Admissions Requirements

Information for Applicants

We look forward to receiving your application! Before beginning, please read the admissions policies for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, information for international applicants, and information on financial aid and expenses. We also encourage prospective students to attend an admissions event or schedule a visit.

Additional information about each element of the application can be found below. If you have any additional questions about applying to or studying in the M.A. in Educational Transformation, check out the FAQs for our program or contact us at edtransform@georgetown.edu.

Online Application

Applicants to both concentrations must complete the online application form for the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, which also serves as the collection point for your writing sample, recommendations, and statement of purpose or teaching philosophy. Detailed instructions are included throughout the form, but applicants can also contact the Office of Graduate Admissions with any technical questions at gradmail@georgetown.edu.

Application Fee

The application fee is waived for applicants who apply by the January 15th application deadline. A $90 non-refundable fee is payable by credit card at the time of application submission for subsequent application deadlines. Applicants who were McNair Scholars or participated in a similar program during their undergraduate career can contact us at edtransform@georgetown.edu (new window) to request a fee waiver.

Statement of Purpose

Applicants to both concentrations must submit a 500-word academic statement of purpose. For applicants to Advocacy & Policy, this statement should detail your intellectual interests and proposed topic(s) of graduate study. For applicants to Learning & Teaching, this statement should detail the personal values and beliefs you wish to enact as an educator.

Writing Sample

Applicants to both Learning & Teaching and Advocacy & Policy should submit a writing sample from any subject that best demonstrates your critical thinking and reflection skills. The sample can be either an excerpt from a longer text or a standalone piece, but we ask that it not exceed eight pages.

Supplemental Writing Response

Please read A Nation at Hope (Executive Summary) from the Aspen Institute and respond in a statement of approximately 500 words. In your response, you should 1) summarize what you have read in the report in your own words, 2) interpret the findings of what you have read in the report, and 3) describe how what you have read applies to your chosen concentration (Advocacy & Policy or Learning & Teaching).

Official Transcripts

Applicants are required to upload to the application system unofficial transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. Do not send electronic or paper copies of your transcripts before receiving an offer of admission. Review the unofficial transcript requirements for additional details and FAQs.

Recommendation Letters

Three recommendations are required. Two of your letters of recommendation should come from an academic source (for example, a former professor). One of your letters should come from a professional source (for example, your supervisor at a school you worked at). These letters should cover why you would be a good fit for our program, as well as your academic strengths and your commitment to education. You will share recommender contact information as part of the online application process, and each recommender will receive a unique link to share their recommendation online. In the event your reference cannot access the online recommendation, please contact the Office of Graduate Admissions at gradmail@georgetown.edu.

Basic Skills Exams (Learning & Teaching only)

Basic skills knowledge must be demonstrated by a 3.0 or higher grade-point average earned for a completed bachelor’s degree OR by submitting passing scores achieved for the Praxis Core exam or the GRE. If you will be demonstrating knowledge by submitting the Praxis, results of the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (Combined Test: Reading, Writing and Math) and the Praxis Content Knowledge Exam within your chosen certification area are required. Students must earn at least the minimum score required for licensure by the Office of State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) in DC. If preferred, applicants can submit qualifying GRE scores from within the last five years in place of Praxis results. A combined verbal and quantitative score of 288 and a writing score of 3.5 meet the minimum qualification for DC licensure.

TOEFL/IELTS Scores

All applicants are required to demonstrate English proficiency to meet the general admissions requirement of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Proficiency can be demonstrated by the receipt of a bachelor’s or advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education in the United States or from a university where English is the primary language of instruction; all other applicants must achieve at least a minimum score on either the TOEFL or IELTS test. Scores must be received by the application deadline date and applicants should allow six to eight weeks from the test date for score reports to arrive. For TOEFL, a minimum score of 600 (paper-based test) or 80 (iBT test) is required. For IELTS, a minimum score of 7.0 is required.