Admission Requirements

Applicants are considered on an individual basis. The following requirements for admissions represent recommended minimum levels of performance. Decisions are made on the strength of the overall evidence of academic and professional capacities and on available enrollment space. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

• Baccalaureate Field No restrictions.
• Grade Point Average
  • Strand A—Licensure option: Requires a 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of undergraduate study, a 3.00 for any postbaccalaureate/graduate course work, with the exception of a 2.50/4.00 in a science field.
  • Strand B—Nonlicensure option: Requires a 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter) hours of undergraduate study and for all postbaccalaureate/graduate course work.
• Tests Required No tests are required for admission. There are tests required for Illinois licensure and endorsement that may be completed while completing the program. See the Illinois State Board of Education website for the most current information concerning Educator Licensure Testing Information.
• 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 addressing the applicant’s academic qualifications, teaching experience, and ability to carry on advanced degree studies. Letters should be from current or former professors or supervisors.
• Other Requirements
  • Strand A—Licensure option: A 3–4-page statement addressing the applicant’s commitment to and/or experiences working with youth or teaching, and experiences with learning science. The Science Education concentration also requires a minimum of 18 hours (toward the total hours required) in the science area the applicant would like to teach and an interview with advisory staff. This concentration requires transcripts from all undergraduate and postbaccalaureate work.
  • Strand B—Nonlicensure option: A 3–4-page statement of the professional goals addressing the applicant’s reasons for pursuing this MEd and relevant background and experiences with urban education and science education.
• Submit materials required by the specific concentration directly to the College of Education online. All materials must be submitted by the stated application deadlines. Applicants should give themselves enough time to gather all materials (especially letters of recommendation) and submit them by the deadline.
• Deadlines The application deadlines for the MEd in Science Education are earlier than the Graduate College deadline; contact the College of Education for information on current deadlines.

Degree Requirements

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

• Minimum Semester Hours Required
  • Strand A—Licensure option: 32 hours. Note that students complete additional hours (12) to earn an Illinois Professional Education Licence (PEL) in Secondary Science Education.
  • Strand B—Nonlicensure option: 32–36 hours
• Coursework

Strand A—Licensure Option

Strand B—Nonlicensure Option 

 Other Requirements

• Comprehensive Examination None.
• Thesis, Project, or Coursework-Only Options Coursework only. No other options are available.

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
• Museum and Exhibition Studies