There is high demand for quantitative and qualitative methodologists in research and in applied settings. The ERM online certificate is designed for several student populations including:

• Private and public sector workers in education and other social science fields who want to upgrade their research skills
• Graduate students from education and other fields who want additional training in research methods
• Those individuals desiring to pursue a shorter and more focused course of study in research methods with an option to apply for the full MEd in the MESA online program

The ERM online certificate consists of 3 online courses. The courses taken for the ERM online certificate are determined in consultation with the program coordinator in order to be tailored to the student's career goals.

Students must complete a minimum of 12 semester hours beyond the bachelor’s degree.  Students cannot transfer any coursework from another institution into the certificate.

Only 400- and 500-level courses offered online as part of the MEd in MESA online program can be applied to the certificate. Credit toward the certificate is only given for courses in which a student received a grade of A, B, C, CR, or S (or their numerical equivalent).

Download an outline of prerequisites for MESA/ERM online courses (pdf).

What are the areas of ERM?

The ERM online certificate draws courses from the Masters of Education (MEd) in Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics and Assessment (MESA) online program. Here are some basic definitions of these terms.

Measurement involves the assignment of numbers to objects such that the numbers represent degrees or quantities of unobservable constructs such as attitudes, achievement, self-efficacy, self-esteem, etc.
Evaluation involves the systematic collection of information about the activities, characteristics, and outcomes of programs to make judgments about program quality, improve program effectiveness and/or inform decisions about future program development. Statistics aims at learning the process that generated the data, including learning how a given variable is affected by other variables, and learning about the true (population) distribution of the data. Assessment involves the processes of collecting, synthesizing, analyzing and interpreting quantitative and qualitative information to aid in decision-making.

What are the job prospects?

Surveys of degree programs and employment agencies conclude that there is high demand for quantitative and qualitative methodologists who can function effectively in research and applied settings..

Who is the program designed for?

The ERM online certificate provides opportunities for several populations:

• Private and public sector workers in education and other social science fields who want to upgrade their research skills.
• Graduate students from education and other fields who want training in research methods.
• Those individuals desiring to pursue a shorter and focused course of study in educational research methods with an option to apply for the full MEd in MESA online program.

How are the courses typically run?

Some common aspects among our online MESA courses include:

• Courses are run on a weekly basis.
• Instructors use multimedia to facilitate student learning.
• Students can interact with the weekly course materials at any time and at their own pace during each week.
• Students have many opportunities to apply what they are learning and receive timely, constructive feedback.
• Instructors can be reached readily by email, phone and/or Skype.
• Students’ questions are addressed in a timely manner.
• Students have opportunities for asynchronous discussions with their fellow classmates.

How many credit hours are needed to meet the requirement of the certificate?

The 3 courses will total 12 credit hours.

How long is the program?

The ERM online certificate program length is dependent on the 3 courses the student selects as the online courses are offered on a fixed schedule.

Can I transfer other coursework I've completed elsewhere into this program?

No. The 3 courses must be taken from the available online courses in the MEd in MESA online program.

Do I need a degree in Education to be admitted into this program?

No, this program is designed for those wanting more coursework in research methods regardless of the field in which the skills will be applied.

Can applicants apply to any term?

Applications are accepted for both fall and spring semesters (but no summer session admissions).

Can I defer enrollment?

Yes, with the program coordinator's approval.

What are the tuition and fees?

Tuition and fees are currently $762 per credit hour. Each MESA course is 4 credit hours. Note: Tuition and fees are subject to change without notice any time prior to the first day of instruction.

What additional costs are there?

Students will be responsible for purchasing the books associated with each course. Students will also be required to purchase a statistical software package (e.g., SPSS Graduate Pack) and other software required by instructors. We will attempt to use software that have student/trial versions.

Does the admission/enrollment of the ERM certificate guarantee the admission to the online MEd in MESA program?

No, admission as a certificate student does not guarantee admission to any of the College of Education programs.

After I have earned credits for the ERM certificate, I applied and was admitted to the online MEd in MESA program. Can I transfer all my credits earned in the certificate program towards the fulfillment of the MEd in MESA degree requirement?

To transfer credits earned in the certificate program towards the fulfillment of the MEd in MESA degree requirements, the student must earn a minimum letter grade of "B" in all the ERM certificate courses.

Please contact the Dr. Ev Smith at evsmith@uic.edu if you require any additional information.