Graduate Certificate in Qualitative Research in Education

Only students who have been admitted at the graduate level at the University of Memphis are eligible to apply. Graduate students in good standing will be admitted to the certificate program on the recommendation of the student’s advisor and a review of the application materials by the EDPR qualitative research faculty. 

This is a 2-step application process. Successful applicants must:

1. visit the Graduate School Admission page to apply.
2. complete the Application for Admission Form

In order to apply, students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0.  In order to earn the certificate, they must complete all Certificate Program course requirements with a B or above average and have a qualitative methodologist sit on their dissertation committee.  They must complete the  Certificate in Qualitative Research Completion Form and complete the Course History Form.

Submit all application materials (in one PDF, if possible) to Melynda Whitwell at mdlong@memphis.edu.

Following review, your application will be either approved or returned to you for further discussion and revision. If you have any questions about the application process, please contact Dr. Alison Happel-Parkins at aahappel@memphis.edu or Dr. Susan Nordstrom at snnrdstr@memphis.edu.

Students who are not making satisfactory progress will be subject to removal from the program following faculty review.

Certificate Coordinators

• Dr. Alison Happel-Parkins
• Dr. Susan Nordstrom

Certificate Course Requirements

The certificate requires 12 semester hours of credit. Below are the required and elective qualitative courses available to students:

Required core courses (9 credits):

• EDPR 7/8561: Introduction to Qualitative Research in Education (Offered Fall and Spring semesters)
• EDPR 7/8562: Designing Qualitative Research (Offered every Spring semester)
• EDPR 7/8565: Qualitative Methods and Analysis (Offered every Fall semester)

Example Electives (3 credits unless otherwise noted):

• EDPR 7/8563: Applied Qualitative Theories and Methodologies
• EDPR 7/8566: Writing Up Qualitative Research (Week-long Spring/Summer Retreat)
• EDPR 8008: Directed Readings in Qualitative Research
• EDPR 8081: Supervised Research in Qualitative Inquiry
• ANTH 7/8075: Methods in Anthropology (4 credits)
• ANTH 7/8076: Anthropological Data Analysis (4 credits)
• SOCI 7/8320: Seminar in Methods of Social Research
• SOCI 7/8325: Seminar in Qualitative Research Methods
• COMM 7/8332: Seminar in Communication Research: Advanced Qualitative Research Methods
• COMM 7/8434: Qualitative Research Methods
• PSYC 7/8312: Qualitative Research Methods in Psychology

Because qualitative methods vary across academic disciplines, the way in which the credit hours are packaged may vary. The qualitative coordinators will assist students in developing a program that meets the needs and interests of the individual student while also complying with the certificate requirements.

We recognize that many courses across campus can enrich our elective selection. However, we cannot list all current and future potential electives. If a student feels that a course outside of EDPR is appropriate as an elective, the student can complete the Petition for Elective form to be reviewed and approved by the qualitative coordinators.