Program Overview | Interdisciplinary Evaluation Science

By the Numbers

$1,028

per Credit

In order to maintain a strong, diverse and substantial pool of applicants, our tuition rate is designed to make us competitive, especially with our peer institutions.

30

Credits of Coursework

The M.S. in interdisciplinary evaluation science requires 30 credits of coursework at the graduate level. The 30 credits of coursework include 21 credits of required courses and a 9-credit concentration.

40+

Affiliated Faculty

Representing seven departments from colleges throughout UD, full-time faculty members — who are leaders in their field — share their individual expertise and unite to equip students with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed.

Welcome from the Team

Less than a year after introducing our interdisciplinary evaluation science program, we are excited to be very close to awarding our first degrees and certificates. We have been thrilled with the positive feedback we have received about our curriculum and the convenient delivery format.

Knowing that many of our prospective students are working professionals balancing jobs, families and other commitments, we have designed our program so that it can be completed entirely online. Though we would love to have the opportunity to meet you in person, all of the courses can be taken from anywhere you have a WiFi connection. If you are hesitant about committing to our master's degree at first, consider pursuing one of our certificates and applying all four courses to the degree if you decide to continue your studies.

Since the early planning stages, we recognized the need for us to have an interdisciplinary program and have been delighted by how eager the other UD colleges have been to work with us. Thanks to the collaboration we have been able to establish with nearly every UD college, we are leveraging campuswide academic expertise to prepare students for the myriad opportunities available in the emerging field of evaluation science.

More and more organizations are requiring program evaluation, and state funding mechanisms increasingly require evaluation of programs. They know in the long run that it’s a better use of resources. If you can determine early on that a program is not working, you will save money by making adjustments and decisions before unnecessary funds are spent on ineffective strategies. In just about any field now, there are programs where evaluation is needed.

Whether you are considering joining us from nearby or afar, enrolling full time or part time, or pursuing a degree or a certificate, please do not hesitate to reach out and let us know how we can help you decide if UD's interdisciplinary evaluation science program is right for you!

Sue Giancola

Program Director

giancola@udel.edu

302-831-4434

Jasmin Rivers

Graduate Services Coordinator

jarivers@udel.edu

302-831-4933

Learn More about the 40+ Affiliated Faculty >

Have questions about the program, or just interested in learning more? Inquire today, and someone from the program will reach out to you.

PROGRAM STORY

Launched in 2023 to help fill the growing need for solid, science-based assessments of social programs and policies in schools, governments, healthcare and other industries, the University of Delaware master's degree in interdisciplinary evaluation science provides working professionals with an online program that can be done full time or part time.

Evaluation science not only has the power to objectively measure policy outcomes and gauge success, it has been designed so that stakeholders can use the appraisals to modify and improve the programs earlier in the process. After getting its start as a way to assess educational and social programs in the 1960s and 1970s, evaluation science is now embraced by many other fields.

Graduates of UD’s program could find themselves working in government, at research firms, in schools, with healthcare providers or many other places. Housed within the Graduate College, students select their own area of focus from nine areas of concentration developed in partnerships with six UD colleges.

LEARNER OUTCOMES

The successful graduate of the M.S. in interdisciplinary evaluation science program will be able to:

Explain the historical and philosophical underpinnings of evaluation and their implications for evaluation practice.
Apply the ethical standards and guiding principles of the profession, including striving for cultural competence.
Explain the logic of evaluation/research design, including mixed-method designs.
Collect and analyze both quantitative and qualitative data.
Develop specialized knowledge in a methodological or content area.
Conduct an evaluation, including negotiating evaluation questions, developing program theory, creating evaluation plans and associated budgets, collecting and analyzing data, interpreting and reporting results, and disseminating and facilitating the use of findings.
Collaborate and communicate effectively with stakeholders at all levels of evaluation, including policymakers, program/policy leadership, staff and participants.

From our StudentS

LAUREN CAMPHAUSEN

M.S. student, Interdisciplinary Evaluation Science, 2025

“It was absolutely the perfect match for what I was working on professionally. They really have done a lot with the design of it for working professionals like myself. So it was an easy degree to take on while I was working full time.”
McKenna Halverson

Certificate candidate, Program Evaluation, 2023

Ph.D. candidate, Human Development and Family Sciences, 2025

“The certificate program has enhanced my knowledge of evaluation strategies and made me more competitive on the job market. I have been able to provide insights from what I have learned to my professional work and also apply two of the four courses to my Ph.D. requirements.”
Amber Wool

Certificate student, Program Evaluation, 2023

"The folks at UD have been really approachable. We have weekly office hours over Zoom, and they record the lectures in case you aren’t able to make it. It is very easy to be engaged and get the support I need.”