Certificate Program in Quantitative Research in Education (QRE)

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The Graduate School of Education offers a Certificate Program for students interested in Quantitative Research in Education (QRE).  The Certificate Program, unlike a Master’s Program, is not a degree program, but rather provides students with a certificate indicating that they have completed a set of training requirements in methods of conducting rigorous quantitative research in education.  For students in degree programs outside the Graduate School of Education interested in developing expertise in education research (e.g., Sociology students interested in the Sociology of Education, or Psychology students interested in school-based interventions), the Certificate Program provides a curriculum to facilitate training and a credential signaling their expertise in quantitative education-related research.

To earn a Certificate in QRE, Stanford students must satisfy the following requirements:

1. Students must submit a proposed QRE study plan form for approval by the Certificate Program Director; once the study plan is approved, a copy is given Stanford GSE’s Doctoral Program Officer.
2. Students must complete the following courses (with a grade of B or higher):
   
   1. 2 courses in Education Policy, Institutions, or Practices [6+ credits total]. A list of possible courses includes (but is not limited to):
      1. EDUC 271: Education Policy in the US
      2. EDUC 220B: Introduction to the Politics of Education
      3. EDUC 220D: History of School Reform: Origins, Policies, Outcomes, and Explanations
      4. EDUC 306A: Economics of Education in the Global Economy
      5. EDUC 347: The Economics of Higher Education
   2. 3 courses in the EDUC 430 Series (formerly EDUC 255) [9+ credits total]
      1. EDUC 430A: Experimental Research Designs in Educational Research
      2. EDUC 430B: Causal Inference in Quantitative Educational and Social Science Research
      3. EDUC 430C: Applied Quasi-Experimental Research in Education
   3. 3 quarters of EDUC 339: Advanced Topics in Quantitative Policy Analysis (completion of one presentation of original research project in one of the quarters) [3+ credits total] (can be taken for credit instead of letter grade).
   4. 1 course in Education Psychometrics [3+ credits total].  Possible courses include:
      1. EDUC 252: Introduction to Test Theory
      2. EDUC 353A: Problems in Measurement: Item Response Theory
      3. EDUC 353C: Problems in Measurement: Generalizability Theory
      4. EDUC 242: Workshop on Instrument Development for Assessment, Research or Evaluation Purposes I

   All courses will be chosen in consultation with the primary faculty advisor and the Certificate Program Director.  For students not in Stanford GSE, those courses required by the student's home department may also count for the Certificate in QRE – approval of home department and Certificate Program Director is required for substitution.

3. Upon satisfactory completion of the required course work, the Certificate Completion Form should be signed by the Certificate Program Director and Stanford GSE’s Doctoral Program Officer.
4. Successful candidates will receive a Certificate of Completion, signed by the Stanford GSE Dean and Certificate Program Director.  A copy will be placed in the student file.

For more information about QRE, please visit Stanford Graduation School of Education.

If you have completed all requirements, Request Certificate