Admission Requirements and Application Procedures
| The mission of the Department is to create, integrate, exchange and apply
knowledge about leadership, learning and organizational performance to advance
educational quality and opportunity. |
 |
Many varied educational constituencies need to be able to analyze and to
inform debate on educational issues, and to lead and develop learning
communities that meet the diverse learning needs of students and society. We
believe effective educational leadership in any institution embodies three
values: inquiry, equity and reflection. (Strategic
Action Plan 2004)
We expect our graduates and the recipients of our instruction to reflect the
knowledge, skills, and personal qualities that will be successful in promoting,
producing, and improving learning and increasing public trust in our
educational institutions.
The Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis offers the M.S.
degree, the Ph.D. degree, and a Specialist Certificate in Educational
Leadership and Policy Analysis. All three of these degrees are intended
to increase professional knowledge and skills essential for educational
leadership, and to prepare persons for leadership positions at all levels of
education: preschool, elementary, secondary, special education, vocational and
technical schools, and colleges and universities, both public and private.
In keeping with this mission, the department has four specialties or emphases: Higher,
Continuing, and Vocational Education, focused on the effective
administration of post-secondary institutions; K-12 Leadership,
emphasizing the effective administration of primary and secondary institutions; Educational Policy, stressing effective formation and analysis of
policies governing the administration of all educational institutions; and Administrator
Certification. Students in each specialty will focus their course work
within the emphasis, although students are encouraged to learn about other
areas as well. Many students in the department also pursue the course work for
the Wisconsin certification for K-12 leadership.
All of the course work for Administrator Certification can be applied later
to the doctoral program, particularly in the K-12 Leadership specialty.
Students may also apply to the department for the Administrator
Certification only program. Certification-only students are not eligible for
any degree without first applying for the specific degree program desired.
The Application Process
Description of application materials
A. |
Application
The applicant must meet both the Department's and the Graduate
School's criteria for admission. Admission to the Department is the first
step and does not guarantee admission to the Graduate
School. Exceptions to the Graduate
School's requirement of at least
a 3.0 undergraduate grade point average are limited. Applicants must submit
an on-line application to the Graduate
School (links to application form). The Department will obtain your
application from the Graduate School.
We no longer accept paper applications. See other
available downloadable forms for the Department to facilitate the process. There is one application fee that is paid to the Graduate
School.
The Graduate School
is not permitted to waive the application fee but does offer a limited number
of "fee grants" for eligible
U.S.
and Permanent Resident applicants. The
guidelines for eligibility are similar to those for the GRE fee waiver. Forms
may be obtained from Graduate School Admissions Office by calling
608-262-2433 or by writing to 228 Bascom Hall,
500
Lincoln Drive, Madison
WI 53706. |
B. |
Transcripts
Applicants must furnish official transcripts of all previous collegiate
work to the Department. Transcripts are analyzed to determine both
undergraduate and graduate grade point averages (UGPA and GGPA). In addition,
transcripts are examined to determine past academic concentrations, the
pattern of courses taken, and the trend of grades received. No GPA renders an
applicant automatically admissible or inadmissible. However, applicants who
have a UGPA below 3.25 or a GGPA below 3.5 must submit supporting
documentation as noted in section D below. |
C. |
GRE Scores
NOT REQUIRED FOR MASTER'S ADMISSION
REQUIRED FOR Ph.D. ADMISSION
Results of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) must be submitted to the
Department. The institution code is 1846. The Department code is 3001. No GRE
score renders an applicant automatically admissible or inadmissible.
Candidates should be aware that the GRE web site indicates that the average
combined verbal and quantitative combined score for those entering the field
of educational administration is approximately 1100 points. Applicants who
score below 1100 points must submit supporting documentation as noted in
section D below.
*Applicants for certification-only programs whose
UGPA is 3.25 or better and GGPA is 3.5 or better do not need to take the GRE.
McNair GRE Fee Waivers
A limited number of GRE fee waivers are available for McNair Scholars. Fee
waivers are limited to three tests (i.e., General test, Subject test, and/or
Writing assessment). Contact the McNair assistant director or director for
more information.
Non-McNair GRE Fee Waiver
Contact your financial aid office to see if you qualify. Once your
eligibility is established, the financial aid office will issue you a fee
waiver and a copy of your financial analysis report. You must register by
mail using the registration materials. If registering for more than one test,
all registration materials must be received together with the fee waiver and
financial need analysis report. Letter requests or photocopies and faxes of
fee waivers will not be accepted. |
D. |
Supporting documentation
Applicants who earned an UGPA below 3.25 or a GGPA below 3.5 or a GRE score
below 1100 points (verbal and quantitative combined score) should provide
additional explanation/documentation to support their admission (e.g. an
explanation as to why scores do not accurately reflect potential,
documentation of high potential for leadership, relevant experiences that
affect their abilities to serve in leadership roles).
|
E. |
Letters of Recommendation
We require recommendations from three (3) people who are qualified to
evaluate the academic and professional competence of the applicant.
Instructions for submitting recommendations are available at http://info.gradsch.wisc.edu/admin/admissions/elorinstructions.html While the
Department prefers letters be submitted
electronically via your Graduate School
application, we will accept hard copies. |
F. |
Resumé |
G. |
"Reason for Study" Essay
Each applicant must submit a "Reasons for Study" essay. (As you
prepare your responses, we invite you to review the information on our web site [http://www.education.wisc.edu/elpa], to review the program literature, to
talk with our alumni and current students, and to interact with members of
the faculty and staff.)
- Master's Degree applicants, Ed.S. applicants, and certification applicants: Your essay should address
the following issues in a typed, one-page, well developed, specific
response:
- Your area of interest
(task or functional area of administration)
- Your career goals (i.e.,
why the applicant is interested in pursuing a degree in educational administration)
- Your professional
objectives and how the UW-Madison program will contribute toward the applicant's role as a school/institution leader (If seeking certification, be sure to
explicitly state what certification or certifications are being sought.)
- Doctoral applicants should address the
following questions in an essay that does not exceed three pages: The
Reasons for Study essay
- What are the primary
personal and career goals you have identified as important for your
intellectual and professional advancement over the next 5-10 years?
- In what ways will these
goals be advanced through a doctoral program at UW-Madison?
- As you will note, we are
interested in developing and maintaining a diverse and engaged learning
community. Please identify any unique or special contributions you will
bring to this community.
"Strong" essay is characterized by:
a. A clear,
thorough, well-organized essay that expresses ideas in a detailed and engaging
manner.
b. Addresses all components of the instructions.
c. Paragraphs signal the divisions of thought and sentences flow with ideas
in a logical sequence.
d. No (or very few) noticeable errors in composition.
e. The articulation of clear scholarly interests that are consistent with
the department's mission and
that may expand knowledge within the field.
A
"Satisfactory" essay is characterized by:
a. A detailed,
well-organized essay.
b. Addresses all components of the instructions.
c. Paragraphs signal the major divisions of thought and sequence.
d. Few errors in composition.
e. The articulation of scholarly interests that are consistent with the department's mission.
A "Weak"
essay is characterized by:
a. A
well-organized but insufficiently detailed essay.
b. Addresses some, but not all, of the components of the instructions.
c. Paragraphs do not contain main topics.
d. A distracting number of errors in composition or spelling (i.e. > 2-3
per page).
e. No articulation of scholarly interests. |
H. |
Other Supporting Materials (Ph.D. applicants only)
Applicants to the doctoral programs may, at their discretion, submit any
materials they believe necessary to strengthen their application dossier.
Summary of
application materials
Submit to the Graduate School: http://info.gradsch.wisc.edu/admin/admissions/gschecklist.html
• On-line application
• Application fee
Submit to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis:
• Official copies of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts
• GRE scores
• Supporting documents (see item D, above)
• Three letters of recommendation
• "Reason for Study" essay
• Resumé
• Supporting Materials (Ph.D. applicants only – see item H above)
Department of Educational Leadership and
Policy Analysis
1025 W. Johnson Street,
Room 1152
Madison, WI 53706
ATTN: Admissions
WARNING: If all application materials are
not received or postmarked by the application deadline, your application will
not be considered. (No exceptions) |
I. |
SPECIAL NOTE
ON INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ADMISSIONS:
English Proficiency
Every applicant whose native language is not
English, or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English, must provide
an English proficiency test score. Scores are accepted if they are within two
years of the start of the admission term.
An applicant
whose TOEFL (paper-based) test score is below 580; TOEFL computer based test
(CBT) score below 237; (TOEFL internet based iBT)
test score below 92; IELTS score below 7; or MELAB below 82 must take an
English assessment test upon arrival. Depending on your score you may need to
register for any recommended English as a Second Language (ESL) courses in
the first semester you are enrolled.
International
students must provide documentation of one year of funding to the Graduate School to be eligible for admission. Information on funding is available at http://info.gradsch.wisc.edu/admin/admissions/financialinfo.html
The
Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis does not provide
funding to first year graduate students, and funding opportunities after the
first year are limited and competitive. |
The Admissions Process
In keeping with the department's mission and strategic plan, admissions will
be based on a holistic view of each candidate with special attention to the
potential for success in the desired program of study evidenced in the
documentation provided. Please be aware that:
Application deadlines follow the schedule below:
All admissions decisions are made by the department
faculty as a whole at the Department Meeting following the application
deadline. Accordingly students are admitted to the certification program
three times a year; students are admitted to the Masters and Education
Specialist Programs twice each year; and students are admitted to the
doctoral program only once each calendar year.
No application will be considered for admission to
any program unless all documentation listed in A through G above is on
file. Applicants with incomplete files will not be considered.
A favorable vote of the Department faculty is
required for the Department to recommend admission
to the Graduate School .
Upon admission, a member of the faculty of the
Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis will be assigned
to serve as your initial advisor.
Because of the volume of applications received by the
department, qualified students must sometimes be denied admission. Those
denied admission are welcome to reapply during
the next admissions cycle.
PROGRAM |
APPLICATION DEADLINE |
FOR ADMISSION |
PhD |
January 15 |
Summer or fall of the same year of application |
Master’s |
March 1 |
Summer or fall of the same year |
Master’s |
July 1 |
Fall of the same year |
Master’s |
November 1 |
Spring of the following year |
Educational Specialist Certificate |
March 1 |
Summer or fall of the same year of application |
Educational Specialist Certificate |
November 1 |
Spring of the following year |
Certification Program |
March 1 |
Summer or fall of the same year of application |
Certification Program |
November 1 |
Spring of the following year |
Certification Program |
July 1 |
Fall of the same year of application |
(Updated 06/09/2009)
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