Quantitative methods in education
Solve problems in education through research
Students in Quantitative Methods in Education engage in the science and practice of educational measurement and statistics, primarily through the development and application of statistical and psychometric methods. All QME students will engage in coursework addressing fundamental topics related to statistics, educational measurement, research methods, and foundations in education (e.g., learning and cognition, social development). Students will also undertake additional coursework and complete a set of milestones that will specialize their knowledge and scholarship in educational measurement or statistics. Upon matriculation, graduates will be equipped to help inform educational policy, practice, and curriculum and—most importantly—help schools and students succeed.
Careers
- Test publishing firms
- Teaching and research at colleges and universities (PhD only)
- Research and evaluation centers
- Public school systems
- State departments of instruction
- Private industry
Quote from V.N. Vimal Rao, PhD '23
The strong theoretical and methodological foundation I developed in QME and EPSY supports my research and my mentoring of student researchers, while the teaching experience and knowledge of educational psychology I gained supports my teaching and mentoring of teaching assistants.
Learn more
Submit your application for the fall semester following the deadlines below. Note the dates are the same for both MA and PhD applicants.
December 1
To be considered for fellowships and departmental financial assistance, application materials must be submitted to the program and the Graduate School by the December 1 deadline. (If you are requesting a waiver for the application fee, the last day to apply is 11/17/24.)
March 1
If you're not seeking a fellowship or departmental financial aid, you have until March 1 to submit your application materials. (If you are requesting a waiver for the application fee, the last day to apply is 2/15/25.)
The QME program strives to provide funding opportunities to all incoming students. While we can’t typically guarantee funding, over the last five years, we have been able to fund over 95% of our students that were looking for funding (including our MA students)!
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.
Note: Spring, summer, and fall (March deadline) applicants will not qualify for fellowships.
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.
- John P. Yackel/Pearson Graduate Internship
- Jack Merwin Graduate Assistantship
- 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.
The Department of Educational Psychology offers a minor in educational psychology with an emphasis in quantitative methods in education.
Quote from Rik Lamm, PhD '23
My background in the QME program has equipped me with the skills necessary for my current role as a Research, Evaluation, and Assessment Scientist for Bloomington Public Schools. These include developing non-cognitive surveys such as student climate surveys and parent engagement surveys, as well as analyzing data from academic assessments such as the MCAs. Additionally, QME has equipped me with the skills to interpret complex data in order to predict longitudinal trends. This ability leads to the development of research-driven strategies that benefit both students and teachers.
Faculty and staff
Haoran Li
Assistant Professor
Nana Kim
Assistant professor
Nidhi Kohli
Royal and Virginia Anderson Professor of Quantitative Methods in Education; Program Coordinator
Chelsey Legacy
Teaching assistant professor
Suzanne Loch
Senior teaching specialist
Michael Rodriguez
CEHD Dean; Campbell Leadership Chair in Education and Human Development; co-founding director of Educational Equity Resource Center
Andrew Zieffler
Teaching professor
Adjunct faculty and program affiliates
Adjunct faculty
Claudio Violato
Assistant dean, Medical School
Program affiliates
Adam Rothman
Associate professor, School of Statistics
Quote from José Palma, PhD '21
It is the combination of psychometric research and applied focus, in addition to knowledge gained from my academic journey, that makes me a competitive and atypical educational measurement researcher today.