Department of Educational Leadership
and Cultural Foundations
Application Criteria & Procedures
The School of Education's formal admission requirements for masters, specialist, and doctoral studies specify the following:
- a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better during the last half of the bachelor's degree, or a GPA of 3.5 during the master's degree;
- For the Ed.S. and Ed.D. programs, a master's degree from an accredited institution; and
- an acceptable score on the GRE or MAT exams.
However, admissions decisions are based on an applicant's full set of application materials. All evidence about a prospective student, including work experience, recommendations and letters of reference, the individual's personal statement, and especially evidence that the individual will be capable of completing a dissertation, will be used in making admissions decisions. If an applicant's GRE scores are low, the applicant may be granted provisional admission, with a stipulation that they will be granted full admission upon successfully completing 12 semester hours of coursework in the program. Please note that in this department we take very seriously the selection process of applicants. A rigorous review process occurs by faculty committees and the department as a whole.
Application materials programs can be downloaded from: http://www.uncg.edu/grs. It is possible to complete the application form online, but hard copies of supporting materials will still need to be submitted.
Please click here if you need to request information from the Graduate School.
Applicants should submit the following items in order to complete their application (these should be sent to the Graduate School or included electronically in the AY application):
For Master of School Administration applicants
- three letters of recommendation with a minimum of one recommendation from a principal/supervisor who has recent knowledge of the applicant's leadership capabilities and potential;
- a letter of commitment and support from the school district to
allow the candidate to participate in authentic, action-oriented,
service-learning, outcomes-based activities and a year-long
internship;
District Verification for Principal Licensure Candidates pdf document. - GRE or MAT scores and transcripts from all universities attended
- a written statement that clearly articulates the applicant's interest in and potential for school leadership; and addresses the following:
- Page 1: Briefly detail your professional goals and why you chose ELC
- Pages 2-4: Respond to 2 of the 3 prompts listed here:
- 1.The most critical issue in education today is…
- 2.The leadership of a school makes all the difference because…
- 3.North Carolina schools could improve by…
- Note: Please title each topic accordingly.
- a resumè that provides detailed information regarding the applicant's previous professional and leadership experiences, including three years of professional education experience.
- After initial application screening, interviews, which may include problem-based scenarios and interactions with practitioners, will be conducted with finalists.
For Ed. S. & Ed.D. in Educational Leadership applicants (3-5 pages in length):
- a resumè that provides detailed information regarding the applicant's previous professional and leadership experiences
- Ed.S. / Ed.D. Prompts (approved 10-21-06)
- The personal statement is a key component of the application packet. It is your primary opportunity to help us understand your beliefs, values, and commitments--that is, who you are as person and an educator.
- Please respond to one of the prompts below. Your response should be 3 – 5 pages in length.
- What about schools or society angers you? How might your graduate studies help you improve this situation?
- How should education contribute to democratic values, attitudes and behavior? How can educational leaders contribute to that process?
- What does it mean to have a culture of social justice? How can/should schools bring this about?
For Ph.D. in Curriculum & Teaching (Cultural Studies) applicants:
- Describe why this program is of interest to you
- Describe the professional and personal concerns, commitments, and interests that make you wish to pursue this Ph.D. program.
Due to fairly complex reasons North Carolina administrative licensure reasons, the ELC Department recommends that applicants for the Ed.D. program apply to both the Ed.S. and Ed.D. programs. The Ed.S. program is essentially a subset of the Ed.D. program, and obtaining the Ed.S. degree and North Carolina administrative licensure (AP/AS) can lead to salary increases for some administrative professionals in North Carolina. To apply for dual admission to the Ed.S. and Ed.D. programs, complete a single application, applying for admission to both programs at the same time (and paying a single application fee). (Persons using the online application should select the program code for the Ed.D. program but should specify in their personal statement that they are applying for both the Ed.S. and Ed.D. programs.) If you are admitted to both programs, you will be maintained in the UNCG system as an Ed.S. student until you have nearly completed the requirements for the degree and apply for graduation from that program. At that time, you will be moved into the Ed.D. program, pending written approval from the Department based on evidence of strong progress in your course work. (The Department also reserves the right to recommend initial admission to the Ed.S. program only, with the provision that students may be moved into the Ed.D. program if they show appropriate progress in their course work.)
Applications for the MSA program must be completely submitted by March 31. Applicants who intend to apply for Principal Fellows must submit their applications by January 15. For further information on the MSA program, you may visit the website at http://www.uncg.edu/elc/msa.html
The Department makes Ed.S. and Ed.D. admissions decisions in October and February of each year. Completed applications (with all supporting materials, including GRE or MAT scores) must be received by the Graduate School by September 1 and January 1, respectively, to be considered. Ph.D. decisions are made in February/March, with application materials due by December 1.
Please note that although Apply Yourself may indicate that your application has been submitted, this does not mean it is COMPLETE. All application materials must be completed in Apply Yourself before the materials will be released to the department for review. Please note deadlines for specific programs and understand that ALL materials must be received by the deadlines indicated.
Through the UNCG "VISIONS" program, students can take several courses before formal admission into a degree program. However, the number of courses taken prior to admission that may be counted toward the Ed.D. degree is two courses (6 semester hours).
Information about VISIONS enrollment is available at: http://www.uncg.edu/grs/visions/