Qualitative Research Consortium (QuaRC)

Affiliated faculty members in the College of Education Qualitative Inquiry program assemble as QuaRC (Qualitative Research Consortium). QuaRC has worked within the College since the 2010-2011 school year to cultivate understandings about qualitative research among faculty members and students. QuaRC developed the doctoral Certificate in Qualitative Research and staffs the committee that oversees it, develops robust and consistent offering of introductory and advanced classes, provides professional learning experiences on qualitative research methodologies, methods, and/or theories, and updates the qualitative research curriculum in courses that serve graduate students across the College and beyond.

QuaRC Listserv

QuaRC has established a listserv for faculty, staff, graduate students and research practitioners to stay informed about opportunities in qualitative research, workshops, and new courses.

Certificate in Qualitative Research (CQR)

The graduate Certificate in Qualitative Research (CQR) will prepare doctoral students in theories, methodologies, and methods of qualitative research including, but not limited to:

• interviews
• observations
• focus groups
• data production through visual artifacts
• document analysis
• discourse analysis
• multi-modal analysis
• ethnography
• community-based and participatory inquiry
• narrative inquiry
• social theories
• paradigmatic concepts that shape research decisions and designs
• and more (see link below for upcoming courses)

The CQR offers new strategies that contribute greatly to professional and academic research projects.

Graduates will be poised to be leaders in their respective fields and to share with others, through future scholarship, the contributions of qualitative methodologies and methods.

Requirements

CQR students must complete 18 hours of approved coursework, as outlined below, with a grade of at least a B in all courses. In addition, because the CQR is for degree-seeking doctoral students, students must be in “good standing” with their current degree program. The CQR plan of study includes the following:

• Qualitative Research Methods 1*
• Qualitative Research Methods 2 (3 Credit Hours)
• Combination Advanced Methodology, Theory, and/or Methods in Qualitative Research (Minimum 12 Credit Hours)**
• Qualitative Research Internship (Minimum 3 Credit Hours)

*Qualitative Research 1 is a prerequisite and does not count towards the 18 credit hours for the CQR.

 ** By a combination of theory, methodology, and methods classes, the committee is looking for a mixture and a strong rationale about why the four classes chosen meet your research interests and future goals. Not all four classes can be solely theory or methodology or methods, but rather a mixture. If the committee is unsure about a course, they will request a syllabi to review.

   If you would like feedback on the four courses you are selecting to meet this requirement prior to submitting your initial plan of study form, feel free to email the CQR committee with email address below, they are happy to provide feedback.

Forms

Initial Plan of Study form – The CQR committee recommends that students submit the Initial Plan of Study form before taking the coursework.

Completion form – Please submit the Completion form after completing the coursework on the Initial Plan of Study. The certificate must be approved no later than one semester prior to conferral of degree. For example, if the student graduates in May, the Completion form must be submitted by the Oct. 1 deadline of the prior semester.

Form for Application for Graduate Change of Program, Degree, Emphasis, or Adviser – Click here to see a SAMPLE form filled out. As noted in the Completion form, students must also fill out two forms for the Graduate School to approve the certificate. This Application for Graduate Change of Program, Degree, Emphasis or Advisor is used to ADD the Qualitative Research Certificate to the current program of study. Please complete the form, following the sample form and these additional guidelines:

• Student Signature: Please ensure you have signed and dated the form in the middle of the page.
• Program Change Section, 8: Your home department and emphasis area is your “current program/dept.”  Please complete the left side of this section with that information.  The “new program/dept.” is the part of the form to indicate that the Qualitative Research Certificate is being added. Unless you are in Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum (LTC), Academic Program for the certificate willbe different from your own; please complete this right side of the section exactly as the sample form indicates.
• Academic Program ONLY: The LTC Graduate Support Staff will complete this portion of the form.  Please do not complete any portion of this section.  We will indicate the certificate is to be ADDED to your program.

Form deadlines

Students must submit  forms (whether they are proposing their initial plan of study or submitting their completion form) by:

• Oct. 1 for fall term
• March 1 for spring term

Contact

For more information about the certificate in qualitative research, email Qualcertificate@missouri.edu.