The Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation (ERME) program at the Lynch School combines the study of research design, statistical methods, and testing and assessment with a research focus on major contemporary education policy issues. The program is designed to prepare students for research and academic careers in education, social sciences and human services.
The ERME program provides in-depth expertise in quantitative and experimental methods for research and evaluation, with opportunities for students to tailor coursework to their particular interests and background.
The master’s degree curriculum includes coursework in research design, statistics, classroom assessment, large scale data collection, program evaluation, and education policy. A minimum of 30 credits and satisfactory performance on an oral and multiple-choice comprehensive examination are required for the M.Ed. degree.
Courses cover three main areas:
• research design and methods
• statistical methods
• testing and assessment
| Sequence | Course topics | |
| Research design and methods |
• Interpretation and evaluation of research | |
| Statistical methods | • Introductory and intermediate statistics • General linear models • Multivariate statistics • Psychometric theory • Seminars in statistical and measurement topics | |
| Testing and assessment |
• Classroom assessment |
Students may also conduct an independent study to pursue a particular area of interest.
The ERME program's outstanding faculty and rich intellectual resources provide students with the ideal setting for learning and professional growth.
ERME students have the opportunity to work on research projects with individual faculty members or in one of the Lynch School’s research centers. More specifically, many of our students work as research assistants in the Center for the Stu dy of Testing, Evaluation, and Educational Policy (CSTEEP) and in the TIMSS and PIRLS International Study Center (ISC).
These projects often afford students with the opportunity to author and present papers at educational research conferences such as those held by the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and New England Educational Research Organization (NEERO).
Graduates are qualified for a wide range of positions in federal, state, and local government agencies; private research companies; non-profit organizations and foundations; and schools, colleges and universities.
At the master’s level, job opportunities include mid-level research, testing, and evaluation positions in education and the social sciences; it also prepares students to pursue advanced graduate studies.