Designing and Conducting Focus Groups
2025 Dates
Section 1: January 13-14, 2025
Section 2: January 15-16, 2025
Section 3: March 10-11, 2025
Register for academic credit: See ‘Graduate Credit Option’ below.
Register for continuing education
About the Course
These two-day courses on designing and conducting focus groups are useful prior to, during and after programs, events or experiences. They are helpful in assessing needs, generating information, developing plans, testing new programs and ideas, improving existing programs and evaluating outcomes.
This course is an interactive, intensive (yet enjoyable) overview of focus group procedures that can be used in public and non-profit environments. Practical approaches to determining the appropriate use of focus group studies, design options, developing questions, recruiting participants, moderating skills, and analyzing and reporting results are emphasized.
Course Objectives
At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to:
- Describe the process and procedures for planning successful focus group studies
- Demonstrate ability to moderate focus groups
- Develop workable and useful questions for focus group studies
- Identify several strategies for analyzing focus group results
About the Instructors
John M. LaVelle, PhD, is a University of Minnesota Assistant Professor in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development. LaVelle’s work focuses on the formal development of the evaluation profession including evaluation theory and practice, research on evaluation, the teaching of evaluation, and more.
Tentative Schedule
Focus Group sessions will be meeting in-person on the Twin Cities campus.
Day 1
| 8:30am | Class Begins Overview of Focus Groups |
| 9:45am | Break A Focus Group Experience & Moderator Skills |
| 11:00am | Break Moderator Skills continued How Organizations are Using Focus Groups |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Asking Questions that Yield Powerful Information |
| 2:00pm | Break Developing a Questioning Route |
| 3:00pm | Break Analysis of Focus Groups – Part 1 |
| 4:00pm | Individual Consultations & Questions |
| 4:30pm | Adjourn |
Day 2
| 8:30am | Practice Sessions |
| 10:30am | Break Analysis of Focus Groups – Part 2 |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Analysis continued |
| 2:00pm | Break Selecting, Inviting, Incentives: Focus Group Participants – Getting People to Attend |
| 3:00pm | Break Special Problems with Focus Groups Equipment, Environment & Participants Determining the Cost of a Focus Group Study Reporting Focus Group Results Summary & Evaluation |
| 4:00pm | Individual Consultations & Questions |
| 4:30pm | Adjourn |
Non-Credit Continuing Education Registration
The registration fee for this two-day workshop is $595. You will receive an email letter outlining program logistics two weeks prior to the start of the workshop.
Requests for refunds will be honored in full if a written cancellation request is received 7 days prior to the course date. After that date, a $50 administration fee will be charged to all refund requests. The Centers for Public Health Education and Outreach (CPHEO) reserves the right to cancel any course. In the event of a course cancellation, registrants will receive a full refund of the program registration fee. CPHEO is not responsible for refunds of travel or other costs incurred by registrants.
The Centers for Public Health Education and Outreach will provide a certificate of attendance verifying 1.5 CEUs (15 contact hours) offered for this program.
Non-credit registration begins on November 1 and can be accessed through the University Learning site: z.umn.edu/CEFocusGroups
Graduate Credit Option
Admitted Students:
Participants admitted to a University of Minnesota degree program will follow University of Minnesota registration procedures for the spring semester. The course is PubH 7250 and is offered for one semester graduate credit. If a permission number is needed, please email Meghan Taylor (tayl0427@umn.edu).
Non Admitted Students:
Participants who are not admitted to a University of Minnesota degree program may also register for graduate credit. Complete the form below, scan and email it to Meghan Taylor, who will complete your registration for the course. The student must complete parts 1, 2, and 4 of the form. Non-admitted students must make arrangements for University of Minnesota credit by January 8 or March 5, depending on your chosen session. If you have questions or need help registering, please email Meghan Taylor at tayl0427@umn.edu.
View Registration Form (PDF)
Fees:
Your University of Minnesota student account will bill you for tuition and fees. Other student fees may apply depending on your student status and credit load for the spring semester. Tuition and fees for students enrolled in other University of Minnesota colleges and departments apply.
Enrollment is limited. Early registration is encouraged.
