Frequently Asked Questions

The School of Education offers various programs with various deadlines. If you have questions about the deadline for a specific program, contact soegradsupport@iastate.edu.

1. All Ph.D. applications:
   • January 1, for entry the following Fall semester
2. All Ed.D. applications:
   • March 1, for entry following Summer semester; applications only accepted in odd-numbered years
3. M.A.T. in Mathematics Education or Science Education:
   • February 1, for entry the following Summer semester
4. M.A.T. in Secondary Education:
   • February 1, for entry the following Summer semester
   • March 1, for entry the following Fall semester
   • November 1, for entry the following Spring semester
5. M.Ed. in Educational Administration
   • Priority deadline of April 15, final deadline of May 15, for entry the following Fall semester
6. M.Ed. in Student Affairs
   • Priority deadline of December 1, final deadline of January 1, for entry the following Fall semester
7. M.Ed. in Educational Technology, Higher Education, LLC, or No Specialization:
   • Rolling applications
8. All Graduate Certificates
   • Rolling applications

Completing the Application:

1. Link: ISU Admissions Graduate Application
   • In the Additional Information section, carefully review instructions that pertain to your status
2. Carefully review ISU Admissions Graduate Application Instructions.  SOE-specific explanations are below:
3. When you are ready, click CREATE ACCOUNT
4. Choose the Graduate Degree-Seeking Application
   • REMEMBER: this is the official admissions application
   • DO NOT skip any sections
   • Enter information that best represents your background
5. Application choices:
   • Degrees Sought:
     • M.A.T. (Master of Arts in Teaching)
       • Coursework only, non-research, Intended to gain Initial Teacher Licensure
     • M.Ed. (Master of Education)
       • Coursework only, non-research, Online (Distance) programs offered
     • M.S. (Master of Science)
       • Thesis (research track, is considered for assistantship)
       • Creative Component (non-research track, not considered for assistantship)
     • Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)
       • Research focused, on-campus
     • Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)
       • Online and Hybrid programs offered
     • CERT Graduate Certificate
       • Not full degree program, not funded
6. Major:
   • Education: All M.Ed., M.S., Ph.D., Ed.D. programs
   • Mathematics Education: M.A.T. only
   • Science Education: M.A.T. only
   • Secondary Education: M.A.T. only
7. Choose your specialization area. The application will allow you only one choice. Be sure you identify the area you are most interested in, as your application will be considered by faculty from that area.
   • Educational Administration
   • Curriculum and Instructional Technology (Educational Technology)
   • Higher Education
   • Student Affairs
   • Special Education
   • Community College Leadership
   • PK-12 Systems Level Leadership
8. Identify if you are interested in a distance (online only) or an on-campus program
   • Note: Only some M.Ed. and Ed.D. programs have distance options
9. Research Interests and Faculty Interests
   • Research Interests – type in the kinds of research you are most interested in
   • Faculty Interest – type in the names of faculty you are interested in working with
10. Assistantship check boxes
    • On the application, use the check boxes for Teaching, Research, or Both to indicate that you want to be considered for assistantships. There is not a separate assistantship application
11. Pay special attention to the following:
    • Name
      • Your name must be entered (spelling and order of your name) on your application exactly as it appears on your passport, driver’s license, or social security card
    • GPA
      • Enter your GPA and GPA scale as it appears on your transcripts
      • Do not enter any GPA self-calculations if your GPA scale is not 4.0. ISU Admissions will conduct a full GPA evaluation
      • ISU Admissions accepts WES or ECEE evaluations, but SOE does not require it. If you wish to do so, refer to Admissions Application Instructions, Academic Records
    • Transcripts
      • Upload unofficial scanned copies of academic records from your undergraduate degree, any graduate degrees, and any other diplomas or certificates
      • International applicants:
        • Degree statements (also known as diploma) are required in addition to transcripts
        • Transcript copies in both native language and English translation are required
    • Exam Scores
      • Upload unofficial scanned copies of any examination results, if applicable:
        • GRE (accepted but not required)
        • English Proficiency – Refer to SOE Graduate Application FAQ’s>”What are the English proficiency requirements?” for minimum score requirements
12. Letters of Recommendation (LORs)
    • You will be required to enter names and email addresses of multiple people who can submit LOR’s for you. Some programs require 2 LORs and other require 3 LORs
    • You must communicate with your recommenders the following:
      • They will be receiving a system-generated email request, which could go to junk mail
      • The LOR request will contain links to an LOR form and instructions to submit
      • Tell your recommenders they have 2 weeks to submit their form
    • If your recommenders tell you they did not receive the LOR request, have them check junk/spam email folder
    • If the request for the LOR is not in junk mail and cannot be found, the recommender should complete the PDF LOR FORM and send it to soegradsupport@iastate.edu

Starting with Fall 2024 applications, application fees can be deferred until after applications are reviewed. Students who are offered admission will need to pay the application fee to be able to accept their admission. The cost may also be added to the first Ubill payment of the student’s first semester.

The application system lists majors and specializations for choosing when selecting a program. Some School of Education programs are considered “emphasis areas” rather than specializations. If you do not see the program you are applying for listed in the application, select “no specialization” and then list your desired program in the interests/research area field.

Submit a statement of up to 500 words explaining your goals and interests related to this graduate program. Primarily, explain:

• Your purpose for starting or continuing graduate study
• Why you want to study at Iowa State
• Your professional plans, career goals, and research interests
• Any experience that is particularly applicable to the program for which you’re applying

Secondarily, elaborate on:

• Any irregularities or special circumstances applicable to your application
• Your special abilities, awards, achievements, scholarly publications, and professional history as it relates to your program of interest
• Any prior research information, or contact with specific Iowa State program faculty

The Graduate College at Iowa State University has established a policy for non-native speakers of English. You may have already met the English proficiency requirement if you have earned a bachelor’s or higher degree from a country where English is the only official language.

Tuition costs are calculated by the number of credits students are enrolled in each term. The Office of the Registrar lists these costs. Students who are on a Graduate Assistantship will be charged the Graduate Assistant tuition rate. Assistantships will include a monthly stipend and a tuition award for a portion of the total tuition cost.

Students admitted to fully online programs will be charged the in-state tuition rate and have reduced fees compared to on-campus students.

Most graduate students are eligible for graduate assistantships but are not guaranteed. Some programs require students to obtain an assistantship as part of the application process, i.e., Student Affairs. Other programs do not require assistantships, but both the School of Education and other units on campus offer assistantships to our students every year that can be applied for.

International students are eligible to apply to School of Education graduate programs, but other requirements may make applicants ineligible. Please check the specific program pages for admission requirements.

Yes, applicants to our doctoral programs should have a master’s completed by the time they start in the doctoral program.

Funding opportunities are available. The Financing a Graduate Degree webpage outlines numerous opportunities. Additionally, the School of Education has applications for scholarships each year for returning students.

No program can guarantee funding fully. Many students can fully or partially fund their studies through graduate assistantships and scholarships, but these funding sources are not guaranteed.

Apply through the online application on the Office of Admissions website.

Because of the wide variety of programs we offer, each program has different application deadlines. Please refer to the program pages for specific dates.

Explore our program websites or contact soegradsupport@iastate.edu with your questions.