GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
Thank you for your interest in the Graduate School of Education. Please read through the instructions below before filling out the online application.
Admission Process
The admission process begins once the applicant's file is complete. Students applying for degrees and certificates will have their credentials reviewed by the appropriate departments and admission committees.
Students applying for non-degree or student-at-large status will have their credentials reviewed by the graduate admission office. Students-At-Large must include a letter of authorization from the Dean of the Graduate School where they are enrolled indicating, in general terms, what course or courses the student is authorized to take.
Please complile and send all materials together in one large envelope and mail to:
Graduate Programs
School of Education
DePaul University
2320 North Kenmore Avenue - 4th Floor
Chicago, IL 60614-3298
Admission Requirements
ALL programs listed below require candidates to possess:
1. Previous GPA of 2.75 or above on a 4.0 scale.
2. A conferred bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
3. Evidence of adequate background for the selected program.
Following are brief summaries of admission requirements for the specific Graduate School of Education programs. For full program descriptions please review DePaul University's Graduate Bulletin or visit the program website.
Curriculum Studies
- Two years of successful teaching, pupil personnel work or other appropriate work experience.
- Two letters of recommendation from professors or supervisors.
- One official transcript from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended.
- Resume.
- Personal statement.
- Interview with program coordinator upon request.
Bilingual/Bicultural Education
- Two letters of recommendation from professors or supervisors.
- One official transcript from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended.
- Resume.
- Statement of purpose indicating professional development goals and related experience (750 words).
Language, Literacy and Specialized Instruction: Reading & Learning Disabilities
- One year of successful teaching experience.
- Two letters of recommendation from professors or supervisors.
- One official transcript from any college or university attended.
- Resume.
- Personal statement.
- Interview with program coordinator upon request.
- One year of successful teaching experience.
- Two letters of reference, one of which must be from persons familiar with your academic work.
- One official transcript from any college or university attended.
- Resume.
- Personal statement.
- A writing sample (e.g. a term paper, seminar paper, or senior thesis or portion thereof).
- Interview with the admissions committee.
Teaching and Learning (Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary)
- Two academic letters of reference from professors or supervisors.
- Resume.
- Personal statement.
- Interview with program advisor, upon request.
- One official transcript from any college or university attended.
If the initial application is approved, students are granted conditional admission. Additional requirements are necessary to be fully accepted into the School of Education/Professional Education Unit.
- Pass the Illinois Basic Skills Test.
- Effective Fall 2003, pass the basic technology skills assessment.
- Effective Fall 2003, pass the test for ISP 120 (or pass the course).
- Effective Fall 2003, submit one satisfactory content area recommendation. (For Secondary Education candidates, this recommendation must be in the subject matter you plan to teach.)
- Effective Fall 2003, submit one satisfactory recommendation related to the skills and attitudes of Urban Professional Multicultural Educators.
There is no time limit to meet these additional requirements; however, students may take only a limited number of graduate education classes (4) until they are fully accepted. Students may continue to take courses to remove deficiencies in general education or content area requirements.
Glenview Program (M.A. only): Please see the Graduate Bulletin for a full description of this program and admission requirements.
Human Services and Counseling
- One year of successful teaching or full-time work experience (after bachelor's degree) is suggested.
- Three letters of recommendation from professors or work supervisors.
- One official transcript from each college or university attended.
- Resume.
- Personal statement.
- Admission interview with program faculty upon request.
Social and Cultural Foundations in Education
- One official transcript from all official undergraduate and graduate institutions attended.
- Three academic letters of reference.
- Personal statement.
- Resume.
- A writing sample (e.g. a term paper, seminar paper, or senior thesis or portion thereof).
- An interview with the admissions committee of the Social and Cultural Foundations in Education Masters Program may be requested.
- Two years of successful teaching or other appropriate work experience.
- Two letters of recommendation from professors or supervisors.
- One official transcript from each college or university attended.
- Resume.
- Personal statement.
- Admission interview with program faculty upon request.
- On-site writing sample (Applicant will be contacted after application is complete).
Educational Doctorate
All applicants must provide evidence that they:
- Possess a Master's Degree from an accredited institution.
- Have experience in an educational role.
- Have demonstrated leadership or leadership potential.
- Are willing and able to make the necessary commitment of time to the program.
- Are likely 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.
Admissions Process for the Educational Doctorate
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:
- Potential applicants are required to attend an orientation 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.
- Applicants invited for an interview will be asked to present a 2-3 page reflective response to an article given to the applicant at the time the interview is scheduled. Articles are selected by the Curriculum Studies, Educational Leadership, and Social and Cultural Studies Programs.
- Dialogue with two or three faculty of the Ed.D. program -- a conversation 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.
- Three letters of recommendation: one personal, from someone outside of the immediate workplace; and two additional letters from colleagues, administrators, or supervisors.
- All transcripts of undergraduate and graduate work to ascertain the nature of previous educational experiences, course work, and areas of specialization.
- A completed School of Education Graduate Application Form, along with $40 application fee.
Guidelines for Recommendations
The School of Education does not provide a recommendation form. The format and structure is left to the discretion of the recommender within the parameters discussed below. The only requirement is that the recommender provides contact information (i.e., address, phone, e-mail, and signature) with the recommendation.
Recommendations should be frank and detailed and should indicate how long and under what circumstances the recommender has known the applicant (e.g., student, assistant, advisee, employee, personal, etc.). A recommendation is most helpful when it provides specific information concerning the applicant's:
- Intelligence and independence of thought
- Special interests and motivations
- Personal qualities which may distinguish this applicant from other applicants.
- Overall promise
- Performance related to her or his suitability for graduate study beyond that which is available on college transcripts and employment records
- Performance related to his or her ability to work effectively in urban, multicultural environments
- Performance related to her or his professionalism and appreciation of life-long learning
International Applicants
International students who have undergraduate degrees from non-USA institutions must submit exam scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The Graduate School sets a minimum acceptable paper-based TOEFL score of 550 or 210 on the computer-based test. Some departments require higher TOEFL scores.
Your completed graduate application to DePaul's School of Education should include the following:
1. Completed application form.
2. Your $40 application fee. (Please make checks payable to DePaul University. There is a $25 service fee for returned checks. Do not send cash.)
3. One official transcript from all college and universities you have attended. Please authorize the release of the transcripts with each institution and instruct them to send the transcripts to:
School of Education, Graduate Programs
DePaul University, 2320 North Kenmore Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60614-3298
4. Letters of recommendation (non-degree and student-at-large applicants do not need to submit letters of recommendation). Information for the recommender: Recommendations should be frank, detailed and specific to the applicant. Please indicate how long and under what circumstances (student, advisee, employee) you have known the applicant. Please discuss the applicant's intelligence, motivation, character, performance characteristics and overall promise for graduate study in education. Include applicant's name, Social Security number and proposed program of study on your signed recommendation.
5. Resum? listing most recent and current work experience.
6. Personal statement. (See Personal Statement prompts listed below)
Personal Statement Prompts
Curriculum Studies: What have you accomplished since receiving your bachelor's degree? Which Curriculum Studies concentration would you like to pursue? Why? Remember that we do have an Individually Designed concentration and your personal statement should include discussion of your career goals.
Educational Leadership: Compose a personal essay that discusses your educational and professional goals.
Human Services and Counseling: In a well written 3 or 4 page statement, double spaced, tell us about your career goals, your motivation for becoming a counselor and what you hope to accomplish in the Human Services and Counseling graduate program. Describe personal and professional experiences and characteristics that you believe support your application. To do so, please respond to the following questions:
1. What is your motivation for becoming a counselor?
2. What are your short and long term professional goals?
3. What are your expectations of the HSC program and how do you envision the HSC program fulfilling those expectations?
4. The roles of the counselor are multiple and include listener, advocate, leader, consultant, multiculturalist, educator, and group leader. From your perspective, please rank order the roles of a counselor in terms of importance and provide a rationale discussing your placement of the top three roles.
5. What roles have been most comfortable for you in a group setting? Describe what made these roles comfortable for you.
6. 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 you would like?
Language, Literacy and Specialized Instruction: Reading & Learning Disabilities: Write a personal statement that discusses your future goals and your thoughts about what a Reading Specialist can contribute to a school? As 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 order the tasks/roles and discuss your rationale for the top roles.
Language, Literacy and Specialized Instruction: Dual Certification in Special Education and Elementary Education: Write a personal statement indicating reasons for wanting to enter the program and future goals.
Social and Cultural Foundations in Education: Describe what you hope to gain from this program and how it connects with who you are and what you have done.
T&L-Early Childhood: Please briefly explain your reasons for wanting to become a certified educator of young children (i.e. 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 points.
T&L-Elementary: State reasons for wanting to enter the elementary or middle school program at DePaul University and speak to your potential for becoming a teacher.
T&L-Secondary: State reasons for wanting to become a middle school or secondary educator and speak to your potential for becoming a teacher.
Educational Doctorate: 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.
DePaul School of Education
Necessary supporting documents and $40 application fees should be sent to the address below. Be sure the applicant's name, social security number and program being applied to are noted.
The DePaul University School of Education
2320 North Kenmore Avenue - 4th Floor
Chicago, IL 60614-3298
Need More Admission Information?
Visit the School of Education Web site, or contact the DePaul School of Education:
1. On-line: Complete the Contact Us form
2. E-mail: Send an e-mail message to edgradadmissions@depaul.edu.
3. Call: (773) 325-4405 or toll free 1-800-4DEPAUL (outside Illinois)
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