Application Process Northwestern University | School of Education & Social Policy

Follow these steps to apply to Northwestern's Master of Science in Education program:

1. Online application form

Under "Program," select "Master of Science in Education Program."
Under "Type of Application," select "Matriculated" or "Non-Matriculated" as appropriate.
- "Matriculated" students are degree-seeking students. Most applicants will apply for this status.
- "Non-matriculated" students are students-at-large; they are not degree candidates. If you just want to take a few classes, apply for this status.
Due to visa requirements, all international applicants must apply for the "matriculated" status. In order to make the visa process run as smoothly as possible, it is important that the name you supply on your application for admission match the name of your passport exactly. In addition, the address you supply on your application must be a street address -- it cannot be a Post Office box.

Essays should be between 1-2 pages and double-spaced.

Education systems aim to create opportunities for all students to learn, grow, build community, and gain knowledge and skills that lead to fulfilling, meaningful lives. However, those systems sometimes fall short of delivering on these promises. Research has shown that the educational system produces (sometimes drastically) divergent outcomes for different populations of students. In this essay, please reflect on your own experiences as a student and/or in your professional life within the educational system. Where have you experienced or observed the promises that education can provide? Where have you experienced or observed inequalities surfacing in the educational system? What impact has this had on your decision to pursue a graduate program in education? (1-2 pages, double spaced)
Please describe your educational goals. What do you plan to do with your degree from Northwestern University? Please highlight how your prior experiences working with students (children, adolescents, and/or adults) are connected to your future professional goals related to education. If you don't have any related experience (either formal or informal) please tell us how you arrived at the decision to pursue a professional program in education. Explain why you believe that Northwestern’s program, in particular, is a good fit for you to reach your goals. (1-2 pages, double spaced)

Only unopened envelopes or official secure electronic transcripts are accepted.
Include all undergraduate and graduate institutions you've attended, even if you did not earn a degree from that institution.
If your name is different from the name that appears on your transcript (due to marriage or other reasons), please notify our admissions coordinator via e-mail at msedapply@northwestern.edu to ensure that your transcripts are filed with your application.
If you earned your undergraduate degree from an institution outside the United States, you must submit your transcripts for a course-by-course evaluation to an approved transcript evaluation service. A list of approved services is available on the ISBE website under the header "International Resources." You must have the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from a regionally-accredited US institution to be eligible for the MSEd Program.
All hard-copy transcripts (or transcript evaluations) should be sent to this address:
Master of Science in Education
Attention: Admissions
618 Garrett Place
Evanston, IL 60208
All secure electronic transcripts should be sent to msedapply@northwestern.edu.

Please use PDF format.
Applicants to the Teacher Leadership concentration must have at least three years of teaching experience.
Previous education course work or experience is not required for applicants to the Elementary or Secondary Teaching concentrations, but it will be considered.

Fee must be paid by credit card through the online application system before the application is submitted.
Applicants may request to waive the application fee on the basis of significant financial hardship. To request the fee waiver, send a message detailing why you need to request the waiver to our admissions coordinator at msedapply@northwestern.edu.

One letter must be an academic recommendation from an instructor at the college level or above whose course you took.
The second letter of recommendation may either be academic or professional. A professional letter should come from someone who has supervised you in a workplace setting (co-workers are not acceptable).
Applicants to the Teacher Leadership concentration should submit at least one letter of recommendation from a principal or department chair.
Letters of recommendation are submitted through the online application system. When you start your application, you will need to enter the names and contact information for your recommenders. We will then contact the recommenders with instructions for submitting the letter of recommendation and supplementary materials.
It is generally a good idea to contact your recommenders in advance to tell them about your career aspirations and why you are applying to the program.

You can learn about and register for the OPI (Oral Proficiency Interview) at www.languagetesting.com.
Be sure to request scores based on the ACTFL scale. You must receive a score of Advanced Low or higher in order to be considered for the MSEd Program. Scores should be submitted to our office at 618 Garrett Place, Evanston, IL 60208.
If you have any questions about the OPI, please e-mail our admissions coordinator at msedapply@northwestern.edu.

International applicants must provide official TOEFL or IELTS scores. You must receive a score of 100 or higher on the TOEFL iBT or 7.5 or higher on the IELTS in order to be considered for the MSEd Program.
International applicants may request a waiver of the TOEFL/IELTS requirement if English is a native language, they earned a four-year degree from a college or university in the US or other English-speaking country, or they have lived in an English-speaking country for several years and speak English regularly.
If submitting TOEFL or IELTS scores, the test results must come directly from the testing service. Personal copies are not considered official, nor are "attested" or notarized copies. However, it is to your advantage to include a paper copy of your score report in your application materials. This will aid us in verifying your scores quickly, should there be any delay in receiving the official report, and to identify any errors in the electronic report.
For more information about the TOEFL, visit www.toeflgoanywhere.org. Be sure to submit scores to code 3115 Northwestern U MS PROG EDUC (not 1565 NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY).
For more information about the IELTS, visit www.ielts.org/en-us. Be sure to submit scores to our office at 618 Garrett Place, Evanston, IL 60208.

You can learn about and register for the GRE (Graduate Record Exam) at www.takethegre.com.
Be sure to submit scores to code 3115 Northwestern U MS PROG EDUC (not 1565 NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY).
If you have any questions about the GRE, please e-mail our admissions coordinator at msedapply@northwestern.edu.