HIGHER EDUCATION Department of Teacher Education and Higher Education
Admissions Information
Application materials must be submitted either online or in print to the Graduate School. For information on general graduate admissions, cost of attendance, and frequently asked questions, visit the Graduate Admissions site, here.
To receive an application, please contact the Graduate School at (336) 334-4885 or by email at inquiries@uncg.edu.
Specific information on admissions in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction are below.
Specific Information on Graduate Applications
For the Master of Education in Student Personnel Administration in Higher Education
- All materials should be submitted to the Graduate School, not the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
- Applicants should obtain an application from the Graduate School. Online application is also available. The application fee is $45.
- Two official transcripts are required from every college and university where the applicant previously completed nine hours or more of course work.
- Three recommendations (forms enclosed in application packet) are also required and should be submitted in sealed envelopes to the Graduate School.
- A Residency Statement is required for applicants claiming North Carolina residency.
- Applicants must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and submit their test scores to the Graduate School. GRE scores must be no more than five years old.
- Applicants are required to submit a two to four page personal statement and a copy of an updated resume. The personal statement should indicate your specific reasons for pursuing a graduate degree in student personnel administration in higher education.
- We admit M.Ed. students once a year. Applications for 2007 are due before April 10.
For the Post-Master's Certificate in College Teaching, Learning, and Leadership
- All materials should be submitted to the Graduate School, not the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
- Applicants should obtain an application from the Graduate School. Online application is also available. The application fee is $45.
- Two official transcripts are required from every college and university where the applicant previously completed nine hours or more of course work.
- Three recommendations (forms enclosed in application packet) are also required and should be submitted in sealed envelopes to the Graduate School.
- A Residency Statement is required for applicants claiming North Carolina residency.
- GRE scores are not required for the post-master's certificate program.
- We employ a rolling admissions process. Applicants may submit applications at any time throughout the year.
- All applicants must submit a current resume or curriculum vitae, a statement of purpose, and a writing sample. The statement of purpose should explain why the applicant has chosen to pursue the PMC, the learning goals to be achieved during the program, how these goals related to previous educational pursuits and professional interests, and how the accomplishment of these goals will lead to enhanced practice.
The writing sample involves a summary and analysis of a current, data-based article published in one of the three following journals: (a) The Review of Higher Education, (b) Journal of College Student Development, or (c) International Journal of Lifelong Education. The writing sample should be written in a scholarly style. It should offer a summary of the article, including the purpose of the research, the related literature and conceptual framework, the general research question or questions, research methods, and findings. Authors should then explain why they chose the selected article and how the knowledge produced through the research can improve practice. In other words, authors should demonstrate how they constructed personally meaningful knowledge of the selected research article. The entire writing sample should be limited to 1,800 words. It will be scored on the following criteria: organization, style, accuracy, analysis, and grammar.
For the Ph.D. in Curriculum and Teaching with a Concentration in Higher Education
Admission to the Ph.D. program is competitive. Due to constrained faculty resources, the department has a limited enrollment capacity and can only admit a small number of qualified applicants. Of the dozens of talented individuals who apply, we typically select four to eight doctoral students each year. The following criteria are used to select candidates for admission to this program:
- Master's degree from an accredited college or university
- How has previous coursework prepared applicants for advanced study in the field of higher education? Is there coursework in college and university organization, leadership theory, student development theory, higher education law, or other higher education topics on the candidate's transcript? What, if any master's level coursework will be required before the candidate is in a position to succeed in advanced-level study and research in the field of higher education?
- Minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a four-point scale
- Satisfactory GRE scores
- The department does not have a minimum required GRE score; however, candidates with higher GRE scores will be more competitive than those with lower GRE scores. In 2006, GRE scores of admitted doctoral students were in the 550-712 range for quantitative and 550-700 range for verbal. The writing score was above 4.0 for these candidates.
- GRE scores must be recent, that is, no more than five years old.
- For candidates whose native language is other than English, a minumum score of 550 (paper version) or 213 (computer version) is required.
- In addition to the information required by the Graduate School, applicants to the Ph.D. program must submit a statement of purpose (approximately 3-5 pages in length), written as a scholarly paper, along with their application packets. The personal statement acquaints faculty with the candidate's background, and experience, career goals, and purpose for doctoral study. This statement of purpose will help faculty assess the candidate's preparation in the field of higher educaiton, the alignment of the candidate's interests with program resources, and his or her scholarly writing abilities. The following questions should be addressed explicitly:
- Why do you wish to pursue an advanced degree in the field of higher education (Ph.D)?
- How has your background and experience prepared you for doctoral study in this field?
- What are your career aspirations following graduate study?
- How will a doctorate contribute to those aspirations?
- What are your research interests?
- What do you believe you will gain from doctoral study at UNCG?
- Finally, the statement of purpose should indicate the student's choice of one of the areas of emphasis offered in the doctoral progam in higher education. Current and future community college leaders typically select this emphasis.
Please note the following key details relating to the application and admission process.
- We admit doctoral students only for the fall semester. The Application deadline is JANUARY 10. Admissions decisions are communicated to applicants aound the first of April each year.
- All materials should be submitted to the Graduate School, not the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
- Applicants should obtain an application from the Graduate School. Online application is also available. The application fee is $45.
- Two official transcripts are required from every college and university where the applicant previously completed nine hours or more of course work.
- Three recommendations (forms enclosed in application packet) are also required and should be submitted in sealed envelopes to the Graduate School.
- A Residency Statement is required for applicants claiming North Carolina residency.
- Doctoral applicants must submit an updated resume or CV.