GRADUATE DEGREE — MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ADULT EDUCATION

Applying to the program

Application Information

Applications are accepted and reviewed twice each year. The deadlines for application are:

• July 1 for fall semester
• November 1 for spring semester

Applications must be complete in order to be reviewed. Incomplete applications and those received after these deadlines will be held until the following admission cycle.

The Application

All applications must include the following items:

• A Statement of Professional Development and Goals
• Two letters of recommendation
• Official transcript from the college or university granting your bachelor's degree
• Official transcripts from any college or university where you completed graduate-level courses or earned a graduate degree if applicable
• Official GRE scores
• $50 non refundable application fee

Transcripts from IU campuses except IPFW can be accessed electronically by the program office. Official transcripts from schools other than Indiana University should be mailed to:

Department of Adult Education
Indiana University
c/o Marlene J. Gardner
Owen Hall 205
790 E. Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, Indiana 47405

Application Details

Statement of Professional Development and Goals

The Statement of Professional Development and Goals is a 500 to 750 word essay addressing the following:

• your professional development interests,
• professional goals,
• reasons for selecting adult education as your course of graduate study, and
• how you expect the degree to assist you in achieving your professional goals.

This statement is an important part of your application and will become part of your program plan if admitted. It allows the Admissions Committee to evaluate the clarity of your goals and the suitability of your choice of major and degree to meet those goals.

The statement is also used as a writing sample to allow the Admissions Committee to evaluate your ability to write at the graduate level. Please proofread your essay for spelling, grammar, and clarity.

Letters of Recommendation

Each applicant is required to submit two letters of reference. Letters of recommendation must come from people who can speak directly to your academic skills and/or your work with adult learners or related areas. Preferred sources of recommendations are professors or work supervisors although co-workers or individuals with whom you work in volunteer or community organizations are also acceptable. All recommendations must be current. Please do not submit recommendations from personal friends or family members.

Each recommendation must include the following:

1. Why do you believe the candidate will succeed in this degree program?
2. Among the students at this level in the applicant's discipline that you have known, you would rank this student among the top ______ percent.
3. Detailed comments and recommendation.
4. Name, address, and position/title of person writing reference.
5. Date of reference.

Do not use the online application system for recommendations.  Recommendation letters are to be sent directly from the individual author to the department office either via postal mail to Department of Adult Education, 620 Union Drive, Room 129D, Indianapolis, IN 46202-5167 or email to adulted@iupui.edu.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 opens many student records for students' inspection and protects those records from release to others. The rights provided in FERPA impact your letters of recommendation in several ways. If you are requesting a recommendation from a professor or other academic, you may be required to give that person permission to include in the letter of recommendation protected information such as course grades, GPA, and class rank. The law also permits students to retain or relinquish access to recommendation letters. The adult education program's Admissions Committee is informed as to which recommenders send confidential letters and which do not. It is not required that recommendation letters be confidential (i.e., you do not have to waive your right to read them), but the committee and most recommenders prefer confidential letters.

Graduate Record Exam (GRE)

GRE scores are required for an application to be reviewed. Only the general exam is needed. It takes approximately 3 weeks from the date you test for scores to reach the department so please schedule your test date accordingly. Please visit the GRE Web site to find a testing center in your area. To prepare for the GRE we recommend focusing on the analytical writing section as that section is weighted most heavily in the admission process.

If you have not taken the GRE but have taken another comparable test such as the LSAT, GMAT or MAT we will accept those scores in place of the GRE. If you have not taken the GRE but completed at least 12 credit hours of graduate course work within the past 5 years please contact the department to discuss the possibility of submitting an academic writing sample in place of GRE scores.

NOTE: GRE is offering a 50% test fee reduction for people who are unemployed. Please see the Educational Testing Service Web site for more information.

The Online Application

The Online Application is used by several different programs on the IUPUI campus. Please read the directions below before completing application.

You must complete the following sections of the application:

1. Personal Information
2. Educational History
3. Educational Objectives (Select "Continuing Studies" and "Adult Education MS"; leave the Academic Interest section blank, then select your start date as on the example to the right.)
4. Work Experience
5. Personal Statement (This is your Statement of Professional Development and Goals.)
6. Affirmation Statement

The application does not have to be completed all at once. You can log out and log back in as often as you need to before submitting it. The system will provide you with a password and PIN. Only after you submit your application will it be available for our review. However, once you have submitted the application, you cannot go back and change anything you have entered. If you have changes after you have submitted the application, please contact the Department of Adult Education at 317.274.3456 or adulted@iupui.edu.

To submit the online application, you must pay the application fee online with either a MasterCard or Visa. The department cannot access your application until you pay the fee and submit the forms.

Good luck! You are now ready to apply online. Go directly to the online application.

 

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