PSY-525: Research & Program Evaluation

Introduction and skill development in the theory and practice of program evaluation. Students will examine various approaches to program evaluation and discuss how evaluation contributes to program development, implementation, and improvement for the benefit of consumers in mental health. In addition, students will; learn to discriminate between rigorous and weak evaluation designs (including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods designs), demonstrate understanding of the statistical methods used to analyze data gathered in program evaluation (including descriptive and inferential statistical methods), and discuss political, cultural, and ethical issues faced by program evaluators in conducting their work. Students will integrate the theory and practice of program evaluation by designing a technically sound and useful evaluation for a program of their choosing.