Ph.D. Application Process

Please disregard any application acceptance dates that may be listed on the Iowa State University-wide admissions site and continue with your application as prompted through their website.

To apply to the Ph.D. in Education in the School of Education, you must meet the following minimum requirements for admission:

  • Undergraduate degree (e.g., B.A., or B.S.) from an accredited institution
  • Graduate degree (e.g., M.S., M.Ed.) from an accredited institution completed
  • Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). Applicants with a GPA below 3.0 may be admitted in exceptional cases
  • Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in English with a minimum TOEFL score of 83 or an IELTS score of at least 6.5 for consideration for admission to the School of Education

Applicants wishing to be considered for a Fall semester start to the program need to apply by the preceding January 1.

Steps to Apply

  1. Complete the online graduate application.
    • Note: If you have not previously been admitted to the Graduate College at Iowa State University (or if you have been admitted as a ‘non-degree seeking student’ as opposed to a certificate or degree-seeking program), you must complete the online graduate application through the Iowa State Admissions office. Please disregard any application acceptance dates that may be listed on the Iowa State University-wide admissions site and continue with your application as prompted through their website.
    • Note: If you have previously been admitted to the Graduate College at Iowa State University, do not complete an online graduate application. Instead, please fill out Section I of the “request to transfer from one major/program/department” form and submit this form, along with the below required application materials, directly to the graduate support specialist.
  2. Upload your current resume to your online graduate application.
  3. Identify three references who will provide you letters of support. At least one letter should be from a faculty member at a college or university who can speak to your potential for success as a graduate student. Letters of support should address the applicant’s written and oral communication skills, aptitude for advanced study, creative talent, and potential for a successful career.
    • On your online graduate application, you will have the opportunity to enter the names and email addresses of your three references. If you choose the option of using the online process, your references will be emailed a form to fill out once you have submitted your online graduate application. Once your reference has completed the form and submitted it, it will automatically upload to your online graduate application. If you choose not to use the online process on the online graduate application, please have your references fill out this form and email it directly to the graduate support specialist.
  4. Upload a writing sample to your online graduate application. This can be a journal article, a scholarly paper, or a master’s thesis. 
  5. Order your official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions you have attended. If you have earned a degree at Iowa State, you do not need to order those transcripts because these will already be on file. These should be sent to:
        Office of Admissions
        100 Enrollment Services Ctr.
        Iowa State University
        Ames, IA 50011-2011
  6. International students only:  A TOEFL score of at least 83 or an IELTS score of at least 6.5 is required for consideration for admission to the School of Education. Please upload your official TOEFL or IELTS score report to your online graduate application.  

Need More Information?

Graduate Support Specialist

soegradsupport@iastate.edu