Admission to the Ph.D. Program

Individuals interested in applying to the doctoral program are urged to meet with the Executive Officer prior to application. Although a formal interview is not a requirement for admission, it behooves applicants to become familiar with the mission and objectives of the program in order to determine whether it will meet their academic and professional career goals and whether they will be able to fulfill the requirements of the program of study.

Applications are available in the Office of Admissions. The application deadline for Spring admission is November 15. 

The application deadline for Fall admission without financial assistance is March 1.

The Application for Financial Assistance and The Application for Admission (with supporting credentials) are due no later than February 1 for the following fall semester.

All documentation for admission is to be sent to the Office of Admissions for arrival prior to these dates. No application will be considered until the application is complete. The applicant is advised to monitor the receipt of materials with the Office of Admissions to ensure that all references, transcripts, and test scores needed to complete the application have been received.

The evaluation of applications for admission is the responsibility of the program’s Admissions and Awards Committee. The Committee reviews each application and renders a judgment of the applicant’s overall potential for success in doctoral study. This judgment is based on the following considerations:

1. A careful review of the applicant’s past academic performance which involves not only consideration of grade-point-average, but also of the pattern of grades in various subject areas.
   
   
2. The nature of previous undergraduate and/or graduate work and the school at which it was taken.
   
   
3. Scores for the Graduate Record Examination General Test (verbal and quantitative). Scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in the case of international students.
   
   
4. Letters of recommendation, most appropriately from professors familiar with the student’s work who can testify to the applicant’s potential to complete the doctorate successfully.
   
   
5. A personal statement written by the applicant reviewing reasons for applying to the program, career objectives, and relevant background information. Applicants should include their intended academic emphasis in order to identify potential faculty mentors.
   
   
6. In some instances, candidates are invited to meet with potential faculty mentors to aid in the committee’s decision.