Application for Admission
You will apply to our programs through the University of Kentucky Graduate School. Please note: GRE scores are not required for admission to any of EPE’s Degree Programs.
Your completed application will contain the following documents:
- Program Application: Go to Graduate School Application Portal
- Personal Statement: A personal/professional statement is very important to your application. The admissions committee is interested in determining how well your personal goals align with what our department can offer. Doctoral candidates should also outline goals for research in the doctoral program. These statements should be less than 500 words.
- Writing Sample (Doctoral Students only): Your writing sample helps us assess whether your writing skills are up to the challenge of graduate coursework in our department. We like to see samples that show your ability to analyze a problem, develop a thesis, and work with primary and/or secondary sources. Thus an academic paper or article is often the best choice, but some professional writing would also be acceptable if it includes evidence of these critical writing skills. Contact the Director of Graduate Studies if you would like to write an essay specifically for your application.
- Letters of Recommendation (2 for Masters & 4 for Doctoral Students): Your recommendations help us determine the likelihood of success in graduate school and confirm your description of your goals for study. Thus your recommenders should know you well, and at least half of your letters should come from people who know your academic work (or at least your writing and analysis skills). You will be asked for your recommender’s email address as a step in the application portal. If email is not an option, you may ask your recommenders to send written letters directly to the department via postal mail.
- Transcript(s): You must submit all transcripts directly from your prior institutions to our Graduate School. Do not have them sent to the department. You may upload non-certified copies as placeholder for review, but official copies must be received for admission.
- CV (recommended): Please include work history, any certifications/licensures, publications and research, and hobbies or special interests.
See below for more information about our process.
Application Deadlines
Higher Education Programs (SHED & HIED)
- Spring: October 1
- Summer/Fall: February 1
All Other Programs
The Educational Research Methods & Policy Analysis Masters degree does not follow the above application deadlines. They and all our Graduate Certificate programs operate on rolling admission. Apply any time.
Prospective International Students
International applicants have different deadlines and requirements than their domestic counterparts. To learn more, visit the Graduate School’s website. For further information, look at the prospective student resources provided by International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS).
About our Admission Review Process
Admissions procedures for the degrees and certificates in Educational Policy Studies & Evaluation will follow the guidelines currently identified in the University of Kentucky Graduate School’s most recent edition of the Graduate Student Handbook and the specific policies of the Department of Educational Policy Studies & Evaluation’s EPE Graduate Student Handbook.
Applications for all our programs are accepted for Summer/Fall and Spring admission. A sub-committee of faculty will review applications and make recommendations to the full faculty. The full faculty will then review the recommendations and application folders and arrives at an admissions decision for each case. GRE scores are not required for admission to any of our programs.
Students from a variety of backgrounds will be encouraged to apply to the program and ideally the program will include many students from outside the field of education who are interested in educational research methods, policy studies, and/or higher education. No minimum GPA is required for student admission.
Admitted students will be allowed to transfer in 9 credit hours, per The Graduate School’s requirement, however, the Director of Graduate Studies must approve of the credits. As with all EPE graduate degree programs, students admitted to an EPE program or certificate must also be admitted into the University of Kentucky’s Graduate School.
To remain in good standing in EPE degree programs, students must show they are making acceptable progress towards completion of the degree and remain continuously enrolled in the program. Failure to sustain continuous enrollment (or to apply on time for a leave of absence) may result in having to reapply to your program of study. Reapplications are reviewed at the next available faculty meeting and are reviewed by the department faculty as a committee of the whole.
Questions about admissions processes, navigating the Graduate School Portal, and other logistics can be addressed to Kayla McCalla (kayla.mccalla@uky.edu).