Evaluation, Measurement and Research Programs

The EMR certificate and degree programs seek to develop scholars, evaluators and leaders who have a comprehensive understanding and ability to integrate and utilize inquiry methods from multiple ontologies / epistemologies / paradigms to address research and evaluative questions directed towards understanding and solving pressing problems and contributing to the knowledge base that informs practice.

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“The EMR faculty are exceptional mentors who actively involve students in their research pipelines, encouraging us to apply what we learn and collaborate on projects that build real-world research experience.”
— Alycia Sterenberg, Ph.D. '22
“The EMR program helped me master program evaluation and assessment, strengthen my data analysis and research skills, and develop expertise in evidence-based decision making. It also gave me a solid foundation in public service evaluation that I continue to build on in my professional work.”
— Christopher Shank (M.A. '18, Ph.D. '24)
“Through my studies in EMR, I gained a strong foundation in survey design and analysis, policy evaluation, research design, and measurement theory—skills that have been essential in my work as an evaluator.”
— Caryn Davidson (Ph.D. '23)

Frequently Asked Questions

All EMR degree and certificate programs are offered for both on-campus (Kalamazoo) for traditional students (both full and part-time) and online. Students interested in the online programs must decide at the point of application/admissions. WMU does not allow a student to change their status once admitted. In EMR, there are a limited number of “online admission” annually. If you are a student interested in this learning format, it is recommended to apply early due to the online enrollment cap.

Schools and non-school organizations, institutions of higher education, government and non-governmental organizations, anyplace decisions are made need EMR graduates in leadership and teaching positions wherever systematic inquiry can be leveraged to improve decision making.

Career Possibilities
  • Assessment specialist
  • Data analyst
  • Evaluation coordinator
  • External evaluator
  • Internal evaluator
  • Measurement consultant
  • Monitoring specialist
  • Policy associate
  • Program officer
  • Project manager
  • Quality assurance manager
  • Research analyst
  • Statistical programmer
Employment Opportunities
Interview preparation

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Certificate and Masters programs
  • Rolling-admission, application are reviewed as soon as they are complete in the online admission system.
PhD program
  • Applications Deadlines: The admissions deadline for students hoping to start the program Spring semester is October 15 and for the Fall semester start is January 15.
  • EMR has permanently suspended the GRE requirement as an admission requirement.