Image
Photo of girls in a classroom with laptops

Qualitative Research - Graduate Certificate

The Qualitative Research graduate certificate provides advanced training in research methods, data analysis and theoretical approaches to qualitative research across a variety of disciplines. Whether you are a graduate student seeking to enhance your research skills or a professional looking to expand your expertise, this program will help you achieve your goals.

Contact Us

Apply Now
Request Information
Schedule a visit

Program Information

Program Description

Full Description

The Qualitative Research graduate certificate is for students who wish to improve their ability to design, conduct, analyze and quality-assess qualitative approaches to research used in the context of funded research, educational assessment, program evaluation, critical, creative, exploratory or theoretical endeavors or other applications.

The courses in this program offer students inter- and trans-disciplinary opportunities to learn and develop skills in qualitative methodologies, including grounded theory, phenomenology, ethnography and descriptive approach; as well as methods, including observation, interviewing, transcription, data analysis, use of software, analytic memoing and others.

Admissions

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

  • Official transcript(s)
  • Résumé
  • Goal statement
  • Two letters of recommendations

Review of applications will be handled by one of the certificate co-coordinators, who will also evaluate prerequisites (if substitute syllabi are submitted by student). For more information about graduate admission, please visit the Graduate Studies website.

Application Deadlines

  • Fall Semester
    • Rolling admissions
  • Spring Semester
    • Rolling admissions
  • Summer Term
    • Rolling admissions
Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Argue for the value of qualitative methodological approaches and help others understand the value of this form of inquiry to enhance understanding within their respective fields.
  2. Critique and review a wide variety of qualitative research in their respective fields.
  3. Create and enact a variety of forms of high-quality, ethical qualitative research in their respective fields.
Coursework

Program Requirements

Certificate Requirements
Introductory Elective, choose from the following: 13
COMM 65040
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS IN COMMUNICATION
GEOG 60900
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS IN GEOGRAPHY
POL 60010
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS
SBS 63010
QUALITATIVE METHODS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH
SOC 62219
QUALITATIVE METHODS IN SOCIOLOGY
RMS 65516
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN
Research Design/Analysis Electives, choose from the following:6
GEOG 60900
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS IN GEOGRAPHY
POL 60010
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS
RMS 65516
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN
RMS 85518
ADVANCED QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
SBS 63010
QUALITATIVE METHODS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH
SBS 63011
QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS
SOC 62219
QUALITATIVE METHODS IN SOCIOLOGY
SOC 62221
ADVANCED QUALITATIVE METHODS IN SOCIOLOGY
Certificate Electives, choose from the following: 29
CULT 60050
HUMANITIES-ORIENTED RESEARCH IN EDUCATION
GEOG 52053
GEOGRAPHIES OF MEMORY AND HERITAGE
MUS 63283
RESEARCH IN MUSIC EDUCATION
MUS 63285
PHILOSOPHY OF MUSIC EDUCATION
MUS 63286
SOCIOLOGY OF MUSIC EDUCATION
RMS 65522
BASICS OF QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWING
RMS 65530
PRACTITIONER INQUIRY
RMS 65533
INTRODUCTION TO NARRATIVE INQUIRY AND ANALYSIS
RMS 68795
SPECIAL TOPICS IN EVALUATION AND MEASUREMENT
RMS 85520
MIXED METHODS RESEARCH
RMS 85540
GROUNDED THEORY AND PHENOMENOLOGICAL RESEARCH
RMS 85550
ETHNOGRAPHY AND CASE STUDY RESEARCH
RMS 85560
CRITICAL SOCIAL RESEARCH
RMS 88795
SPECIAL TOPICS: EVALUATION AND MEASUREMENT
SBS 60030
CODING FOR QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
SBS 60040
TRANSCRIBING INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP INTERVIEWS FOR QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
Minimum Total Credit Hours:18
1

These courses can be used to fulfill the requirement for other required courses if the following conditions are met: (1) the course was not previously taken to fulfill the required first course requirement; (2) the course is outside of the student's primary major or degree area.

2

Other courses that may be applied toward this elective requirement are special topics and independent study courses offered by faculty/departments with courses represented by the certificate—or in Anthropology (ANTH), Computer Science (CS), Interior Design (ID) or in others—as approved by a program co-coordinator.

Graduation Requirements

Minimum Certificate GPA Minimum Overall GPA
3.000 3.000
  • Students declared in a doctoral degree should enroll in the doctoral-level version of these courses if offered.
  • Prior coursework may be counted for all requirements, as long as it is substantially similar as judged by syllabi from the course and is less than six years old at time of earning the certificate. Students may substitute courses at the discretion of the program coordinators.
Program Delivery
  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries

Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary

4.9%

about as fast as the average

13,400

number of jobs

$78,840

potential earnings

Education teachers, postsecondary

4.8%

about as fast as the average

77,300

number of jobs

$65,440

potential earnings

Social sciences teachers, postsecondary, all other

-0.3%

little or no change

19,300

number of jobs

$69,340

potential earnings

Social scientists and related workers, all other

0.8%

little or no change

38,800

number of jobs

$87,260

potential earnings

Sociologists

3.6%

about as fast as the average

3,200

number of jobs

$86,110

potential earnings

Survey researchers

-3.7%

decline

12,200

number of jobs

$59,870

potential earnings

Additional Careers
  • Epidemiology investigator
  • Rural sociologist
Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.

Request Information

Loading...