Admissions

Students are invited to apply to the Higher Education Program. All applicants should submit:

• GMU application
• Official transcripts from all universities attended
• Formal writing sample of at least 1000 words
• Goals statement
• Three letters of recommendation, one from an educational supervisor
• Resume
• GRE is required for both the D.A. and Ph.D. program, and the GRE should have been taken in the last 5 years

For the D.A., applicants must have an earned Master’s Degree, and the application goals statement must include the intended knowledge area, plus a general topic for research and the dissertation. The deadline for receipt of all admission materials is February 15 for the fall semester.  Keep in mind that the D.A. program only admits students once an academic year.  Late applications may be considered by the program and knowledge area approval.

Instructions for submitting an online application to the D.A. program:

1. Go to http://admissions.gmu.edu/ApplyNow/ and click on "Apply Online Now!"
2. This site provides you with information about online applications, and you will see "Click Here to Apply Online."  Please do so.
3. You will be directed to the admissions login screen.  If you do not already have a login ID or personal pin number (PIN), you will create your account at this site.
4. Please enter your login ID and PIN number.
5. You will be asked to create a new application.
6. The application type is "GR Humanities and Social Sciences."
7. You will be asked to fill out the application.
8. Next, you will see 12 required sections to fill out (13 if you are an international student):  The first section is the Program of Study.
9. Highlight in the drop-down menu "Community College Education (D.A.) Fall Semester Only."
10. Fill out the remainder of the application sections, and then submit it online.  All applications go the CHSS Graduate Admissions Office, and they forward completed applications to the Higher Education Program for review.

Students applying to the Ph.D. program will submit an additional declaration outside the goals statement.  The online Admissions site states that the "Admissions Committee is interested in which fields you expect to do doctoral study and research; how these interests have been influenced by your prior education, research, or work experience; why you are considering a career in an academic, research, or clinical setting; and any information relevant for evaluating your motivation to study and conduct research at the doctoral level. Please limit your statement to between 750 and 1,000 words." 

For the Ph.D., applicants must have an earned Master’s Degree and three years experience in an educational setting. The application goals statement must include career goals, plus a general topic for research for the dissertation.  Students are accepted for fall and spring.The deadline for receipt of all admission materials is February 1 for the fall semester and September 1 for the spring semester. 

Instructions for submitting an online application to the Ph.D. program:

1. Go to http://admissions.gmu.edu/ApplyNow/ and click on "Apply Online Now!"
2. This site provides you with information about online applications, and you will see "Click Here to Apply Online."  Please do so.
3. You will be directed to the admissions login screen.  If you do not already have a login ID or personal pin number (PIN), you will create your account at this site.
4. Please enter your login ID and PIN number.
5. You will be asked to create a new application.
6. The application type is "GR Education and Human Dev." (Keep in mind that all Ph.D.-HEP applications first go to the College of Education and Human Development, and their office will forward the completed applications to the Higher Education Program for review.)
7. You will be asked to fill out the application.
8. Next, you will see a drop-down menu for Program of Study:  Pick "Education, PhD."  Underneath the Program of Study line you'll be asked if you are applying to a specific cohort:  Here you type "Higher Education Program." 
9. Fill out the remainder of the application, and then submit it online.

For the MAIS/Higher Education Concentration and Community College Teaching degrees, and Certificate in Community College Teaching , students are accepted for fall and spring. The deadlines for receipt of all admission materials are April 15 for fall admission and November 1 for spring admission. Late applications will be considered if space is available.

For Extended Studies, non-degree, graduate student status, students may apply online.  Courses taken under this category may be applied to the program, if the student is accepted by the Higher Education Program’s Admissions Committee.  Taking courses as an Extended Studies student does not guarantee entry into the program.

A limited amount of financial aid in the form of GTA positions and fellowships is available to qualified doctoral students at the university. Contact the program for further information.

Apply Online At http://admissions.gmu.edu/apps

To make an appointment to learn more about the programs, please contact us at hepadmin@gmu.edu. `