Admission Requirements

Applicants are considered on an individual basis. Applicants must submit transcripts from the last 60 hours of undergraduate work and from all postbaccalaureate work. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

• Baccalaureate Field No restrictions.
• Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate study and for all postbaccalaureate coursework.
• Tests Required None.
• Minimum English Competency Test Score
  • TOEFL iBT 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (Note: Total score is higher than the sum of the subscores), OR,
  • IELTS Academic 6.5, with 6.0 in each of the four subscores, OR,
  • PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.
• Letters of Recommendation Three letters from faculty members or others familiar with the applicant’s previous academic training, academic and research ability, and experience.
• Personal Statement This required statement must address the applicant’s professional and scholarly goals.
• Deadlines Application deadlines for this program are listed on the Graduate College website.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:

• Minimum Semester Hours Required
  • Educational Leadership and Policy Concentration: 100 semester hours from the baccalaureate degree, 68 from the master’s degree.
  • Social Foundations of Education Concentration: 100 semester hours from the baccalaureate degree, 68 from the master’s degree.
• Coursework
  • Required Course Hours
    • Educational Leadership and Policy Concentration—Minimum beyond the master's: 32 semester hours in required courses, 12 in required concentration-specific courses, 12 in elective courses.
    • Social Foundations of Education Concentration—Minimum beyond the master's: 32 semester hours in required courses, 16 in required and selective concentration-specific courses, 8 in elective courses.

Educational Leadership and Policy (ELP) Concentration

Social Foundations of Education Concentration

Other Requirements 

• Examinations

  • Comprehensive Written Qualifying Examination: Required. Successful completion of the comprehensive exam qualifies students to enter the dissertation proposal stage of the program. The examination focuses on program curriculum, the student’s area of concentration, and research methods. No student with a cumulative GPA below 3.00/4.00 will be permitted to take the qualifying examination. Students who fail to pass all components after the second attempt will be recommended by the program faculty to the Graduate College for dismissal from the program.

  • Preliminary Examination: Required. The preliminary examination is taken at the completion of all course work. The examination is primarily oral but may contain a written component. The primary purpose of the preliminary examination is review and approval of the dissertation proposal and admission of the student to degree candidacy.

• Dissertation Required. Students must earn at least 12 semester hours in EDPS 599.

• Other Requirements All students must complete a training course sponsored by the Office for the Vice Chancellor for Research on the ethics of conducting research with human subjects. Students are required to submit an annual report of their academic and professional progress.

Interdepartmental Concentrations

Students earning a graduate degree in this department may complement their courses by enrolling in select concentrations after consulting with their graduate advisor. Interdepartmental concentrations available for this degree include:

• Black Studies 
• Gender and Women's Studies
• Violence Studies