Ranked as one of the top 20 Educational Psychology graduate programs in the country, our Measurement and Statistics program will prepare you to work with data and the statistical and measurement tools to perform vital educational measurements. These measurements inform us about schools, students, teachers and how they perform. The program will prepare leaders in educational research to serve in various types of professional positions related to collecting, analyzing and interpreting educational statistics.
For those interested in conducting these important educational measurements, statistics, and assessments, Florida State offers both a master’s degree (online and on campus) and a doctoral degree. The master’s degree in Measurement and Statistics provides a theoretical and research background, but its emphasis is on building preliminary skills in educational measurement theory, statistical analysis, and evaluation. This degree can also complement a higher degree in a related discipline, such as Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Educational Psychology, or Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies. We also offer an 18-credit hour graduate certificate in Measurement and Statistics.
The Ph.D. in Measurement and Statistics emphasizes both advanced instruction and direct experience with educational measurement and applied statistics issues. Doctoral students develop and investigate the properties of statistical and psychometric techniques, or study challenging problems of assessment and educational data analysis in real-world contexts. Some students obtain hands-on psychometric experience via our internship program with the Florida Department of Education.
Finally, the Measurement and Statistics program staffs the College’s Statistical and Research Design Consulting Service. The Statistical and Research Design consultants help graduate students work on their dissertation research, solve study design issues, suggest analytical techniques or even help interpret statistical analyses. The consultants are advanced students in our Measurement & Statistics program.
Learn more about the research and teaching interests of our Measurement & Statistics faculty members by clicking on their names below:
- Russell Almond: Evidence-centered assessment design (ECD), Bayesian networks, Bayesian computation. Courses recently taught: EDF 5400 Basic Inferential and Descriptive Statistics; EDF 5404 Bayesian Data Analysis; EDF 5448 Scale and Instrument Development; EDF 5484 Educational Data Analysis; EDF 6937 Missing Data Analysis
- Yanyun Yang: Factor analysis, structural equation modeling, psychometrics. Courses recently taught: EDF 5406 Multivariate Analysis Applications; EDF 5409 Causal Modeling; EDF 6937 Advanced Structural Equation Modeling; EDF 6937 Measurement Invariance Analysis
- Qian Zhang: Longitudinal data analysis, multilevel modeling, missing data problems, and Bayesian analysis. Courses recently taught: EDF 5401 General linear modeling; EDF 7418 Multilevel Modeling; EDF 6937 Longitudinal Data Analysis
- Salih Binici: Test theory, large-scale assessment, and multilevel modeling. Binici is head of the Psychometric Office at the Florida Department of Education. Courses recently taught: EDF 5400 Basic Descriptive and inferential Statistics; EDF 5401 General Linear Models; EDF 5402 Advanced Topics in Analysis of Variance Applications; EDF 5435 Theory of Scaling and Equating; EDF 6057 Large-Scale Assessment
In order to meet minimum University admission requirements, an applicant must have:
- A bachelor’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA – An earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution, or a comparable degree from an international institution, with a minimum 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average (GPA) in all coursework attempted while registered as an upper-division undergraduate student working towards a bachelor’s degree
- A graduate degree with at least a 3.5 GPA – Applicants for Ph.D. programs must have an earned graduate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution, or a comparable degree from an international institution, with a minimum 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average (GPA).
- GRE test scores* – Official test results are required from the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). The Educational Testing Service (ETS) does not retain scores longer than five years. If your test scores are older than five years, you may have to retake the test to have official scores sent directly to FSU from the testing agency. If you have the official report that was mailed to your home address for older scores, then FSU will accept that report. FSU Institution Code: 5219.
- Target scores: Verbal – 50th percentile, Quantitative – 50th percentile, Analytical – 30th percentile
- *NOTE: The GRE requirements for master’s and specialist programs have been waived through Fall 2026.
- Language proficiency test (international students only) – FSU accepts scores from TOEFL (minimum 80), IELTS (minimum 6.5), MELAB (minimum 77), Cambridge C1 Advanced Level (minimum 180), Michigan Language Assessment (minimum 55), and Duolingo (minimum 120). International graduate applicants seeking teaching assistantships are required to pass the SPEAK test which evaluates the English-speaking ability of non-native speakers of English and is administered at Florida State. Students who receive a score of 26 or higher on the speaking section of the Internet-based TOEFL examination meet the University requirements to serve as a teaching assistant; however, some departments may still require that the student take the SPEAK test.
- Transcripts – Applicants must submit an official transcript from each college and/or university attended. Transcripts should be sent to the Office of Graduate Admissions electronically at graduateadmissions@fsu.edu or via mail in a sealed envelope:
- Florida State University
Office of Graduate Admissions
314 Westcott Building
P.O. Box 3061410
Tallahassee, FL 32306-1410
- Florida State University
For this program, the following supporting documents must be uploaded to the Admissions Application Portal:
- Personal Statement (1 required) – The personal statement should describe you purpose for pursuing a degree, qualifications, and long-term career goals and should be no more than 3 pages in length.
- Letters of Recommendation (3 required)
- Letters of recommendation should be written by persons who are in a position to comment on the likelihood of your success within the department.
- International students may, if they wish, substitute Confidential Report forms for letters of recommendation.
- Resume/Curriculum Vitae (1 required)
- Unofficial Transcripts – Include transcripts from all colleges attended. Uploading a copy will expedite the review process, though you must still send official copies to the Office of Admissions.
- Writing sample
Priority Application Submission Deadlines
- Summer and Fall admission: February 15
- Spring admission: October 1
We strongly recommend that Ph.D. applicants complete their applications early (by Dec 15) to be considered for fellowships beginning in the following Fall semester.
Final Application Submission Deadlines
- Summer admission: March 1
- Fall admission: July 1
- Spring admission: November 1
These are the final University deadlines by which all application materials must be received for applications to be reviewed.
- Master’s (on campus)
- Master's (online)
- Doctoral
- Scholarly Engagement Requirement
Our distinct program is designed to prepare you to serve in the following types of professional positions:
- Professor in measurement and statistics at a college or university
- Psychometrician for a commercial testing firm
- Educational measurement and/or educational statistics specialist for a test publisher or governmental licensing, certification, or assessment unit
- Director of measurement activities for a school or school system
- Measurement and educational statistics expert for a regional educational laboratory
Our graduates are currently employed by national organizations such as Harcourt Assessment, NCS Pearson, the American Association of Medical Colleges (sponsor of the Medical College Admissions Test), and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). Graduates hold academic positions at the University of Texas at Austin, Baylor College of Medicine, and the University of Costa Rica, among others.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be a 33.8% growth in the field of statistics through 2026, which translates into 12,600 new jobs. The national median wage for statisticians is $87,780 annually.
