Admission
Prospective students seeking admission to a graduate degree program should view electronic application instructions and admission information on the School of Education Graduate Program webpage. GRE test scores are optional for admission to the doctoral programs.
Admission to all programs and degrees in the School of Education is selective. Master's admissions deadlines are October 1 for spring semester, January 15th for Fall and Summer for international students, and February 1st for Fall and Summer for domestic applicants. Note that our MA+ Licensure programs only accept applications for the Summer term. The admissions deadline for PhD applicants is November 15th for international applicants and December 1st for domestic applicants. The PhD program only accepts applications for the Fall semester. Students should visit the International Admissions webpage for additional forms and information.
Advising
Graduate students are assigned a faculty advisor, who is their primary academic advisor. Students in the MA+ program will also be assigned an SOE Academic Advisor.
Maximum Load and Part-Time Study
Enrollment status information, including guidelines and policies for full versus part-time enrollment in the context of financial aid and registration standards, can be found here: https://www.colorado.edu/registrar/students/records/info/enrollment-status
Opportunities for Assistantships
The School of Education has a limited number of assistantships administered by the Dean on the recommendations of faculty and the Associate Deans. Some assistantships involve the supervision of student teachers; others involve helping professors in their teaching or research. Taxable stipends in amounts set by the university are paid for all assistantships. Appointments are usually made in terms of one-fourth time (10 hours a week) or one-half time (20 hours a week).
Master of Arts in Education
The master of arts degree requires one academic year or more of graduate work beyond the bachelor's degree.
The master's degree must be completed within four years of initial enrollment. The MA plan II (non-thesis) degree requires a minimum of 30 credit hours to graduate. See the Graduate School section for discussion of plan I and plan II. Students may transfer no more than 9 credit hours of work taken at another institution or as a non-degree student at CU Boulder.
All program areas have outlined a recommended or required program of study, and students pursuing a degree are expected to follow that program unless they have appropriate substitutions arranged in advance with their advisors and the Associate Dean of Graduate Education.
At the beginning of the final term of study, each student must submit a "Candidacy Application for an Advanced Degree." These forms are available online through the Graduate School. The form is submitted by the student after conferring with the faculty advisor when submitted to the School of Education Graduate Programs Coordinator for initial approval and then to the Graduate School for final approval. All students are required to pass a final examination or its equivalent, as determined by the program's faculty committee (for time limits and other information, see the Graduate School section under Master's degree).
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Education
Please see the PhD in Education section of the catalog for details.
Graduation
A student must apply for graduation via the student portal; this is the official notification to the Graduate School of intent to graduate during a given semester. The student will be permitted to graduate during a specific semester only if they have applied by the deadline for that semester. If they do not graduate during the semester for which they applied, the student must apply online again for the new semester. Application submissions are not retained beyond the semester indicated online. The Graduate School determines all deadlines. The student is responsible for meeting all deadlines to ensure graduation during a particular semester.
Scholarships and Awards
Each year a number of merit-based Teaching Assistantships (TA), Research Assistantships (RA), Graduate Part-Time Instructors (GPTI) and fellowships are available in the School of Education to support full-time doctoral study. Half-time appointments (the maximum allowed) for 20 hours of work per week are the norm. Quarter-time RA, TA and GPTI appointments (10 hours per week) may also be made. The monetary amount of stipends paid for assistantships are set by the university. These stipends are taxable income. Students must be considered full-time to hold an assistantship. (Enrollment status policies are detailed here: https://www.colorado.edu/registrar/students/records/info/enrollment-status.)
The strongest doctoral applicants are nominated by the school for fellowships awarded by the Graduate School. Candidates apply in the spring semester for scholarships and awards for the following school year. Application procedures and deadlines are publicized by the Graduate School.
Students are eligible to apply for university-wide financial assistance through the Office of Financial Aid. The Office of Financial Aid, in conjunction with the Graduate School, awards financial aid in the form of grants and work study jobs on the basis of both need and merit criteria. Students must be registered for a minimum of four credits in order to be eligible for Financial Aid.
State and federal programs are available for loan cancellation or forgiveness for Colorado teachers of certain subjects or who teach in designated schools serving students from low-income families. Information about these opportunities may be found on the School of Education website.
Academic Standards
A grade average of B (3.00) or better is required for all work taken for any graduate degree. Transferred credits are not included when calculating grade averages.
A mark below B- will not be credited toward the PhD program; a mark below C is not acceptable for MA students. Students who do not maintain at least a B (3.00) average or better may be suspended by the Dean of the Graduate School upon the recommendation of the School of Education. Students may also be suspended from the Graduate School for continued failure to maintain satisfactory progress toward the degree sought.
Please refer to the Graduate School for details on Academic Standing.