Ph.D. Admission Requirements

Application Deadlines:

• The application window opens every year on September 15 for admission the following fall. To guarantee full consideration for admission and financial support, applications should be completed by January 4. If you are unable to meet this deadline but are interested in applying, please contact program coordinator Nancy Christensen.
• Since the program starts in fall quarter each year, students are not normally admitted in winter or spring, though exceptions can be made in special circumstances.

Application Requirements:

• Completion of a baccalaureate degree with a grade point average of at least 3.0 in the most recent academic degree program
• Prior course work or background related to the specialization for which the student expresses interest
• Completion of GRE general examination within the past five years and, for international students, TOEFL or IELTS taken within the past two years

Application Process:

• Read Information for Prospective Students on the UCI Graduate Website and, if applicable, International Student Applicant Information.
• Complete the Online Application for Graduate Admission to UCI. As part of that online application, you are required to submit both a Statement of Purpose and a Personal History Statement. You should also list the specialization you are interested in where the online application asks for "Specific Area of Interest." (If you are interested in more than one specialization, please list the one that represents your primary interest. You can discuss your interest in more than one specialization in your Statement of Purpose if you wish.)
• Have two official copies of your transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you attended sent directly to PhD Admissions, Dept. of Education, 3200 Education, Irvine, CA, 92697-5500 (USA).
• Have your GRE general examination scores sent to UCI (institution code R4859). Note: There is no minimum required GRE score.
• International students must also submit a TOEFL or IELTS score.
• Submit both (a) an academic writing sample (e.g., thesis chapter, research paper, or academic article) and (b) a copy of your resume or CV as supplemental material directly to the Department of Education, either as electronic copy (PDF files only; no other format accepted) to gseinfo@uci.edu or as hard copy to PhD Admissions, Dept. of Education, 3200 Education, Irvine, CA, 92697-5500 (USA).
• Have three letters of recommendation submitted electronically or by mail.
• Pay the Application Fee.
• After submitting your application, go to Application Progress Review to confirm whether your test scores or letters of recommendation (if submitted electronically) have been received.
• Refer to the Application Checklist to confirm that you have completed all required steps.

Admissions Criteria:

Our program has two major criteria for evaluating applicants to our program:

1. Applicant's Potential to Conduct Educational Research

The goal of a Ph.D. program is to prepare people to conduct research, both to complete their dissertation and to have successful careers after graduation. Thus a major criterion for our program is our assessment of the applicant's potential to be a highly successful educational researcher.

2. Match with Our Program and Faculty

Beyond an applicant's potential as a researcher, we also consider the fit between, on the one hand, the background, trajectory, and research interests of the applicant and, on the other hand, the content of our program and interests of our faculty. We seek applicants who match well with our program specializations and with our faculty's research interests.

In evaluating these two criteria, we take into account all aspects of the application. An applicant's educational background (where studied, what studied, and academic performance), letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, writing sample, and standardized test scores (GRE and, when applicable, TOEFL) are all considered as evidence of potential to conduct educational research. The educational background, statement of purpose, and other aspects are considered as evidence of match with our program and faculty. All components of the application are considered together and no single component trumps all others (provided that basic application requirements, such as completion of bachelor's degree and submission of all required material, are met).

Finally, in assessing applicants on these criteria, we compare them to all other applicants to the program, with admissions decisions made on a competitive basis.