Admissions Requirements

Join an upcoming information session to assist you in thinking about graduate education and preparing an application for Fall 2025 admission.

Application deadlines

Fall Semester Admission

  • January 15 – Priority deadline
  • March 1 – Secondary deadline

The M.Ed. program admits only for the fall semester. The program is competitive and applicants are encouraged to apply early. Carefully review the following information so that all the requested application materials are received by the posted deadlines.

Completed applications submitted by the priority deadline receive the highest departmental consideration for available funding, such as assistantships and fellowships. Applications and recommendations for admission continue beyond the posted deadlines pending program capacity.

Application Submission

The admission process is competitive and determined by the following, application components:

  1. Bachelor’s degree (or its U.S. equivalent) from a regionally accredited college or university.
  2. GPA 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). If an applicant has earned or attempted a post-baccalaureate degree (i.e. a master’s, doctoral or other), grades in that program will also be taken into consideration.
  3. A Statement of Purpose (essay) submitted online as part of the application submission process (see prompt below).
  4. At least three recommendation forms from persons familiar with your academic and/or professional qualifications. These should include professors who have taught you and supervisors from employment or extracurricular activities. These recommendations are submitted directly from your recommender via the online application system.
  5. Unofficial transcripts of all academic work attempted beyond high (secondary) school can be used for admission review. An official (officially certified) final transcript must be submitted if an applicant is offered admission. International transcripts provided in a language other than English should be uploaded, but a translated version should be uploaded as well.
  6. A description of previous relevant employment (i.e., a resume).
  7. Optional: Reports of test scores (GRE or MAT).
  8. For non-native English language speakers: official English Language Proficiency Scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Required is either a minimum score of 83 on the Internet-based TOEFL, or a minimum overall band score of 6.5 on the IELTS.

Statement of Purpose prompt:
Please write and upload a statement outlining your goals for pursuing graduate education focusing on higher education administration. Specifically, describe your reasons for applying to this program, your preparation for this field of study (e.g. previous experience with higher education or college student affairs as a student and/or employee), as well as any research experience in the discipline, future career plans in higher education, and any other aspects of your background or interests which may aid the Graduate Program Director and Admissions Committee in evaluating your motivation for graduate study. You may also discuss how the higher education program at UNC Charlotte can help you achieve these goals.

UNC Charlotte Graduate Admissions