Basic Admission Requirements and Criteria

The basic admission requirements listed below are needed for most School of Education graduate programs. However, please refer to your specific program of interest for full details about admission requirements. For additional information, including endorsements, approvals and certifications requirements available within academic programs, please contact us at edgradadmissions@depaul.edu.

A completed School of Education Graduate Application
A $40.00 application fee
A bachelor's degree conferred by an accredited college or university (with the exception of those applying to the TEACH program)
All official transcripts in sealed envelopes from each college or university attended
Resume showing evidence of adequate background for the program
Personal Statement indicating professional goals and related experiences (please check program specific requirements for length and preferred topics)
Letters of recommendation (number of letters vary per program)

Basic Recommendation Guidelines

Admission materials can be submitted in a variety of methods:

If you are submitting materials via email please put "Admission Materials"in the subject and be sure to include your name as it is listed on your application to edgradadmissions@depaul.edu.

We will also accept materials via fax at 773.325.2270

When submitting materials in the mail please send to address below:

DePaul University

Office of Graduate Admission

School of Education

2400 North Sheffield Avenue

Chicago Illinois 60614

Each program has a list of program specific requirements in addition to the basic admission criteria listed above that applicants should adhere to when applying. Please click on your program to additional or specific requirements needed to apply:

Bilingual Bicultural Education,M.A.,M.Ed

Two letters of recommendation from professors or supervisors
Statement of purpose indicating professional development goals and related experience (750 words)

Combined Bachelor's-Master's Secondary Education (TEACH)

To be eligible for the five-year bachelor's -master's degree secondary education program, students must:

Be enrolled in a declared Liberal Arts and Sciences major
Have reached junior status with at least 88 completed quarter hours and at least 16 completed quarter hours at DePaul
Have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher
Be enrolled in or completed the prerequisite junior year Experiential Learning course, TCH 320

Students must submit the following materials in addition to the basic requirements:

Completed School of Education supplemental application form Two letters of recommendation from professors (at least one from faculty member in your disciplinary area)
Statement of purpose indicating professional development goals and related experience (750 words)

Counseling Program,M.A.,M.ED

Three letters of recommendation: one from a professor addressing your academic ability, one from a work supervisor and one from either another professor or supervisor.
Interview with program faculty upon request.
Personal Statement should be 3-4 pages double spaced and typed and should tell us about your career goals, your motivation for becoming a counselor and what you hope to accomplish in the Counseling program. Describe your personal and professional experiences as well as characteristics that you believe support your application.

To do so, please respond to the following questions:

What is your motivation for becoming a counselor?
What are your short and long term professional goals
What are your expectations of the CSL program and how do you envision the program fulfilling those expectations?
The roles of the counselor are multiple and include listener, advocate, leader, consultant, multiculturalist, educator, and group leader. From your perspective, please rank the roles of a counselor in terms of importance and provide a rationale discussing your placement of the top three roles
What roles have been most comfortable for you in a group setting? Describe what made these roles comfortable for you?
We are often faced with situations which do not turn out as we had planned. How do you handle situations where you don't see things going in the way that you would like?

Certification Only Option

If you are applying for School Counseling-Certification only, you must have a master's degree with a clinical discipline and submit the following:

All official transcripts
Personal statement addressing the six questions listed above
One letter of recommendation from a clinical supervisor or professional colleague attesting to your ability to work with school-age clients

Curriculum Studies, M.A.,M.ED

Two years of successful teaching, pupil personnel work or other appropriate work experience
Two letters of recommendation from professors or supervisors
Evidence of background for the program
Personal Statement that describes your accomplishments since receiving your bachelors degree. Please communicate your ultimate career goals and indicate which curriculum studies concentration you would like to pursue (remember that we also have an individually designed concentration option.

Dual Certification,M.A.,M.ED

Two letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a person familiar with your academic work
An interview with the admissions committee
A writing sample (ie: a term paper, seminar paper or senior thesis or portion thereof)
A personal statement indicating reasons for wanting to enter the program and explain your future career goals

Early Childhood Education,M.A.,M.ED

Two letters of recommendation from professors or supervisors
Interview with program advisor, upon request
Personal Statement should explain your reasons for wanting to become a certified educator of young children (it: birth through age eight years) In your rationale, include how you envision working with young children, their families and their communities. Use any specific experiences or events that have shaped your thinking to clarify or illustrate your point

Educational Leadership,M.A.,M.ED

Two years of successful teaching or other appropriate work experience
Two letters of recommendation from professors or supervisors
Evidence of adequate background for program
Personal Statement should be a typed, double spaced document and should be between 2- 4 pages. Your statement should adhere to the following guidelines: Reflecting on the School of Education's conceptual framework, please describe your goals and how it relates to your interest in the educational leadership program and what assumptions, thoughts and conclusions have you developed regarding working in this urban context and what evidence from your own experiences, interests and skills support these thoughts and conclusions? In writing about an issue in urban education, many applicants will consider issues of diversity, socio-economics, equity and reform as relevant. Please also describe what role(s) you have played and/or wish to play as an educational leader in the future. For more information on our conceptual framework as you reflect on your statement click here.

Elementary Education,M.A.,M.ED

Two letters of recommendation from professors or supervisors
Interview with program advisor, upon request
Personal Statement should explain reasons for wanting to enter the elementary or middle school program at DePaul and discuss your potential for becoming a teacher. Use any specific experiences or events that have shaped your thinking to clarify or illustrate your point

Middle School Mathematics,M.S.

Copy of valid elementary or secondary teaching certificate
Two letters of recommendation: one from a colleague speaking to your ability to work with others, your work ethic and your commitment to the goals of the program and one from a school or district administrator attesting to your ability as an educator.
Statement of purpose that describes yourself as a mathematics learner and your long-term career goals. Address a time when you felt you were most and least effective as a mathematics teacher and what happened to students in both scenarios
Resume showing evidence of adequate background for the program
MSME Supplemental Application Form- click here

Please Note: Application fees will be waived for applicants of the Middle School Mathematics program who are Chicago Public School Teachers based on a grant initiative.

Reading Specialist,M.A.,M.Ed

One year of successful teaching experience
Two letters of recommendation from professors or supervisors
Evidence of adequate background for program
Evidence of Illinois Core Teaching, Language Arts, and Technology Skills
Personal Statement should discuss your future goals and your thoughts about what a Reading Specialist can contribute to a school. As a part of your statement, please consider the following: the possible tasks/roles of a reading specialist are multiple and include classroom reading instruction, specialized instruction for students with reading difficulties, providing reading enrichment, staff development and reading curriculum development. From your perspective, rank the task/roles and discuss your rationale for the top roles

Secondary Education,M.A.,M.Ed

Two letters of recommendation from professors or supervisors
Interview with program advisor, upon request
Please explain in your personal statement your reasons for wanting to become a middle school or secondary educator and discuss your potential for becoming a teacher

Social & Cultural Foundations in Education,M.A.,M.Ed

Three letters of recommendation, at least two must speak to the applicant's academic performance and potential
A personal statement indicating reasons for wanting to enter the program and what you have done since receiving a bachelor's degree
Resume
A writing sample (ie: a term paper, seminar paper or senior thesis or portion thereof)
Students entering the program must be able and willing to commit themselves to a program that requires time and intense work. Students applying to the program are expected to show strong promise to do rigorous, critical, and creative intellectual work, be critically self reflective about their ideas, attitudes and values as well as show commitment to the academic goals of the program overall

Special Education,M.A.,M.Ed

Must have an Illinois teaching certificate
Two letters of recommendation from professors or supervisors
Evidence of adequate background for the program
Personal Statement should discuss your future goals and your thoughts about your career as a special educator. As a part of your statement, please consider the following: there are multiple roles of a special education teacher. They include team teacher with general educators, inclusion specialist, specialized instruction for exceptional students, advocate for exceptional students, multiculturalists, and provider of staff development. From your perspective, rank the task/roles and discuss your rationale for the top roles
Interview with program advisor upon request

World Languages,M.A.,M.Ed

Two letters of recommendation
Personal statement should describe any formal or informal teaching experiences you have had, your reasons for wanting to become an educator and your employment experiences

Educational Doctorate Admission Process

The admissions process reflects and enacts the principles and values of the program regarding engagement, reflection, the exercise of agency, working for change, and a commitment to professional development and learning. To do this, it includes the following components:

Attend an information session as part of the application process. This session covers the philosophical framework of the program, its values, and its expectations. Other activities to help potential applicants to make an informed decision about applying include dialogue with current students and faculty Register for an information session.

The Educational Doctorate program has two areas of specialization which includes:

Curriculum Studies, Ed.D Curriculum Studies concentration

Has no formal prerequisites; however, applicants typically have had some coursework and/or work experience pertinent to the field

Educational Leadership, Ed.D Educational Leadership concentration

Requires graduate level course work in: School Administration, School Law and School Finance

All Candidates for the Educational Doctorate program must submit the following:

A completed School of Education graduate application
A $40.00 application fee
Resume or Curriculum Vitae
All transcripts of undergraduate and graduate work to ascertain the nature of previous educational experiences, course work, and areas of specialization
GRE scores
Three letters of Recommendation, at least two of which should be from faculty in the master's program of the applicant.
A written piece (approximately 3 pages), in the form of a personal statement, in which the applicant discusses why he or she is interested in further study and articulates an issue or problem of interest or concern
A writing sample, preferably a course paper from the applicant's master's program.Alternatively, applicants can write a short (3-5 pg) academic response to readings provided (upon request) by the doctoral program

Applicants must provide evidence of the following:

Possess a Master's Degree from an accredited institution
Have a grade point average of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale
Have experience in an educational role
Have demonstrated leadership or leadership potential

Successful Applicants:

Are willing and able to make the necessary commitment of time to the program
Have a likelihood to be successful in a challenging doctoral program
Welcome the opportunity to interact with university faculty, peers, and colleagues in a search for effective answers to troubling problems in education

In addition:

A conversational interview with two or three faculty which will provide an opportunity for candidates to become familiar with the program and the faculty, as well as an opportunity for faculty members to get to know prospective candidates. Applicants living outside of the Chicago area will engage in an appropriate, reciprocal substitute for this dialogue

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