Requirements

All applicants to the Graduate College at East Stroudsburg University must meet the following requirements:

1. An applicant must have an earned a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
2. The applicant’s undergraduate grade point average must be at least 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) overall, and 3.0 in the major. Some graduate programs require higher overall and major grade point averages.
3. Additional Program Requirements – Some programs have additional admission requirements, such as graduate school admission test (e.g., GRE, MAT, etc.) scores, specific undergraduate degree or prerequisite coursework, Pennsylvania Department of Education certification, or other requirements. Please refer to the section “Overview of Graduate Program Admission Requirements” for additional, program-specific requirements.

Application for Admission

A completed application for admission to the Graduate College at East Stroudsburg University will include the following components:

1. Application Form – All degree and post-baccalaureate certification programs require a Graduate College Admission Application Form, to be submitted online. Prospective students interested in pursuing coursework for professional development, or to explore graduate study before applying to a degree or certification program, should complete the Special Status Application.
2. Official Transcripts – Official transcripts from each undergraduate and graduate institution attended, regardless whether a degree was earned, must be submitted as part of the application package for degree and post-baccalaureate certification programs. Transcripts must be sealed by the registrar and remain sealed until their arrival at the Graduate College. Electronic transcripts sent by the registrar via an official transcript service directly to the Graduate College are acceptable.
3. Letters of Recommendation – Three professional and current letters of recommendation are required of each applicant. Letters are to speak to your ability to be successful in graduate school, career and academic goals, and your professional work experiences and skills. Recommendations should state how long and in what capacity the individual writing the recommendation has known the applicant, and are to be submitted on official letterhead or on the Graduate Application Recommendation Form. Recommendations may be included with the application in sealed envelopes with a signature across the envelope seal or mailed directly to the Graduate College. The Special Status Application does not require the submission of letters of recommendation.
4. Professional Goal Statement – A statement of your perception of your ability to be successful in graduate school, career and academic goals, commitment to your field of study, and your professional work experiences and skills is to accompany the application package. The statement, dated and signed, is an important component of the application. The Special Status Application does not require the submission of a goal statement.
5. Resume
6. Application Fee – A non-refundable application fee in the amount of $50 must accompany the online application.
7. Documentation of Additional Program Requirements – Documentation of additional admission requirements (e.g., graduate school admission test – GRE, MAT, etc. – scores, PRAXIS test scores, undergraduate degree or prerequisite coursework, Pennsylvania Department of Education certification, etc.), where required, must be included in the application package.

Admission Classifications

Applicants to the Graduate College at East Stroudsburg University are notified of their admission status by a letter from the graduate dean before the beginning of the term of planned study. Typically, applicants will be notified of an admission decision within three weeks after all application materials are received. Admission decisions are not subject to appeal. Admission decision classifications are as follows:

1. Admission, Pre-Candidacy (Full) – Granted to an applicant who plans to work toward a graduate degree and whose application meets admission requirements as set forth by the Graduate College and the academic department.
2. Admission, Certification Program – Granted to an applicant who plans to work toward a certification program and whose application meets admission requirements as set forth by the Graduate College and the academic department.
3. Admission, with Conditions – Granted to an applicant who plans to work toward a graduate degree or certification program but does not meet the academic criteria for admission (e.g., overall/major quality point average, graduate test scores, etc.) or who does not have all of the other requirements (e.g., prerequisite coursework, licenses, etc.) necessary for admission, pre-candidacy (full). Upon departmental recommendation of the stated conditions, the student may request a change of admission classification from Admission, with Conditions to Admission, Pre-Candidacy. The graduate dean will seek the recommendation of the graduate coordinator, and then make the decision for approval or disapproval.
4. Admission, Special Status – Granted to an applicant who plans to enroll in graduate courses for professional development, but does not intend to pursue a degree or certification. Special Status admission also may be granted to applicants who wish to explore graduate studies before applying to a graduate degree or certification program. In such cases, students must apply to the program before the completion of 12 credit hours. Courses completed as a Special Status (non-degree) student will not automatically be applicable toward the degree or certification program. Students must provide documentation of an earned baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
5. Admission Denied – Applicants denied admission by the Graduate College will receive a letter from the graduate dean informing them of the decision.

Application Deadlines

The Graduate College reviews applications for admission under a "rolling admissions" process. This means that applications are reviewed throughout the year and admissions decisions are made weekly. However, to assure full consideration for admission before the beginning of the semester in which you would like to enroll, please submit your application for admission with all required documentation, as follows:

Some programs admit students only once a year and have specific application deadlines, which are enumerated below:

International Applicants

In addition to fulfilling the general application procedures, international applicants must present evidence of fluency in English, either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score. The minimum TOEFL score acceptable for admission is 560 on the paper test, 220 on the computer test or 83 on the Internet test. The TOEFL score should be submitted directly from the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, N.J. ESU’s Institutional Code Number is 2650. The minimum acceptable score for IELTS is "Band 6."

For further information concerning IELTS contact Cambridge Examinations and IELTS International, 100 East Corson St., Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91103, USA. Call 626-564-2954; e-mail ielts@ceii.org; or visit IELTS Web site, www.ielts.org.

International applicants also must submit a statement and documentation of financial resources. The statement must demonstrate sufficient financial resources to meet the cost of living in the United States, the cost of travel to and from the student’s native country, and the cost of graduate education at East Stroudsburg University. Applications will not be processed without the financial statement and application fee.

International applicants must submit an official English translation of their transcripts, including a credential evaluation equivalence course-by-course report of their baccalaureate degree from World Education Services, Inc. (WES) or other service approved by the Graduate College. For further information concerning WES, contact WES at 800-937-3895 or at www.wes.org.

International applicants must furnish proof of health insurance (certification must be in English) meeting the required criteria or purchase student health insurance from East Stroudsburg University, which is recommended.

Due to the time required to secure immigration documents and address other matters, international applicants are encouraged to submit all application materials as early as possible. The Graduate College works in collaboration with other offices on campus to assist international applicants and students. For further information, please contact the Graduate College.

Doctoral Applicants

The Administration and Leadership Studies (D.Ed.) collaborative delivery doctoral program is offered on the ESU campus by Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). Applications are accepted for new cohorts every two years. All application materials should be submitted to the Graduate College at East Stroudsburg University. Please contact the Graduate College for application materials. Required application materials include:

1. Application Form – Applicants should submit the official IUP application
2. Official Transcripts – Official transcripts from each undergraduate and graduate institution attended, regardless whether a degree was earned, must be submitted as part of the application package.
3. Recommendation Forms – Two professional and personal recommendations, using the IUP recommendation forms, are required for each applicant. Letters are to speak to the ability to be successful in a doctoral program, career and academic goals, and include professional work experiences and skills.
4. Professional Goals Statement – A statement of the applicant’s perception of ability to be successful as a doctoral candidate, career and academic goals, commitment to the field of study, and professional work experiences and skills.
5. Resume
6. Application Fee – A non-refundable application fee in the amount of $50 must accompany the application. The fee, in the form of check or money order, should be made payable to IUP.
7. Interview and Writing Sample – Selected applicants will be contacted by the Professional and Secondary Education Department to schedule an on-campus interview, at which time the applicant will be asked to complete a writing sample on a topic to be determined by the doctoral admissions committee. Applicants for Certification, Specialist, Supervisor, and Letter of Eligibility Programs

Applicants for Certification, Specialist, Supervisor, and Letter of Eligibility Programs

From the Pennsylvania Department of Education and other national certification programs, East Stroudsburg University offers state-approved programs leading to certificate programs in:

Biology (7-12)

Chemistry (7-12)

Earth & Space Science (7-12)

English (7-12)

English as a Second Language (ESL)

French (7-12)

General Science (7-12)

German (7-12)

Mathematics (7-12)

Physics (7-12)

Social Studies (7-12)

Spanish (7-12)

Speech & Language Impaired (N-12)

Instructional Technology Specialist (K-12)

Principal (K-12)

Reading Specialist (K-12)

Special Education Supervisor

The university also offers programs of study to prepare students for national certifications, including the Behavior Analyst, Applied Behavior Analyst, and National Board Certified Teacher.

Applicants for these programs should follow the same procedures for admission, plan of study, and registration, as described for degree program students in this catalog. Interested applicants should contact the Graduate College office to confer with the graduate admissions coordinator, in consultation with the respective graduate coordinator, for further information, before beginning the admissions process.

Examination and Other Admission Requirements

All applicants to the Graduate College at East Stroudsburg University are strongly encouraged to take a graduate college admissions test, such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT). However, some programs require specific tests, as follows:

In addition to the requirements enumerated for all applicants to the Graduate College, specific programs have additional application requirements, as follows: