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College of Education

Admissions

Graduate Application Requirements

To apply to a graduate program at the University of Houston College of Education, you must submit the following materials:

Graduate Application Instructions |  ApplyWeb Application | Transcripts | Test Score Requirements | Statement of Interest | Resume/CV | Letters of Recommendation | English Proficiency | Supplemental Documentation | Financial Information

ApplyWeb Application

  • The graduate school application is submitted online via ApplyWeb. All information and required documents except for test scores are submitted via ApplyWeb.

NOTE: Some application requirements for specific programs may differ from the standard requirements listed below. Please visit the degrees and programs page for your program of interest (find requirements for the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies on its admissions page). 

Transcripts

  • An official transcript is required. The UH Graduate School permits scanned PDF copies of official transcript(s) to be submitted via ApplyWeb. Follow the scanning requirements. Unofficial transcripts or grade reports are not accepted.
  • For international applicants, a complete and official English translation to date must be uploaded as a PDF with the original transcript(s) and degree certificate in the original language. Each transcript (mark sheet) should contain a complete record of studies at the institution from which it is issued.
  • If an applicant is offered admission and accepts, one sealed paper or electronic official transcript from each institution with degree conferral is required. The UH Graduate School provides information on how to submit transcripts. (If an applicant would like to drop off a transcript or diploma, please email gradschool@uh.edu to set an appointment.)

Official Test Scores

  • The GRE is NOT required for M.Ed., Ed.D., certification-only or certificate programs.
  • The College of Education offers GRE waivers for Ph.D. applicants who have an overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher (on a 4-point scale) OR a master’s degree or terminal degree.

Statement of Interest

  • A statement of interest document is required as demonstration of an applicant’s aptitude and motivation for graduate study. The statement of interest should be a maximum of three double-spaced pages and must be uploaded via ApplyWeb. It must contain the following:
    • Reason(s) for applying to the proposed program in the College of Education;
    • Preparation for this field of study;
    • Research and study interests; and
    • Future career plans or other aspects of your background and interests.

Resume or CV

  • A professional resume or curriculum vitae is required and must be uploaded via ApplyWeb. The document must be up-to-date. Please be sure to list all publications, if any, within the resume or CV.

Letters of Recommendation

  • Three letters of recommendation are required. A recommender (employer, faculty member, work associate, etc.) should comment on an applicant’s academic potential for graduate work in the College of Education. Applicants must provide email addresses for the recommenders via ApplyWeb. The application system will contact recommenders directly via email with directions for submitting their recommendations.
  • Three letters of recommendation are required for the following certification programs:
    • Educational Diagnostician
    • Principal

English Proficiency

  • All graduate applicants must demonstrate proficiency in English to obtain admission to the university. To fulfill the English proficiency requirement, applicants must satisfy one of the following criteria:
  1. Students must have earned a Baccalaureate degree (or higher) from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or at an institution at which English is the medium of instruction in the following countries:
    • American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Canada (except the Province of Quebec), Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guam, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Liberia, Micronesia Islands (Federated States of), Montserrat, New Zealand, Nigeria, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Helena, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales), United States, the Virgin Islands and Zimbabwe
  1. Or the following exams can be used to demonstrate English proficiency:
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): The minimum TOEFL score required is 79 or higher for the internet-based test (iBT). The minimum TOEFL score for the paper-based (pBT) exam is 550 or higher. TOEFL scores must be received directly from Educational Testing Service (ETS) to the University. (School Code: 6870)
  • International English Language Testing Service (IELTS): The minimum IELTS score required is an overall band score of a 6.5 or higher on the ACADEMIC version of the exam. The testing agency should mail the official results directly to the University. (School Code: 6870)
  • Pearson Test of English (PTE):The overall score must be 53 or higher. The testing agency should mail the official results directly to the University. (School Code: 6870)
  • Duolingo English Test: For international graduate applicants, the UH Graduate School has approved the Duolingo English Test for English proficiency exams. Duolingo English Tests are valid for two years from the date the test was taken. A minimum score of 105 is required. 
  • UH Language and Culture Center (LCC): Completion of Level 6 of the UH's Language and Culture Center. Formal approval from the office must be provided to the University. 

Supplemental Documentation 

Supplemental documentation is required for the following programs:

Teacher or Professional Certification

  • Applicants interested in pursuing a graduate degree with a Teacher or Professional Certification from the State of Texas must complete the supplemental question(s) in the ApplyWeb application.
  • If the applicant is eligible for teacher or professional certification, the College’s certification office will submit an electronic offer letter to the applicant’s personal email address (not ApplyWeb). In addition, the applicant may be required to provide additional documentation prior to enrollment for certification-related coursework. 

Doctoral Applicants

  • All doctoral applicants are required to upload a writing sample within ApplyWeb. The applicant must submit the writing sample electronically under the listing “Additional Documents.”
  • An example of a writing sample could be an Honors or Master’s Thesis, a published paper, a co-written paper, or a comparable article (a literature review, a research paper that includes research questions, data, conclusions, etc. or a paper written for presentation purposes). The minimum requirements for a writing sample are:
    • Maximum of 50 pages long, double-spaced.
    • A short, effectively written sample is preferable to a longer sample.
    • A written sample must have pagination.
    • Papers written in a language other than English require an English translation of the original paper.
    • The applicant must be the first author of a co-written paper.
  • Admissions committees review the writing samples for evidence of writing ability and the capacity for research, analysis and original thought at the graduate level.
  • If a doctoral applicant is considered for admissions, the admission committee will notify the applicant for an interview. The admission committee will provide the time, date and scope of the interview to the applicant directly. The admission committee will consider the applicant's credentials and educational background before making the final decision on admissibility.

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