How to Apply to Graduate Programs

Applications for all graduate programs are processed throughout the year. Specialization faculty review applications regularly during the academic year. You should apply at least six months before the term in which you wish to enroll, particularly if you are an international applicant. Admission decisions for the Ph.D., Ed.D., and M.A. programs are made by the Graduate School, which takes into account the recommendation of the department's director of graduate studies.

Faculty will review your application to the program for evidence of your potential for scholarship and leadership in professional practice, your commitment to a career built upon the degree, and your ability to complete a rigorous program of study. We seek students with undergraduate GPAs of 3.0 or higher, and post-baccalaureate GPAs of 3.4 or higher.

Graduate Record Examination

General Test scores for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE - IMPORTANT: Changes to the GRE Testing System) are required and considered in the admission decision of all applicants except international students who did not complete the bachelor's degree in the United States. A minimum scale score of 450 is expected in each of the General Test areas—verbal, quantitative, and analytical. A new analytical writing component (with scores ranging from a low of 1 to a high of 6) replaced the old analytical component on October 1, 2002. The department has not yet set a minimum score for the new analytical writing component. Scores for the old analytical component will be accepted until October 1, 2004. Applicants are not required to take any of the GRE subject tests.

International applicants whose native language is not English are required to take a test of English proficiency. Applicants may submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB), or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The English language proficiency standard for international students is a TOEFL score of 550 (213 on the computer-based test), a MELAB score of 80, or an IELTS score of 6.5. International students who will have completed 24 quarter or 16 semester credits (within the past 24 months) in residence as a full-time student at a recognized institution of higher learning in the United States before entering the University of Minnesota are exempt from the testing requirement, but may be asked to take locally administered English tests after arrival on campus.

Prospective students may register for the GRE (IMPORTANT: Changes to the GRE Testing System) General Test online and select a testing location at http://www.gre.org. Students may also call or write the Educational Testing Service.

Graduate Record Examination
Educational Testing Service
P. O. Box 600
Princeton, NJ 08541-6000
Phone: 609-771-7670

The computer-adaptive GRE (IMPORTANT: Changes to the GRE Testing System) General Test is available year-round at Sylvan Technology Centers. Scores from the computer test are reported 10-15 days after the test is taken. You also may take the computer-adaptive GRE General Test at the University Counseling and Consulting Services.

Contact the director of graduate studies if you have old GRE scores that can be verified. Students who have taken the GRE within the last 5 years may request their scores be sent to the University of Minnesota. The Institution Code for the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis/St. Paul campus is R6874. Department Codes within the field of education include:

Additional institution and department codes can be found at http://www.gre.org/codelst.html.

Professional Goal Statement

Applicants submitting the paper application should enclose with their application form their professional goal statement (1 to 2 pages) and résumé. Applicants using the "Apply Yourself" online application should complete their personal goal statement and work history as part of the application and do not need to provide separate documents. For any applicant, the department may request letters of recommendation, an interview, or other evidence at the time the application is being evaluated.