Graduate Certificate in Quantitative Research Methods

UConn’s Graduate Certificate in Quantitative Research Methods is designed to give students the tools they need to study complex, real-world problems in social science.


Program participants learn about statistical and computational techniques, with courses that span research design, measurement, modeling, data analysis, and interpretation. This 12-credit certificate is open to students enrolled in any UConn graduate program.

Program Overview

The UConn Graduate Certificate in Quantitative Research Methods provides students with a thorough background in quantitative research methods in the psychological sciences that extends the basic research methods training required by their respective graduate programs. The program draws students from many backgrounds, departments, and schools.


Requirements and Courses

Students are required to complete two PSYC prerequisite courses plus an additional 12 credits of graduate coursework in quantitative methods selected from a list of courses below. Students work with their major advisor to build a custom Plan of Study that meets their career goals and research interests.
Students who successfully complete the program requirements and submit a completed and approved Plan of Study to Degree Audit in the Office of the Registrar will receive a Certificate in Quantitative Research Methods from the UConn Graduate School.

Prerequisite Courses

Prerequisites for participation in the program are completion of PSYC 5104 and 5105. Foundations of Research in the Psychological Sciences I and II, or equivalent courses. Students who wish to substitute equivalent coursework for these two courses with other graduate-level introductory statistics courses need to submit a petition to the Program Director. The petition should include a syllabus of the equivalent course and other documentation if available (e.g., exam examples) to support the petition and facilitate the decision-making by the Program Committee.

Qualifying Courses

Participants in the program complete 12 credits of graduate coursework in quantitative methods selected from the following list of courses. Students who wish to petition for a course that is not on this list may do so by contacting the Program Director with documentation of the course content (e.g., syllabus, exam examples). Such courses cannot be from other institutions. Additionally, the Graduate School requires certificate students to earn at least a B (3.00) in all coursework.

AH 6005. Multilevel Mediation-Moderation Modeling for Health Sciences

AH 6015. Use of Large Population-Based Datasets for Health Promotion

PSYC 5131. Meta-analysis: Theory and Practice

PSYC 5332. Research Design and Test Construction

PSYC 5470. Longitudinal Data Analysis

PSYC 5554. Advanced Nonlinear Dynamics

PSYC 5670. Current Topics in I/O Psych (Multivariate Approaches to Survey Data)

PSYC 5701. Experimental Social Psychology

PSYC 5702. Field Research Methods

PSYC 6130. Measurement and Scaling

PSYC 6783. Tools to Analyze Language

EPSY 6611. Hierarchical Linear Modeling

EPSY 6615. Structural Equation Modeling

EPSY 6651. Introduction to Methods for Causal Inference Using Educational Data

EPSY 6637. Item Response Theory

HDFS 5002. Special Topics (Longitudinal Methods, Meta Analysis, others by Program Director approval)

MGMT 6206. Applied Research in Management (Seminar in Multilevel Theories, Methods, & Analyses in Management)

PUBH 5434. Topics in Intermediate Biostatistics

PUBH 5435. Statistical Methods in Epidemiology

PUBH 5468. Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology

SOCI 5203. Quantitative Research I

STAT 3375Q. Introduction to Mathematical Statistics

STAT 5825. Applied Time Series

Note: Additional courses are acceptable with prior approval. If you are unsure about whether a course qualifies you can contact the Program Director. Please check the graduate catalog, department websites, and instructors for course availability. Not all courses are available each academic year. In some divisions courses on different topics can share the same course number (e.g., “Current Topics in…”) and can, thus, qualify twice.

Plan of Study and Completion of the Program

Students interested in the program will design an individualized plan of study, in consultation with their major advisor. The plan will outline a path to best serve the student’s research needs, interests, and career goals. Students may also wish to consult with one or more members of the Program’s Executive Committee about the courses they plan to take and their expected date of completion.

Download the Plan of Study for the Certificate Program.

The final Plan of Study form should be signed by the Program Director and then submitted to Degree Audit in the Office of the Registrar by emailing it to sandra.cyr@uconn.edu. Once the paperwork is processed, the Graduate School will issue the certificate.

Please bear in mind that students cannot apply for certificate completion after graduating from their master’s or Ph.D. program unless they want to continue paying student fees. Thus, it is important to complete the paperwork in the semester you are graduating. In addition, the Office of the Registrar issues deadlines each semester for submitting Plans of Study.

Faculty

The certificate program is administered by faculty in the Departments of Psychological Sciences, Sociology, and Educational Psychology.

Program Faculty

James Dixon (PAC, Psychological Sciences)

James Green (Developmental, Psychological Sciences)

Blair Johnson (Social, Psychological Sciences)

Vicki Magley (I/O, Psychological Sciences)

Betsy McCoach (Educational Psychological Sciences)

Tania Huedo Medina (Allied Health)

Stephanie Milan (Clinical, Psychological Sciences)

Felicia Pratto (Social, Psychological Sciences)

Ian Stevenson (Behavioral Neuroscience, Psychological Sciences)

David Weakliem (Sociology)

Admissions

Students must apply to the Graduate Certificate in Quantitative Research Methods via The Graduate School’s online application system. The application process is managed by The Graduate School, not the Department of Psychological Sciences, and is similar to the master’s/Ph.D. program application process.

 

Apply to the Graduate School

Application Requirements and Costs

Applicants must be currently enrolled in a UConn graduate program to apply, and they must submit an online application via The Graduate School’s website. The application fee is automatically waived for students currently enrolled in a UConn graduate program (certificate, master’s, or doctoral) when they apply to another graduate program.

In addition, applicants are required to upload unofficial copies of their transcripts to the online application system.

Contact Us

For questions about the Graduate Certificate in Quantitative Research Methods, please contact the program director:

Ian Stevenson

Associate Professor of Psychological Sciences
ian.stevenson@uconn.edu

 

Students interested in the certificate should contact the Psychological Sciences Graduate Program Coordinator at psychgrad@uconn.edu to coordinate the appropriate forms and records for admission.