Evaluation & Applied Research

CGU’s online Master of Science in Evaluation & Applied Research—designed with the acclaimed Claremont Evaluation Center (CEC)—helps you build your evaluation and research expertise, and empowers you to make a meaningful impact.

You’ll work to craft a wide range of education, health, well-being, and positive psychology initiatives. In line with competencies set by the American Evaluation Association (AEA), the largest network of professional evaluators in the country, this degree program will prepare you for a rewarding career in applied research and evaluation with a foundation in state-of-the-art scientific knowledge and mixed-method approaches for creating positive social change. We are proud to offer a program that incorporates culturally responsive, equitable approaches to evaluators as a critical competency for valid, rigorous evaluation practice.

Program Highlights

• Learn what makes evaluators and applied researchers distinct as practicing professionals
• Develop an in-depth understanding of evidence-based responsive and equitable systemic inquiry
• Understand the unique circumstances, multiple perspectives, and changing settings of evaluation and applied research and their users/stakeholders
• Focus on determining and monitoring work plans, timelines, resources, and other components needed to complete and deliver an evaluation or applied research study
• Develop an understanding of the human relations and social interactions that ground evaluators’ and applied researchers’ effectiveness for professional practice
• Understand the role of education in promoting positive social change

Who should apply

• Working professionals seeking the flexibility of an online master’s degree program
• Individuals seeking skills to improve decisions, programs, and policies in a wide variety of settings, including education, health and well-being, and positive psychology
• Professionals seeking a national or international applied research and evaluation career
• Professionals seeking to further their practice in a changing cultural landscape

Career Outcomes

• Program evaluation is a leading resource in government and human services sectors, as policymakers rely on data-driven research and evaluation as a decision-making tool for programs and funding sources
• As organizations grow to meet an inclusive society, evaluators and applied researchers with competencies in equitable approaches become increasingly in demand
• There are approximately 115,000 program evaluation positions in the U.S. and the field is expected to grow by 27 percent between 2016 and 2026
• Job titles include: Monitoring and Evaluation Analyst, Research Analyst, Outcomes Specialist, Evaluation Consultant, Research Strategy Analyst, Senior Research Analyst, Evaluation and Research Manager, Inspector General, Chief Evaluation Officer

The CGU Experience, Expanded

A hallmark of a CGU education is the ability to participate in purposefully-small classes that give you the maximum amount of interaction with your peers and your professor. This not only contributes to a powerful learning environment, but also forges strong peer and mentoring relationships that last long after you have completed the class.

The CGU online experience focuses on the same type of intimate, collaborative learning that is found on campus:

• Synchronous online class sessions that give you valuable face-to-face time with your professor and your peers
• Interactive, intimate classes taught by the same faculty that teach on campus
• Collaborative hands-on class projects that foster meaningful interaction with peers around the country and the world

Learn more about the CGU online experience