We invite applications from persons interested in a wide variety of issues, perspectives and research methodologies pertaining to (and across) curriculum, instruction, teaching, teacher education, and related topics.
The CITE program has a single application deadline (December 1 for the following Fall semester). All applications must be completed by this deadline. We do not make exceptions for off-cycle admissions.
The CITE program does not require Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. Please do not send GRE scores as they will not be reviewed.
Those seeking admission to an MSU graduate program must complete an online university graduate application and pay the application fee. The fee (payable in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank or with credit card) is $65 for domestic applicants and $75 for international applicants. We are unable to offer waivers of this fee.
When completing the Test Scores section of the university graduate application:
Once the university application is complete (including payment), applicants will have access to the Graduate Education Application Portal to upload: CV, Statement of Professional Goals (if not already uploaded), and Writing Sample (if not already uploaded). Please upload only one copy of each of these materials.
Applicants should identify three (3) individuals to write recommendation letters in support of their application. Recommenders should be able to attest to the applicant’s academic ability and/or professional qualifications as related to success in a doctoral program (e.g., course professor, master’s degree advisor, professional supervisor). Letters from university faculty (e.g., instructors at the master’s or undergraduate level, researchers with which the applicant has worked) are particularly effective for this purpose.
Applicants provide contact information for recommenders and choose whether to waive or not waive their access to the letters as part of the university application. Once that information has been submitted, MSU will contact the recommenders to request letters.
Applicants submit a Statement of Professional Goals. (Specific points that should be addressed in this statement are outlined below). Applicants should not upload separate Personal and Academic Statements. Instead, these should be integrated into a single Statement of Professional Goals.
The Statement of Professional Goals should be uploaded either with the university application or in the Graduate Education Application Portal. If uploading to the Portal, please select “Statement of Purpose” as the file type.
This statement is a very important part of the review process. Applicants should present a thoughtful and extended verbal portrait (3-page, single-spaced) that describes their background and reasons for pursuing a doctoral degree in the CITE program. In particular, the statement should address the following questions:
Applicants submit one or more examples of their academic writing (e.g., something that they have published, a master’s thesis or a paper submitted to fulfill graduate course requirements).
The Writing Sample should be uploaded either with the university application or in the Graduate Education Application Portal. If uploading to the Portal, please select “Writing Sample” as the file type.
The writing sample should be at least 10 pages long (double-spaced) and must have been authored exclusively by the applicant. Because analytical writing is a central component of advanced doctoral study, the purpose of the writing sample is purpose is to demonstrate the candidate’s ability to write in academic English. The writing sample is particularly important for international students to demonstrate their command of English. (For this reason, a translated abstract of a master’s thesis cannot be used for this application requirement.)
If an applicant does not have an appropriate extended piece of academic work in English that can be submitted along with the application, please contact the Ph.D. Program Director.
Applicants may choose their own format for the curriculum vitae (CV). A copy of the CV should be uploaded to Graduate Education Application Portal. (Applicants will have access to this portal after completing the university application and paying the application fee.)
University admissions requires official degree-granting transcripts, sent directly from the degree institution. (Transcripts for degrees from MSU are not required.) Transcripts may be sent in one of two ways:
All applicants should also upload unofficial transcripts to the Graduate Education Application Portal to be reviewed with other application materials.
International applicants should refer to the information below for more specific requirements.
University-level information for international applicants is available at the Graduate School’s International Applicants web page. (Please note: Information on this webpage is specific to graduate applicants. There is a separate web page for international applicants to undergraduate programs.)
In addition to the procedures outlined on this page for U.S. citizens/residents, international students also need to submit the following materials as part of their application:
Most international applicants are required to submit English Language test scores. For more information on the English Language Competency Requirements, please see the Graduate School’s English Language Competency web page. The official test results must be electronically submitted from the testing facility to the MSU Office of Admissions to be considered official scores. In order to be considered for admission, all international students must have official scores reported to the university. Unofficial test scores should also be uploaded with the application.
The Graduate School’s English Language Competency web page contains information about the conditions under which an applicant may be eligible for a waiver of this requirement (for example, having completed a degree program in an English speaking country). If a student is eligible for a waiver, the CITE program will submit a waiver request. If the waiver is not granted, then the English Language test scores will be required before an admissions decision can be processed.
Official transcripts from each degree granting institution should be sent directly from degree institutions in sealed university envelopes to: Office of Admissions (426 Auditorium Road, Room 250, East Lansing, MI 48824-2604). These transcripts should have an English translation and include a notation of the degree earned, area of study in which the degree was earned, and the date conferred. If your transcripts do not include the above, please also submit an official original or certified copy of the diploma with degree earned and date.
For questions about visa types and requirements, travel to the U.S., finances for international students and support services, please contact the Office of International Students and Scholars, or OISS. For questions about housing and living in Michigan, please see the Graduate School’s webpage about this topic.
Faculty from the Department of Teacher Education and in the applicant’s area(s) of interest review each application. The review committee considers the following factors in assessing applicants:
Applicants are notified of the program’s decision by email as soon as possible after the review. If the recommendation is to admit the applicant, a temporary advisor will be assigned to the applicant.
The program reserves the right to make a provisional recommendation to the program when the faculty reviewers identify a particular area of weakness in the student’s application that could be resolved within a year of the provisional admission to the program. How the student can meet the required provisions will be spelled out in detail in the letter of provisional acceptance, including a date when failure to meet those requirements will mean that the student cannot continue in the program.