Requirements

All applicants to Graduate & Extended Studies at East Stroudsburg University must meet the following requirements:

1. An applicant must have an earned a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
2. The applicant’s undergraduate grade point average must be at least 2.50 (on a 4.00 scale) overall, and 3.00 in the major. Some graduate programs require higher overall and major grade point averages.
3. Additional Program Requirements – Some programs have additional admission requirements, such as graduate school admission test (e.g., GRE, MAT, etc.) scores, specific undergraduate degree or prerequisite coursework, Pennsylvania Department of Education certification, or other requirements. Please refer to the section “Overview of Graduate Program Admission Requirements” for additional, program-specific requirements.

Recruitment Activity Practice

Recruitment Activity Practice

Only appointed employees or trained alumni of ESU are authorized to officially represent the university in recruiting and enrolling students through direct contact with the applicant, the applicant's parents/legal guardians, spouse or school-appointed counselors. The university does not condone high-pressure recruitment strategies nor provide compensation by commissions, bonuses, or other incentive payments based on the number of students referred, recruited, admitted, or enrolled, including recruitment and financial aid support of military service members. 

Application for Admission

A completed application for admission to Graduate & Extended Studies at East Stroudsburg University will include the following components:

1. Application – All degree and post-baccalaureate certification programs require a Graduate Admission Application, to be submitted online. Prospective students interested in pursuing coursework for professional development, or to explore graduate study before applying to a degree or certification program, should complete the Special Status Application.
2. Official Transcripts – Official transcripts from each undergraduate and graduate institution attended, regardless whether a degree was earned, must be submitted as part of the application package for degree and post-baccalaureate certification programs. Transcripts must be sealed by the registrar and remain sealed until their arrival at the office of Graduate & Extended Studies. Electronic transcripts sent by the registrar via an official transcript service directly to the office of Graduate & Extended Studies are acceptable.
3. Letters of Recommendation – Two or three professional and current letters of recommendation depending on the program are required of each applicant. Letters are to speak to your ability to be successful in graduate school, career and academic goals, and your professional work experiences and skills. Recommendations should state how long and in what capacity the individual writing the recommendation has known the applicant, and are to be submitted on official letterhead or on the Graduate Application Recommendation Form. Recommendations mailed directly to Graduate & Extended Studies should be in a sealed envelope with a signature across the seal.  Recommendations can also be sent electronically, but should come directly from the recommender. The Special Status Application does not require the submission of letters of recommendation.
4. Professional Goal Statement – A statement of your perception of your ability to be successful in graduate school, career and academic goals, commitment to your field of study, and your professional work experiences and skills is to accompany the application package. The statement, dated and signed, is an important component of the application. The Special Status Application does not require the submission of a goal statement.
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6. Application Fee – A non-refundable application fee in the amount of $50 must accompany the online application.
7. Documentation of Additional Program Requirements – Documentation of additional admission requirements (e.g., graduate school admission test – GRE, MAT, etc. – scores, undergraduate degree or prerequisite coursework, Pennsylvania Department of Education certification, etc.), where required, must be included in the application package.

Admission Classifications

Applicants to Graduate Studies at East Stroudsburg University are notified of their admission status by a letter from the vice president for enrollment management before the beginning of the term of planned study. Typically, applicants will be notified of an admission decision within three weeks after all application materials are received. Admission decisions are not subject to appeal. Admission decision classifications are as follows:

1. Admission, Pre-Candidacy (Full) – Granted to an applicant who plans to work toward a graduate degree and whose application meets admission requirements as set forth by Graduate & Extended Studies and the academic department.
2. Admission, Certification Program – Granted to an applicant who plans to work toward a certification program and whose application meets admission requirements as set forth by Graduate & Extended Studies and the academic department.
3. Admission, with Conditions – Granted to an applicant who plans to work toward a graduate degree or certification program but does not meet the academic criteria for admission (e.g., overall/major quality point average, graduate test scores, etc.) or who does not have all of the other requirements (e.g., prerequisite coursework, licenses, etc.) necessary for admission, pre-candidacy (full). Upon departmental recommendation of the stated conditions, the student may request a change of admission classification from Admission, with Conditions to Admission, Pre-Candidacy. The Vice President for Enrollment Management will seek the recommendation of the graduate coordinator, and then make the decision for approval or disapproval.
4. Admission, Special Status – Granted to an applicant who plans to enroll in graduate courses for professional development, but does not intend to pursue a degree or certification. Special Status admission also may be granted to applicants who wish to explore graduate studies before applying to a graduate degree or certification program. In such cases, students must apply to the program before the completion of 12 credit hours. Courses completed as a Special Status (non-degree) student will not automatically be applicable toward the degree or certification program. Students must provide documentation of an earned baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
5. Admission Denied – Applicants denied admission by Graduate & Extended Studies will receive a letter from the Vice President for Enrollment Management informing them of the decision.

Application Deadlines

Graduate & Extended Studies reviews applications for admission under a "rolling admissions" process. This means that applications are reviewed throughout the year and admissions decisions are made weekly. However, to assure full consideration for admission before the beginning of the semester in which you would like to enroll, please submit your application for admission with all required documentation two weeks prior to the start of the semester.

Some programs admit students only once a year or have specific application deadlines, which are enumerated below:

International Applicants

In addition to fulfilling the general application procedures, international applicants must present evidence of fluency in English, with either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score. The minimum TOEFL score acceptable for admission is 560 on the paper test, 220 on the computer test or 83 on the Internet test. The TOEFL score should be submitted directly from the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, N.J. ESU’s Institutional Code Number is 2650. The minimum acceptable score for IELTS is "Band 6."

For further information concerning IELTS contact Cambridge Examinations and IELTS International, 100 East Corson St., Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91103, USA. Call 626-564-2954; e-mail ielts@ceii.org; or visit IELTS Web site, www.ielts.org.

International applicants also must submit a statement and documentation of financial resources. The statement must demonstrate sufficient financial resources to meet the cost of living in the United States, the cost of travel to and from the student’s native country, and the cost of graduate education at East Stroudsburg University. Applications will not be processed without the financial statement and application fee.

International applicants must submit an official English translation of their transcripts, including a credential evaluation equivalence course-by-course report of their baccalaureate degree from World Education Services, Inc. (WES) or other credential evaluators approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). For further information concerning WES, contact WES at 800-937-3895 or at www.wes.org. For a full listing of approved evaluations, please visit www.naces.org.

International applicants must furnish proof of health insurance (certification must be in English) meeting the required criteria or purchase student health insurance from East Stroudsburg University, which is recommended.

Due to the time required to secure immigration documents and address other matters, international applicants are encouraged to submit all application materials as early as possible. The office of Graduate & Extended Studies works in collaboration with other offices on campus to assist international applicants and students. For further information, please contact Graduate & Extended Studies.

Doctoral Applications

Applications for the Educational Leadership and Administration, (Ed.D.) program and Health Sciences (D.H.Sc.) are accepted every other Fall term. 

Applicants for Certification, Specialist, Supervisor, and Letter of Eligibility Programs

From the Pennsylvania Department of Education and other national certification programs, East Stroudsburg University offers state-approved certification preparation programs leading to certification in:

Biology (7-12)

Chemistry (7-12)

Earth & Space Science (7-12)

English (7-12)

French (7-12)

General Science (7-12)

German (7-12)

Mathematics (7-12)

Physics (7-12)

Social Studies (7-12)

Spanish (7-12)

Speech & Language Impaired (N-12)

Instructional Technology Specialist (K-12)

Principal (K-12)

Reading Specialist (K-12)

Special Education, PreK-8/7-12

Special Education Supervisor

The university also offers programs of study to prepare students for national certifications, including the Behavior Analyst, Applied Behavior Analyst, and National Board Certified Teacher.

Applicants for these programs should follow the same procedures for admission, plan of study, and registration, as described for degree program students in this catalog. Interested applicants should contact Graduate & Extended Studies office to confer with the graduate admissions coordinator, in consultation with the respective graduate coordinator, for further information, before beginning the admissions process.

Examination and Other Admission Requirements

All applicants to Graduate Studies at East Stroudsburg University are strongly encouraged to take a graduate admissions test, such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT). However, some programs require specific tests, as follows:

In addition to the requirements enumerated for all applicants to Graduate Studies, specific programs have additional application requirements, as follows: