Gifted Education
Master of Science (MSEd)
Advance Your Career
Purdue’s internationally recognized gifted education program attracts talented graduate students from across the country and from around the world. Through experiences such as research, teaching, and P-12 engagement, our graduates are well-prepared to enter research and teaching positions at universities, as well as leadership positions in local, state and federal agencies and schools.
This residential program has rolling admission. Applications must be fully complete and submitted (including all required materials) and all application fees paid prior to the deadline in order for applications to be considered and reviewed. For a list of all required materials for this program application, please see the “Admissions” tab.
Application Deadlines
August 1 is the deadline for Fall applications.
December 15 is the deadline for Spring applications.
April 15 is the deadline for Summer applications.
Program at a Glance
- Major/Department: Educational Studies
- Research Area: Gifted Education
- Degree Objective: Master of Science in Education (MSEd)
- Program Delivery: Residential
- Does this program lead to licensure? *No, this is a non-licensure program
- Application Deadlines: August 1 (Fall), December 15 (Spring), April 15 (Summer)
Request Information
Courses
Students can choose the thesis or non-thesis option for their degree. Students intending to pursue a Ph.D. should select the thesis option. Both programs require at least 15 graduate-level credit hours in education at Purdue University. Graduate students in Educational Psychology or Gifted Education cannot include on their plan of study courses in which they earned a grade lower than a “B”.
Plan of Study: Thesis Option
The thesis option normally requires a minimum of 24 credit hours of graduate courses, plus 6 credit hours of graduate thesis work. This includes departmental foundations (3 hours), primary area core requirements (13 hours), a specialization (9 hours), a related area (6 hours), and 6-12 hours of thesis credit. Areas of specialization and related areas are planned cooperatively by the student, the advisor, and the advisory committee.
I. Departmental Foundation Requirement
EDPS 53300 – Introduction to Educational Research I: Methodology (3)
II. Primary Area Core Requirements
EDPS 53000 or one of the following three courses in educational psychology (3):
- EDPS 53600 – Achievement, Motivation, and Performance
- EDPS 53700 – Prose Learning and Retention
- EDPS 53800 – School Learning and Instruction
One of the following two courses in measurement (3):
- EDPS 50500 – Career Theory and Information
- EDPS 53100 – Introduction to Measurement and Evaluation
Four credits of enrollment in one or more of the following variable credit seminars (4):
- EDPS 63100 – Applied Educational Research Design Seminar
- EDPS 63200 – Seminar in Research Procedures in Education
- EDPS 63300 – Seminar in Educational Psychology
One of the following two statistics courses (3):
- PSY 60000 – Statistical Inference
- STAT 50100 – Experimental Statistics I
III. Primary Area Specialization
Three (3) Gifted, Creative, and Talented courses (9)
- EDPS 54000 – Gifted, Creative, and Talented Children
- EDPS 54200 – Curriculum and Program Development in Gifted Education
- EDPS 54500 – Social and Affective Development of Gifted Children
IV. Related Area
Two electives by advisement from an area of study outside of educational psychology (6)
V. Thesis Credits
Multiple enrollments in EDPS 69800 (Research MS Thesis) are expected while working on the thesis. Typically, students take 6-12 hours of EDPS 69800 credit for a masters degree. (6+)
Total Credits: 37+
Plan of Study: Non-Thesis Option
The non-thesis option requires a minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate courses, typically 33 or more hours in most programs. This includes departmental foundations (3 hours), primary area core requirements (15 hours), a specialization (9 hours), and a related area (6 hours). Areas of specialization and related areas are planned cooperatively by the student, the advisor, and the advisory committee.
I. Departmental Foundation Requirement
EDPS 53300 – Introduction To Educational Research I: Methodology (3)
II. Primary Area Core Requirements
EDPS 53000 – Advanced Educational Psychology (3)
One of the following two courses in measurement (3):
- EDPS 53100 – Introduction to Measurement and Evaluation
- EDPS 53200 – Measuring Educational Achievement
Four credits of enrollment in one or more of the following variable credit seminars (4):
- EDPS 63100 – Applied Educational Research Design Seminar
- EDPS 63200 – Seminar in Research Procedures in Education
- EDPS 63300 – Seminar in Educational Psychology
A graduate-level course in development by advisement (3)
- EDPS 59000 – Individual Research Problems (3)
III. Primary Area Specialization
Three (3) Gifted, Creative, and Talented Courses (9)
- EDPS 54000 – Gifted, Creative, and Talented Children
- EDPS 54200 – Curriculum and Program Development in Gifted Education
- EDPS 54500 – Social and Affective Development of Gifted Children
IV. Related Area
Two electives by advisement from an area of study outside of educational psychology (6)
Total Credits: 34
Supplemental Program Information
Creating an Advisory Committee
All Master’s Degree students select an advisory committee of at least three (3) faculty members in consultation with their major advisor. More than 50% of the committee members must be from the West Lafayette campus.
Completing the Thesis and Establishing an Examining Committee (Thesis Option)
The culmination of a thesis Master’s involves completion of a research project under the guidance of a faculty committee. Generally, this phase of the program takes 1-2 years. The first step in the thesis process is the development of a written research proposal in consultation with the advisor and committee members. The thesis committee must include at least four members, and more than 50% must be from the West Lafayette campus. The thesis proposal consists of a critical review of the literature providing a theoretical rationale for the study, research questions/hypotheses, and proposed methodology for investigating those questions/hypotheses. The student submits drafts of the thesis proposal to his/her advisor and the advisor determines when the proposal is ready to present to the committee. At that time, the student schedules a proposal meeting with all committee members. The purpose of the proposal meeting is for the student to (a) present his/her thesis proposal, (b) provide a rationale for the study, (c) engage in a discussion with the committee members, and (d) obtain an agreement with the committee about the final study. All committee members participate in the proposal discussion. If a member cannot be present at the meeting, he/she provides feedback to the student’s major advisor. The approved thesis proposal, with a cover sheet signed by all committee members, is filed in the Graduate Studies Office, School of Education. After the proposal is approved, students complete their research and write their thesis in consultation with their advisor and committee members. After the advisor determines the written thesis is ready to present to the committee, the student must appoint an examining committee (usually the same as the advisory committee) and schedule a thesis defense. Prior to submitting the formal request for appointment of the examining committee, students must have received formal approval for their thesis. Also, note that students must be enrolled during the session in which an examination is held. The final examining committee must be composed of at least four members of the graduate faculty and may be identical to the advisory committee. More than 50%of the committee members must be from the West Lafayette campus. To schedule the thesis defense, the major advisor submits a Request for Appointment of Examining Committee Form at least three (3) weeks prior to the desired examination date.
Graduation
Students are responsible for ensuring that all graduate school deadlines are met in time for their proposed date of graduation.
Admissions
In addition to a submitted application (and any applicable application fees paid), the following materials are required for admission consideration, and all completed materials must be submitted by the application deadline in order for an application to be considered complete and forwarded on to faculty and the Purdue Graduate School for review.
Application Requirements
Here are the materials required for this application
- Transcripts (from all universities attended, including an earned bachelor’s degree)
- Curriculum Vitae/Resume
- Academic Statement of Purpose
- Personal History Statement
- 3 Recommendations
We encourage prospective students to submit an application early, even if not all required materials are uploaded. Applications are not forwarded on for faculty review until all required materials are uploaded.
How to Apply
When submitting your application for this program, please select the following options:
- Campus and Program Tab:
- Select a Campus: Purdue West Lafayette (PWL)
- Select your proposed graduate major: Educational Studies
- First Choice Program Details Tab:
- Please select an Area of Interest: Gifted Education
- Please select a Degree Objective: Master of Science in Education (MSEd)
- Primary Course Delivery: Residential
This program does not lead to licensure in the state of Indiana or elsewhere. Contact the College of Education Office of Teacher Education and Licensure (OTEL) at licensure@purdue.edu before continuing with program application if you have questions regarding licensure or contact your state Department of Education about how this program may translate to licensure in your state of residence.
