Information and Requirements

Beginning Fall 2014, all EDP doctoral students admitted without a master’s in the field must complete an en-route master’s before receiving the doctoral degree.

What is an en-route Master's: En-route degrees in EDP are only available to students currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program at UT Austin. It is a master's degree that the doctoral student earns during their doctoral studies (en-route to the PhD). 

Students may choose to earn an en-route master's in their current program area, or another. For en-route master's in the same specialization as the doctoral degree, most course requirements will already be fulfilled as part of the doctoral degree program.  Some students choose an en-route master's in an area outside their area of specialization - these en-route degrees involve a varying amount of additional coursework and requirements, depending on the student's chosen electives during their PhD program.

Many of the en-route degree options include a Master's Report, Thesis or Portfolio. For these degree options, students often have already completed the majority of the Master's Report/Thesis/Portfolio requirements as part of their required course preparation for the Qualifying Process examination. Therefore, students often turn their Qualifying Process document into a Master’s Report/Thesis/Portfolio to fulfill the en-route requirement. Some advisers will permit a student simply to reformat their Qualifying Process document so that it meets the requirements of the Graduate School. Other advisers may require the addition of a section that includes the application of the topic to the master’s degree. 

Any student earning an en-route master’s degree must contact the Graduate Coordinator (1) as soon as the en-route degree is decided upon, and (2) the semester prior to graduation. In order to earn the degree, after receiving clearance from the Graduate Coordinator, students will apply online to graduate with their master’s on the Graduate School website at the start of the semester in which they will be completing all the master's degree requirements. 

En-Route Master's Options

M.A. Specialization: Human Development, Culture, and Learning Sciences 

This en-route master's degree is intended for HDCLS doctoral students, and is not designed for students wishing a terminal master’s degree. 

M.Ed. Specialization: Quantitative Methods

This en-route Master's is available for both Educational Psychology and out-of-department doctoral students. An application is required for all students interested in this degree, with the exception of current EDP-Quantitative Methods doctoral students. More information and application >

M.A. Specialization: School Psychology

This en-route master's degree is intended for School Psychology doctoral students, and is not designed for students wishing a terminal master’s degree (the en-route degree substantially differs from the terminal masters in School Psychology). This en-route MA can, with appropriate practica, lead to licensure as a Psychological Associate in the State of Texas. SP students planning to pursue a career in clinical work are usually advised to choose the specialization in School Psychology. Students who plan to pursue a career in academia may prefer one of the non-clinical en-route master’s degree options.  

S.S.P. Specialization: School Psychology

This en-route master's is intended for School Psychology doctoral students. If paired with a school-based internship, it is designed to prepare students for licensure as a Specialist in School Psychology in the state of Texas. Note that students who earn a PhD in School Psychology at UT are also eligible for LSSP licensure. This en-route MA overlaps with, but is different from, the MA in School Psychology option listed above. 

LSSP Requirements: Note that an internship is required to pursue licensure as an LSSP. Please view the LSSP Requirements from the Psychologists’ Licensing Act and Rules and Regulations of the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (published July 1, 2005).

M.A. Specialization: Counseling Psychology

This en-route master's is intended for Counseling Psychology doctoral students. This en-route degree is not a license-eligible master's, and is not available as a terminal master's degree. Students who plan to pursue a career in clinical work are advised to choose the specialization in Counseling Psychology, since a clinically-oriented master’s degree is preferred by some internships settings. Students who plan to pursue a career in academia may prefer one of the non-clinical master’s degree options.