in schools, and current research in program evaluation. Addresses issues in measurement and evaluation, including bias in testing, test-based tracking, and alignment of standards and assessments.
• EPC 614/L. Advanced Educational Statistics (3/1)
  Prerequisite: EPC 600 or equivalent and EDUC 600 or EPC 602. Provides statistical background necessary to critically analyze and carry out research in educational contexts. It extends knowledge and skills of frequently used statistical concepts including analysis of variance and covariance, regression analysis, and nonparametric analysis. Applications of these concepts are pursued in the laboratory with data sets utilizing SPSS to prepare students to complete research and evaluation studies in educational settings.
• EPC 695DC. Seminar in Selected Studies: Current Issues in Program Evaluation (3)
  Prerequisite: Graduate standing. Review and analysis of current topics in program evaluation culminating in a program evaluation project.

Goals and Measurable Student Learning Outcomes

The major goals of the Program Evaluation Education and Education Related Certificate Program are to

• provide participants with the tools necessary to critically evaluate programs, interventions, and processes underlying practical applications related to development, learning, and instruction or training.
• provide participants with measurement theory that underlies the development of instruments as well as the ensuing score interpretation.
• provide instruction and promote skills on assessment, or instrument, development and evaluation.
• provide support in developing an understanding and capacity to conduct formative and summative evaluations using both quantitative and/or qualitative strategies.

Measurable Student Learning Outcomes for the Program Evaluation Education and Education Related Certificate include the following:

1. Students will demonstrate critical thinking in conceptualizing, designing, and analyzing research in education.
2. Students will demonstrate knowledge of evaluation and measurement theory.
3. Students will demonstrate knowledge and skills related to measurement and assessment in education.
4. Students will demonstrate the ability to design and conduct research and evaluation in education.
5. Students will demonstrate knowledge and skills in basic and advanced statistical methodologies.
6. Students will demonstrate the ability to use and interpret the results of statistical computer software.
7. Students will demonstrate high standards of professionalism and ethics.

Certificate Program Occupation Preparation

This certificate program prepares students to work as Educational Consultants (SOC Code #25-9031) and Educational Specialists (SOC Code #25-9031).

Certificate Program Estimated Costs

The following is a breakdown of the estimated total certificate program cost for two semesters at 6 units and one semester at 7 units:

Gainful Employment Disclosure

As required by federal law, Gainful Employment Disclosure is provided for the Program Evaluation in Education and Education Related Settings Certificate Program.