Admissions

University Admission Requirements

A student applying to a master's program must:

• have earned a four-year bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a college or university that is accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting association, or do so within one academic year
• present unofficial transcripts from each college or university other than Illinois State at which graduate, undergraduate, or non-degree credit was earned. The unofficial transcript should be easily readable and clearly indicate degree(s) awarded, courses and course grades for each term. If accepted, official transcripts can be emailed from the university to GraduateAdmissions@IllinoisState.edu or mailed in a sealed envelope to: Illinois State University, Graduate School, 209 Hovey Hall, Campus Box 4040, Normal, IL 61790-4040.

International students can learn more about specific application requirements by visiting the Office of Admissions.

Additional Program Admission Requirements

To be considered for this program, you must meet the following requirements.

GPA

You must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for either the last 60 hours of your undergraduate coursework or any previous work in a Master's program.

Teaching Experience

You must have a current teaching certificate and have at least one year of teaching experience.

This program does not lead to teacher certification.

Personal Goals Statement

Submit a 1-2 page personal goals statement that addresses features of one of the following:

• Realizing the Democratic Ideal
• National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Core Propositions
• Illinois Professional Teaching Standards

English Proficiency Scores (International Students Only)

International students applying to this program must have a TOEFL score of at least 79 iBT or IELTS score of 6.5 band.

Items Not Required

This program does not require letters of recommendation for admission.

Additional Early Childhood Education - Faculty Preparation Concentration Admission Requirements

The fully online Early Childhood Education - Faculty Preparation Concentration is designed for early childhood education (Birth-Grade 2) teachers and professionals with at least 1 year of experience. Students who complete the program concentration will earn a Master’s degree in Teaching and Learning with a focus on Early Childhood Teacher Preparation.

Those interested in applying for the ECE-FP concentration must complete a preapplication form, which the program staff will review to determine applicant eligibility before selecting the final concentration participants.

In order to be considered for the cohort starting courses in May 2023, please submit your pre-application with official transcripts by April 1. Learn more about the ECE-FP concentration.

Global Access to Online Degree Programs

When applying, international students applying to a fully online program must agree to our international online and hybrid programs disclosure and disclaimer statements. Due to limited on-campus courses, immigration documentation cannot be issued for students seeking F-1 or J-1 status.

Admission Dates and Deadlines

Graduate Coordinator