How to Apply

Graduate Application Helpful Tips

Each section below provides detailed, helpful information regarding the process of starting, filling out, and submitting the graduate application for College of Education graduate programs.

We encourage applicants to note that each program offered in the College of Education is unique:

  • Many programs offer admission consideration and start every term (fall, spring, and summer) with rolling admission consideration. However, some programs have specific starting terms (for example, some programs may only offer a fall start).
  • Application deadlines vary from program to program.
  • Not all sections of the graduate application and/or additional materials may be required for each program.

Before Applying:

To view start terms offered, application deadlines, and required materials for a particular program, please follow these steps:

  1. Visit the College of Education Graduate Programs webpage,
  2. Select the specific program of interest, and
  3. Select the “Admissions” tab on that webpage for application instructions. The “Apply Now” button on each program webpage will lead to the graduate application portal.

If you are applying to a graduate licensure program, please visit the Application Roadmap webpage.

Once the application is submitted and application fee is paid (if applicable) and all supporting materials are received, then the application will be forwarded to program faculty and the Office of Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars (OGSPS) for review.

If you have any questions during the application process, please contact the Office of Graduate Studies at edgrad@purdue.edu for assistance.

Share information that will help reviewers understand your academic interests and objectives, assess your academic background, preparation, and training, and determine if you are a good match for the program to which you are applying. More information about the Academic Statement of Purpose requirement for degree-seeking applicants can be found on the Purdue OGSPS website.

Help reviewers learn more about you as a whole person and as a potential graduate student. This may include relevant details on community service, leadership roles, participation in diverse teams, and significant barriers that you overcame to attend graduate school. More information about the Personal History Statement requirement for degree-seeking applicants can be found on the Purdue OGSPS website.

Your resume should provide the admissions committee with more information than what’s included in the application and focus on what they need to know to better evaluate your admission. A graduate resume is different than a job search resume. Job search resumes are designed to get you an interview; graduate school resumes are designed to enhance your application and provide yet another opportunity to sell yourself. Here are a few other helpful tips:

  • The resume is not limited to one page in length (two pages is fine, though contact info must be on both pages).
  • Separate your work and non-work experiences into different sections
  • Include all your experiences – not just the ones targeting a specific job
  • Some of the most commonly included categories in a graduate school resume are:
    • Objective
    • Education
    • Academic Experience/Highlights
    • Employment
    • Volunteer, Community, and/or Extra-Curricular Involvement
    • Certifications/Professional Development

Transcripts from every institution of higher education attended are required for admission consideration to a graduate program.

  • For non-licensure programs – unofficial transcripts may be accepted for admission consideration, although official transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution prior to the third semester in order to continue enrollment, per the policy of the OGSPS.
  • For licensure programs – official transcripts are required for admission consideration

Tips for Submitting Official Transcripts:

  • An official transcript is defined as a transcript that is sent directly from the issuing institution to the OGSPS.
  • Official transcripts should be requested to be sent directly from the issuing institution to the OGSPS or gradadm@purdue.edu. If possible, please select Attn: “Graduate Admissions.”

Tips for uploading Unofficial transcripts to the application portal:

  • Any transcript uploaded by the applicant is considered unofficial.
  • Social Security numbers and student identification numbers must be marked out before any document is uploaded.
  • If a degree was received then it must be printed on the transcripts. If no degree conferral is printed on the transcripts then a copy of the original diplom (degree certificate) is needed.

Tips for Transcripts from Institutions Outside of the U.S.:

  • View the Purdue OGSPS website for documents required by country to determine which documents are required.
  • Credential evaluation reports will not be accepted by the OGSPS. Official transcripts (and diplomas, if required) must be submitted to the OGSPS.
  • Credential evaluation reports may be required for the Office of Teacher Education and Licensure to complete the Transcript Evaluation and Credential Review if applying to a licensure program. The Indiana Department of Education requires an official evaluation of Foreign Studies from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. Please contact licensure@purdue.edu for more information. For a list of members, go to www.naces.org/members.html. Please send the original report to OTEL at licensure@purdue.edu .

The Purdue OGSPS website provides more information regarding uploading transcripts.

The best letters to submit are those from former or current employers, co-workers, colleagues, tutors, and other mentors. Never ask family members or close friends. You will have the opportunity to have your recommenders submit an online recommendation by entering their email within the application. The Purdue OGSPS website provides more information about references.

International degree-seeking applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit proof of English proficiency.  View the Purdue OGSPS’s accepted tests and minimum score requirements. The OGSPS will routinely waive the English proficiency requirement for applicants who have received a degree within the last 3 years from a school where English is the primary language of instruction in one of the recognized English-speaking countries. Note: If you have not done so already, request that ETS send your scores electronically to the Purdue University West Lafayette campus using code 1631.

All degree programs (graduate certificate, MSEd, EdS, and PhD) require an application fee. Per the OGSPS, the application fee is non-refundable.

Non-degree programs do not require a graduate application fee.

Questions?

Contact edgrad@purdue.edu.