The Educational Psychology Ph.D. with a concentration in Gifted and Talented Education prepares students for a number of careers, including the professoriate, gifted and talented or advanced academics district program coordinator, curriculum specialist, and state education agency director, among others.
The doctoral concentration in Gifted and Talented Education covers advanced theories and research methodologies tailored to understanding how giftedness, creativity, and talent manifest and can be nurtured within educational settings and beyond. Students engage in coursework on topics such as differentiated instruction, curriculum development for accelerated learning programs, and the psychosocial needs of gifted individuals. The doctoral concentration also includes a strong focus on the identification and assessment of giftedness across diverse populations, addressing both traditional intelligence testing and alternative assessment methods to ensure equity and inclusivity. In addition to theoretical and applied knowledge, students would be expected to contribute original research to the field, using qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods approaches to explore new facets of educational psychology that impact gifted and talented education.
Time to complete the program, Full-time & Part-time
The doctoral program in Educational Psychology with a concentration on Gifted and Talented education is designed to accommodate both full-time and part-time students. Full-time students can typically complete the program in approximately 4 years (3 years for coursework, and 1 year for dissertation), although the exact duration may vary depending on each student's starting point and individual study plan. Recognizing that many students balance professional responsibilities alongside their academic pursuits, the program is structured to also support part-time learners, offering them the flexibility needed to advance their education without sacrificing their work or personal commitments. Doctoral courses run in the evenings or online to accommodate all students.
Funding/Assistantships
The Department of Educational Psychology has a limited number of competitive assistantship positions for which admitted doctoral students may apply. These positions are intended for full-time enrolled doctoral students who are not working outside of UNT. Assistantships typically pay for partial/full tuition and a monthly stipend. Students on assistantships are expected to provide a combination of the following services (i.e., Teaching Assistant, Teaching Fellow, or Research Assistant) for 20 hours/week. The assignments are made each semester based on department needs. Once admitted, students may request an application form to apply for an assistantship.
Admission to the doctoral program is a two-step process. First, each applicant must apply to and meet the general admission requirements of UNT's Toulouse Graduate School. Second, applicants must apply and be admitted into the Department of Educational Psychology for the specific program.
Step 1: Toulouse Graduate School application Apply through the Toulouse Graduate School at www.applytexas.org. See the Admission section of this catalog for Toulouse Graduate School application and admission requirements, or go to the graduate school website at tgs.unt.edu/future-students/graduate-admissions.
All requirements, including GPA, must be met before the department can begin reviewing an application.
Step 2: Departmental application requirements The detailed information can be found at https://coe.unt.edu/educational-psychology/graduate-admissions. For doctoral applicants, you will need:
- Three letters of recommendation from academic and/or professional references. These letters must be specifically written for the current application, signed by the reference, and printed on his/her official letterhead. Personal references are not accepted.
- Resume that delineates previous work, educational experiences, membership and involvement in professional organizations, and scholarly activities.
- 1-3 page professional statement that explicitly addresses your goals and rationale for applying to the desired concentration and degree at UNT. Include any research interests you have related to gifted and talented education. You may also list any specific faculty you wish to work with and reasons why.
- GRE is recommended but not required.
The doctoral program in educational psychology requires a minimum of 63 (78 hours if admitted without a Master’s degree) hours of course work and research experience.
Those entering the program without a master’s degree are expected to fulfill the following requirements, plus two core courses in the MS with a major in educational psychology, and a minimum of three additional graduate-level courses with the advisor’s approval.
Note: The following requirements are for students entering the program having completed a related master’s degree.
Educational psychology requirement, 9 hours
Major requirements, 21 hours
Concentration, 21 hours
Gifted and talented
Supervised research practice, 3 hours
Dissertation, 9 hours minimum
