Application Procedures
There are significant differences between the application procedures for U.S. citizens and permanent residents and those for international students. Please read the general instructions together with the specific instructions relevant to your application.
General Instructions
Apart from GRE and TOEFL scores, which are sent to us directly from the Educational Testing Service, all components of the application should be sent at the same time, otherwise the processing of the application will be delayed. Applications must be submitted to the campus at which the degree is awarded. Application is accepted to only one graduate degree program at a time.
Applications to all doctoral (Ph.D. and Ed.D.) and specialist (Ed.S.) degree programs must be submitted to the Bloomington campus. Some master's and licensure programs are offered at both Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses, some at Bloomington only, and one at Indianapolis only. Application to a graduate licensure program and to a graduate degree program may be combined.
Certain programs have application requirements in addition to those listed above. Most doctoral and specialist programs and some master's programs require a personal or telephone interview with department faculty. The Student Affairs Administration Program requires applicants to obtain a graduate assistantship as a condition for admission. Occasionally, scholarly writing samples (e.g., term papers) are requested prior to an admission decision. Some programs (e.g., higher education and special education) require work experience prior to admission. Certain doctoral programs require completion of a master’s degree prior to admission.
After an application is completed and submitted online, the applicant will be receive an email with an update listing the supporting documents that have yet to be received (if any). When the application file is complete with all supporting materials, the applicant will receive another email, confirming that their file is complete and has been sent to the department for review. Applicants who wish to check the status of their application may email educate@indiana.edu or call (812) 856-8504 (Bloomington) or (317) 274-6868 (Indianapolis).
Where do I send my supporting materials? (transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc.)
United States Citizens
- Indiana University
School of Education
Office of Graduate Studies
Room 4214
W.W. Wright Education Building
201 North Rose Ave.
Bloomington, IN 47405-1006
International Applicants
- International Admissions
Indiana University
300 N. Jordan Ave.
Bloomington, IN 47405-7700
USA
On-line Application
- Apply on-line
- Once you have completed the online portion of the application, please send letters of recommendation and transcripts to our office in the same manner described above.
Letters of Recommendation
For most degree programs, applicants are required to submit two letters of recommendation. Applicants to the Educational Psychology, Learning and Developmental Sciences, School Psychology, Counseling & Counselor Education, and Counseling Psychology programs, however, require three letters of recommendation.
Letters of recommendation are recommended, but usually not required, for licensure programs. The exceptions are licensure programs in Educational Leadership and Special Education which require two letters and licensure programs in Counseling & Counselor Education and School Psychology, which require three letters.
Letters of recommendation should be written by persons who can comment from personal knowledge on the applicant’s academic or professional qualifications for graduate study. Whenever possible, letters of recommendation should be submitted from academic sources. If, however, you have been out of school for a number of years, you may substitute professional references. Letters from family members or from recommenders who know the applicant only as a friend will not be accepted. Recommenders should use institution or company letterhead and include the applicant’s full name and, if known, the specific program to which the applicant is applying. Each recommender must enclose the letter in a sealed envelope, sign across the seal, and return the envelope to the applicant, so that it can be sent together with the application. Should the recommender prefer to send the letter directly to our office, he or she may do so. Unsigned envelopes with reference letters cannot be accepted. Letters of recommendation can also be submitted online, as part of the online application.
Personal Goal Statement
On a separate sheet of paper, you should write a brief statement, of at most 500 words, describing your background, work experience, plans for graduate study and professional career, qualifications that make you a strong candidate for this program, and other relevant information. The personal goal statement is an important part of the application review process, so you should take care to produce a carefully planned and written statement. We ask that personal goal statements not be handwritten. Applicants who submit their applications online may upload their goal statements to their online applications.
Transcripts
Applicants must request official transcripts from each institution of higher learning attended (defined as any institution at which an applicant has taken 9 or more credits). Transcripts may be sent to us directly in an original, sealed envelope either by the institution (preferred), or by the applicant. Transcripts must arrive in our office in a sealed, official institution envelope. Loose transcripts will not be accepted. Please send only one transcript per institution. Exception: there is no need to send official Indiana University transcripts, as the Office of Graduate Studies can print IU transcripts. Unconditional admission cannot be granted until an official transcript has been received showing the date the applicant's bachelor's degree was conferred.
GRE General Test
Most applicants are required to submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general aptitude test scores. The GRE advanced tests and subject tests are not required. GRE scores are required for applicants to the Transition to Teaching certification program whose final, cumulative undergraduate GPA is lower than 3.00, and for all international applicants regardless of GPA. Application to licensure programs does not require GRE scores, with the exception of the Counseling licensure program, provided that the applicant has not obtained a master’s degree from Indiana University. The GRE is waived for Language Education and Curriculum & Instruction master's applicants who have a final, cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better, and for Educational Leadership master’s applicants who have a final, cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.2 or better. All international applicants to these master's programs must provide GRE scores regardless of GPA. An official score report of the GRE scores, sent directly from Educational Testing Service, is required. The test must have been taken within five years prior to application. The school code 1324 must be used when sending GRE scores to our office.
The GRE is given only in a computer-based format and is available for persons with currently documented disabilities. For information on the GRE and application forms, contact the Educational Testing Service at 866-473-4373, or P.O. Box 6000, Princeton, N.J. 08541-6000 or http://www.gre.org. For general information, call 800-GRE-CALL; for TTY call 609-771-7714. Applicants can also obtain GRE information and application forms at the Office of Graduate Studies, Bloomington, or at the Office of Student Services, Indianapolis.
Application Fee
- U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents Applicants
- Applicants are strongly encouraged to pay the nonrefundable application fee by credit card through the online application system. Paying by credit card results in a much faster application processing time. Applicants who do not have a credit card may wish to obtain a single-use debit card in the amount of the application fee for this purpose; these cards are widely available in discount and convenience stores. If an applicant insists on paying the application fee by check or money order, then the check or money order, made payable to Indiana University, should be sent to Ms. Kim Bunch, University Graduate School, Kirkwood Hall Room 111, Bloomington, IN 47405. Please be aware that paying by check or money order will result in a delay of two to three weeks in processing the application. Currently, the application fee for U.S. citizens and permanent residents is $55 at Bloomington and $35 at Indianapolis. The amount of the application fee is subject to change. Applications cannot be processed until the application fee is paid in full.
- International Applicants
- Bloomington campus - apply through the Office of International Admissions, 300 N. Jordan Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405-7707; (812) 855-4306. Questions can be emailed to the Bloomington Office of International Admissions at intladm@indiana.edu.
- Indianapolis campus - apply through the International Student Services Office, Union Building 574, 620 Union Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46202-2897; (317) 274-7294.
- The application must be submitted together with the application fee. The fee for international student applications is currently $60 at Bloomington and $60 at Indianapolis. The amount of the fee is subject to change.
For International Applicants Only
TOEFL
Prospective students must demonstrate a level of English proficiency adequate for graduate study. In addition to the general application requirements, international applicants whose first language is not English must submit recent scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The TOEFL must have been taken within two years prior to application. A minimum TOEFL score of 550 for the written version, 213 for the computer-based version, or 79 for the Internet-based version is ordinarily required for admission to graduate programs. Official TOEFL test scores must be sent by the testing centers directly to the Office of Graduate Studies. For TOEFL tests, the Educational Testing Service’s assigned school code for the Office of Graduate Studies at Indiana University is 1324.
The TOEFL is administered by Education Testing Service once each month at locations throughout the world. Information about registering to take the TOEFL may be obtained from Education Testing Service at http://www.toefl.org and from the international student offices listed above.
English Language Placement Test
International students whose first language is not English must also take an Indiana University English language placement test. This test must be taken upon arrival at Indiana University and before initial registration. Diagnostic results from this test are used to prescribe specific English language courses to remediate any weaknesses in English skills necessary for graduate-level study. International students who meet other admission criteria are admitted conditionally and their enrollment in graduate course work may be prohibited or restricted until English language deficiencies are remediated.