Main Office
Matthews Hall, 316

Mailing address:
1155 Union Circle #311335
Denton, TX 76203-5017
940-565-2093

Web site: www.coe.unt.edu/educational-psychology

Abbas Tashakkori, Chair

Faculty 

The Department of Educational Psychology offers course work in research design and measurement; applied statistics program evaluation; the education of special populations and gifted learners; human development; family studies; and school psychology.

Certification and degree programs in the department focus on such areas as non-traditional education, research and evaluation design, special education, gifted education, human development and family studies.

Financial support may be available on a limited basis for research, teaching and internships. Funds vary depending on grants and other activities of the faculty in the department.

Research

Faculty in the department have extensive research interests that include but are not limited to academic, social and behavioral assessment; designing effective instructional environments for exceptional learners; behavioral management systems for special populations, parent and professional communication and collaboration; establishment of partnerships to facilitate services for exceptional individuals; programs and procedures for gifted learners; identification of gifted and talented learners; academic acceleration; early entrance to school for college; social and emotional aspects of giftedness; cognitive development and information processing of traditional and special populations; statistical modeling; program evaluation; strategies for working with adult populations; and the study of developmental norms and family relationships.

Grants

Grants from the U.S. Department of Education, Texas Education Agency and other sources provide financial support to graduate students, depending on program needs. Tuition and stipend support is available for both full- and part-time students in the areas of emotional and behavior disorders, and transition and correctional special education.

For students in the autism intervention program, funds are available only for students who currently teach in rural areas and are not able to come to the Denton or Dallas campus for instruction on a regular basis, thus requiring online courses.

Center for Parent Education

The Center for Parent Education meets the needs of students, professionals and families through training, resources and research. Research and projects are carried out by faculty and students in the Department of Educational Psychology in collaboration with other university faculty who have an interest and expertise in parent education and family support.

UNT Institute for Behavioral and Learning Differences

The UNT Institute for Behavioral and Learning Differences (UNT-IBLD) was created in 1993 for the advancement of research and educational issues and techniques related to individuals with unique behavioral and learning characteristics. The UNT-IBLD vision includes not only those individuals who are not keeping pace with their peer group, but also those who are advanced beyond normal expectations. The goals of the UNT-IBLD include advancing the understanding of behavioral and learning differences; developing liaisons with public and private facilities; effecting in-service development of regular education faculty; focusing on transitional strategies for community, work and postsecondary education; developing technological innovations for enhancing educational and life opportunities; and serving as a resource for professionals, parents, schools, and community and state agencies.

Degree Programs

The department offers the following degrees at the master’s and doctoral level:

• Master of Science with a major in educational psychology 
• Master of Education with a major in special education 
• Doctor of Philosophy with a major in educational research 
• Doctor of Philosophy with a major in special education 

Specializations in special education include autism spectrum disorders, educational diagnostician, emotional and behavioral disorders, and mild/moderate disabilities. Specializations in educational psychology include family studies; gifted and talented; human development; learning cognition; research, measurement and evaluation; and school psychology.

Depending on the degree attained, graduates of these programs normally seek employment in business and education as teachers, program administrators, supervisory personnel, assessment specialists, curriculum development specialists, research and evaluation specialists, and community college and university faculty members. Graduates may also be prepared to seek careers in parent education and/or family life, child life and life span development.

Applicants must meet requirements for admission to the Toulouse Graduate School and meet all requirements of the College of Education. For admission to any of the programs in this department, the applicant should file an application portfolio with the program area in which the student is interested in entering and schedule an interview with a representative of the academic area. Contact the individual program or visit their web sites for details about the specific admission requirements for each program.

Alternative Teacher Certification

See the College of Education  section of this catalog for information about UNT’s Alternative Teacher Certification option in special education .