Admission Requirements

• Master of Education

Degree Requirements

• Master of Education

Mailing Address:
College of Education (MC 147)
1040 West Harrison Street
Chicago, Illinois 60607-7133

Campus Location: 3145 EPASW
Program Code: 20FS5105MED
Telephone: (312) 996-4532
E-mail: agarci5@uic.edu
Web Site: http://www.education.uic.edu
Dean of the College: Victoria Chou
Director of Graduate Studies: Theresa Thorkildsen

The Youth Development program provides students with strong grounding in research and theory concerning the cognitive, social, emotional, moral, and physical development of youth, as well as knowledge of contextual and institutional factors that lead to positive developmental outcomes for youth. The program has two primary strands: (1) an Applied Strand aimed at producing high quality professionals to work within the field of youth development and (2) a Research Strand aimed at providing students planning to seek doctoral degrees in Educational Psychology, as well as other fields, with preparatory training and background in developmental theory, research methods, and statistics.

Admission Requirements

Applicants are considered on an individual basis. Transcripts of all undergraduate and any graduate work must be submitted. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

Master of Education

• Baccalaureate Field No restrictions. Previous course work in psychology preferred.
• Grade Point Average At least 2.75/4.00 for the final 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of undergraduate study and a 3.00/4.00 grade point average for all postbaccalaureate or graduate course work combined.
• Tests Required None.
• Minimum TOEFL Score 550 (paper-based); 213 (computer-based); 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (new Internet-based TOEFL).
• Letters of Recommendation Three letters of recommendation required.
• Personal Statement Required. The statement must address the applicant’s previous experiences working with youth, specifically work with youth in urban contexts, and professional goals.
• Admission Deadlines The application deadline for this program is earlier than the Graduate College deadline; contact the College of Education for information on current deadlines. Admission is restricted to the fall term.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:

Master of Education

• Minimum Semester Hours Required 32 beyond the baccalaureate, at least 9 hours must be at the 500-level, excluding independent study and thesis courses. At least 24 hours must be earned as a degree candidate at UIC.
• Only 400- and 500-level courses can be applied to the degree. Credit toward the degree is only given for courses in which a student received a grade of A, B, C, CR, or S.
• Course Work Developmental Theory Core (minimum of 6 hours): Select 2 courses from: EPSY 420, 429, 446, 517, 525; ED 421, 422, 445. Students in the Applied Strand must take at least one course from the following list: EPSY 446, EPSY 517, or ED 445.
• Research and Methodology Core (minimum of 12 hours): ED 501 and EPSY 509. Select remaining hours from: ED 502, EDPS 587, EPSY 503, EPSY 560 (Recommended for the Applied Strand).
• Electives (9 hours): See advisor for list of approved electives.
• Comprehensive Examination None.
• Culminating Experience (5 hours) Required.
• Thesis Strand: In accordance with Graduate College guidelines, students electing to complete a thesis must earn a minimum of 5 hours in thesis research (EPSY 598). Students earning 5 hours may write a literature review of publishable quality on a chosen thesis topic or conduct a secondary data analysis to explore a research question related to a chosen thesis topic. Students who elect to conduct an original study on chosen thesis topic must complete 8 hours of thesis research. Once the student has completed all graduation requirements and is in good academic standing, s/he must defend the thesis before a committee appointed by the dean of the Graduate College on the recommendation of the student’s department or program. A majority of the committee must approve the thesis.
• Applied Strand: Either two semesters of EPSY 415; or EPSY 415 and EPSY 596 (minimum of two hours). Students electing to complete the Applied Strand must earn at least 5 credit hours and complete a minimum of one semester of fieldwork in a youth service organization or an approved program aimed at promoting positive development among youth. The student’s advisor must approve the fieldwork site prior to work beginning at the site. Students will complete a comprehensive professional practice portfolio related to their fieldwork and developed in conjunction with their advisor. Students are required to present their portfolio to a committee of at least three members chosen by the student, in conjunction with the advisor, and approved by the program director or department head.