Community-engaged Applied Methods in Psychology and Educational Research (CAMPER)

CAMPER utilizes a cohort model that develops your knowledge and skill set related to research methods, statistics and educational measurement, as well as cognitive, and social psychology. The cohort model engages you in an academic community through shared coursework and regular meetings with faculty from QME as well as Psychological Foundations of Education to help you develop as a scholar and researcher. Meet your future advisors here: Chelsey Legacy, Andrew Zieffler, and Martin Van Boekel.

The cohort will also pair with a community partner (e.g., school district, not-for-profit organization) to undertake a shared research project. With the support of your MA mentors, you will work together with that partner to deep-dive into the research problem, by reading and synthesizing relevant literature, planning out the research process, and collecting and analyzing the data. This work will serve as the basis for your MA Paper. The program culminates with you presenting your findings to the community partner, relevant stakeholders, and other faculty in the program.

Experiences like these will allow you to engage in research that will have immediate use for the stakeholders. On a more personal level, they will set the stage for a robust research portfolio that can be used when applying for jobs, or compelling research experience that will aid in your application to PhD programs.

Partnership with Bloomington Public Schools

One of our current community partners is Bloomington Public schools. Our collaboration has led to a partnership with the computer science department in the district, where we are collectively exploring how their computer science classrooms shape students’ identity, belonging, and interest in computer science. Students in the CAMPER program have, in collaboration with the district, developed different survey tools, and engaged in large scale collection of relevant data. In order to do this, they met regularly with teachers and administrators in the district, observed classes, and interviewed teachers.

Results from students’ work will help BPS highlight the successes of their computer science program and identify opportunities for growth. In addition, the work will contribute to the larger body of knowledge surrounding computer science education in younger populations. Students in the cohort will be presenting their work at conferences and to district stakeholders.

More information

Coursework

CAMPER program faculty have selected a set of courses that lay a strong theoretical and methodological foundation for success in the workforce or in further graduate study. Across both years, you will meet regularly with CAMPER faculty to help you develop as scholars and researchers. In the first year, these meetings will focus more on navigating graduate school and strategy development. As we move into year two these meetings become focused on your MA project and your goals after graduation.

Year 1

In the first year of the CAMPER program you will be mostly focused on coursework to build the foundations for the community-engaged work that you will undertake in Year 2. You will also propose an MA project in alignment with the community partner’s needs. Coursework includes:

Introduction to Research in Educational Psychology and Human Development
Principles of Educational and Psychological Measurement
Psychology of Student Learning
Research Problems: Educational Psychology
Social Psychology of Education
Statistical Methods in Education I
Statistical Methods in Education II

Year 2

In the second year of the CAMPER program you will take more advanced courses (see coursework below). In addition, you will complete a MA project in conjunction with the community partner.

Survey Design, Sampling, and Implementation
Qualitative Methods in Educational Psychology
Research Problems: Educational Psychology
Two elective courses selected with consultation with advisors

Careers

Research associates at universities
Research scientists at companies
Data analyst
Evaluation specialist
Researchers in:
- Government agencies
- Research and development centers
- Other educational settings (e.g., K-12 school research offices)

Tuition, funding, and financial aid

Unfortunately, acceptance into this MA program does not come with guaranteed funding. Students who have participated in this cohort (and the other MA model) have successfully secured up to 25% funding in the past, but we cannot promise this will always be the case. Although funding is not guaranteed, the program faculty will try to help you find positions and advocate for you. [For those of you unfamiliar with the university funding structure a 25% position (usually a research or teaching position) consists of 10 hours of work per week and includes an hourly wage and some tuition support, while a 50% position is 20 hours per week and includes an hourly wage and tuition being covered]

Here are some resources on tuition and funding.

Tuition

Visit the College of Education and Human Development's Finance and Funding page for information on tuition.

Fellowships and awards

Submit your application materials by the December 1 deadline, and you’ll automatically be considered for Graduate School fellowships and departmental awards based on scholastic achievement. Notification of awards will be sent in March.

Graduate assistantships

Get paid to work as a teaching assistant, graduate instructor or research assistant. Graduate assistantships are available through the department, College of Education and Human Development, and the University.

All University of Minnesota graduate assistantships

Note: Applicants who complete their applications by the March 1 deadline will be less likely to receive graduate assistantships than students who meet the December 1 deadline.

Additional funding

Visit the College of Education and Human Development's Finance and Funding page for more information on funding.

Financial aid

Visit OneStop Student Services for more information on available financial aid.

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