Is an undergraduate major in education required for admission?

No. As a matter of fact, a thorough preparation in any of the traditional liberal arts or social science areas would be an advantage.

Re: GRE Scores

Will the department treat my application as incomplete if I don’t have official GRE scores?

No. Self-reported scores are OK, but acceptance will not be finalized until in the official GRE scores are in.

What if my scores are low?

Your overall profile—which includes seriousness of purpose and the compatibility of your intellectual interests with the department’s—is what counts. In other words, low scores in and of themselves will not sink an application any more than high scores alone will clinch it.

Re: Post-Baccalaureate status:

Under certain conditions (as specified in the Graduate Bulletin) you may indeed take a course or two without applying formally to the department first. But as the Bulletin also makes plain, “post-baccalaureate status is not a form of probationary admission….” Masters students may transfer in up to nine credit hours.

Re: Timing my Application

Are there deadlines for filing? Yes. October 1 for admission in the spring; February 1 for summer or fall. Files do not circulate during the summer months. Admission decisions are made during the regular academic year only.

How soon can I expect a decision?

In two to three weeks after the deadline.

Remember your application will not be reviewed by the department until you've been accepted by the Graduate School, a process which can take two weeks or more after they receive your materials. And don't forget that letters of reference must be in our hands by the due dates. Without them, your file is incomplete.

Re: Required courses and sequence:

The proseminar (EPE 601, one credit hour) is the only required course in the department. It is offered twice a year, in the fall and the spring. For masters and doctoral students alike, the proseminar serves as an introduction to the department and to graduate study more generally. Students working toward a master’s degree choose courses based on the guidelines of their particular program—Social & Philosophical Studies, the Student Affairs concentration, and so on—as well as the recommendations of their faculty advisor. Doctoral students determine an appropriate sequence of courses with their advisor and their program committee in anticipation of the problem or issues they mean to address in their dissertation.

Re: Completing the degree

How much time does it take?

It all depends on which degree you’re seeking, and whether you attend full-time or part time. As a rule, masters students complete their program at more or less the same time that they complete the course work (30 hours). For doctoral students, however, once the course work is completed, the qualifying examination and the dissertation stage of the program begin. Two years or more to complete the dissertation after the exam is not unusual.

Department of Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Updated on July 17, 2008 17:54 by the Webmaster - Content by Dr. Beth Goldstein