About Quantitative Methods
Quantitative Methods area offers two major specializations - Statistics and Measurement. The study of Quantitative Methods takes advantage of the wide range of resources at the UW-Madison and includes course work in statistics, mathematics, computer sciences, and in other units of the School of Education.
Researchers in all areas of education develop measuring instruments, design and conduct experiments and surveys, and analyze data resulting from these activities.
Educational research has a strong tradition of employing state-of-the-art statistical and psychometric (psychological measurement) techniques. Because of this tradition, Quantitative Methods has long been an area of specialization within Educational Psychology.
The graduate program emphasizes the following four objectives:
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To develop a strong foundation in mathematics and statistical theory as the basis for growth over a professional career.
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To develop a high level of expertise in the application of statistics or psychometrics to educational research.
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To develop the ability to serve as a consultant to educational researchers, and to employ the appropriate quantitative methods in a wide variety of contexts.
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To develop the capability of conducting and publishing high-quality research.
Read this article from gradPSYCH about the "hot" field of quantitative psychology!
Graduates in this area teach, serve as consultants to educational researchers, and conduct research on statistics and psychometrics in education-related fields.
Recent Ph.D. Graduates in Educational Psychology, Quantitative Methods Area
- Sarah DePaoli (2011), Assistant Professor, University of California, Merced
- Chris Swoboda (2011), Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati
- Amy Atwood (2011), Research Scientist, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Su-Young Kim (2011), Post-doctoral Research Scientist, Rutgers University
- Chanho Park (2009), Research Scientist, Korea Institute for Curriculum & Evaluation
- Youngsuk Suh (2008), Assistant Professor, Rutgers University
- Tim Hess (2007), Assistant Professor, Ripon College
- Andy Mroch (2006), Research Scientist, ACT, Inc.
- Taehoon Kang (2006), Assistant Professor, Sungshin Women's University
- Martiza Dowling (2006), Research Scientist, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Jianbin Fu (2005), Research Scientist, Educational Testing Service (ETS)
- Steve LeMire (2005), Assistant Professor, University of North Dakota
- Yanmei Li (2004), Research Scientist, Educational Testing Service (ETS)
- Craig Wells (2004), Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts
- Young-Sun Lee (2002), Associate Professor, Columbia University
- Venessa Lall (2002), Research Scientist, Educational Testing Service (ETS)
- Troy Chen (2001), Research Scientist, ACT, Inc.
- Tito Mendoza (1999), Associate Professor, MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas
Course Work
Through course work in the departments of Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, and in other units of the School of Education, students can acquire the knowledge and skills to be professionally successful.
As in all other areas, the course work is heaviest during the first two years. After the beginning three-semester statistics, students begin to specialize in advanced statistics or psychometric courses. Typically, students in the Quantitative Methods area take an outside-of-the-department minor in Statistics or Computer Sciences.
View the Quantitative Methods Course Sequence flow chart.
Visit the Course Information page for details on course requirements, course announcements, and other resources.
Visit the Course Syllabi page to view our archive of Department syllabi.
Research
Quantitative majors receive on-the-job experience by serving as teaching assistants for introductory courses, as well as by being project-assistant consultants in our own Laboratory of Experimental Design (LED), a School of Education facility that helps students and faculty with design of research measurement and data-analysis issues related to their research.
Computer experience is readily obtained in the School of Education’s Media, Education Resources, & Information Technology (MERIT) Library, which houses several PC and Macintosh computer labs and statistical software.
Students also gain quantitative experience by working in:
Employment
A wide variety of employment opportunities are available to Quantitative Methods area graduates. Students majoring in measurement obtain positions with testing companies, state and local testing programs, as well as with federal agencies involved in testing. Those students majoring in statistical methods also have a range of employment opportunities. These include positions with educational research organizations, state and federal agencies, and private industry. Excellent teaching and research opportunities exist for both statistics and measurement majors at the university and college level.
Area Faculty
To learn more about the research, teaching, and other career information of the area faculty, visit the Faculty & Staff directory page.