Admission Requirements
To be admitted to graduate study toward a specialist in education degree, a student must meet the following criteria:
• Hold an earned master’s degree or equivalent degree from a college or university that is accredited by its regional accrediting association. (A student with a master’s degree not considered the equivalent of those of Ball State University may be admitted under conditions determined by the department concerned and the dean of the Graduate School. Credentials from secondary schools, colleges, universities, and their equivalents outside of the United States are evaluated by Graduate and International Admissions.
• Have a cumulative GPA on the master’s degree of at least 3.2 on a scale of 4.0.
• Have had at least two years of successful teaching experience or appropriate professional experience.
• Any additional admission standards established by the academic unit responsible for each specialist in education degree program.
An applicant who meets the minimum admissions standards is not guaranteed admission to a specific degree program. Specific programs may have higher GPA requirements than the Graduate School minimums. A prospective student should contact the department or consult the department’s website and/or handbook for specific program requirements. Students may register for graduate courses leading to the specialist in education degree only upon official admission to the program.
A candidate will be considered for admission to graduate study leading to the specialist in education degree when he or she has met the entrance requirements and has met the following criteria:
• Submitted an application for admission.
• Submitted the names of at least five people who may be asked to testify to the candidate’s professional qualifications.
• Submitted transcripts of previously conducted college work. At the time of application, students must submit unofficial transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended. Once a student is recommended for acceptance into a program, then they must submit one official transcript from all institutions from which the applicant had any degrees or certificates awarded. Students wishing to transfer graduate credit from another college or university also need to submit an official transcript from that institution. Final official transcripts must be received within the first semester of enrollment. International students may have different transcript submission procedures than domestic students, and they should contact the Graduate and International Admissions for specific information and requirements.
• Have completed whatever admission examinations are required by the program.
• Been approved by the screening committee for the specialist in education degree as a candidate for the degree.
Standardized Tests
The Graduate School does not require programs to consider standardized test scores in admission. Programs have complete discretion concerning whether they require standardized test scores. You should refer to your program’s graduate program handbook for more information about the admissions requirements and process for the program(s) you are interested in. If your program requires a standardized test score (GMAT or GRE), that score must be submitted to Ball State’s Office of Graduate Admission directly from the administering agency.
Other Documents
If the program(s) you are applying to require letters of recommendation, a resume or CV, a personal statement, or other documents, these can be submitted or requested through our online application process. A prospective student should contact the department or consult the department’s website and/or handbook for specific program requirements. It is your responsibility to ensure all deadlines and requirements are met.
The faculty of the various graduate programs make recommendations for admission to the dean of the Graduate School. Offers of admission are not official until approved by the dean of the Graduate School. Official admission decisions are communicated to applicants by email from the dean of the Graduate School.