Students may apply for admission at any time during the year and, if accepted, begin the program during any one of the three semesters, depending upon the availability of a cohort in the area where they work or live. Applicants must have completed an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution and must have maintained an overall GPA of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale. If the grade point average upon admission is below 2.75, or if a grade point average is not available, a student may be admitted with provisional status.

A teaching license is not required to enter the Master of Arts in Education program. This program does not lead to licensure in any field.

Applicants must submit:

1. A completed application form with the nonrefundable application fee.
    
2. An official transcript issued to Saint Mary’s University from each undergraduate college or university attended, including an official transcript from the institution posting the applicant’s completed bachelor’s degree.
    
3. An application narrative which includes the following:
   • Past experience
   • The present
   • Future goals
   • Individual needs
     See “Application Narrative” for details.
   
    
4. Two completed application reference forms.
    
5. An interview form completed with the appropriate education site coordinator.
    

Application materials should be sent to the attention of the Office of Admission on the Twin Cities campus.

The application narrative is designed to provide an opportunity for you to assess your current professional status and to assist you in formulating personal and professional goals for your master’s program in education. The specific contents to be included in the narrative are:

1. Past experience: Autobiographical information with particular emphasis on formal and informal learning experiences which have had the most impact on your life.
    
2. The present: Where do you see yourself in terms of your present teaching (or related) position? What are your strengths? What are your potential areas for growth? What helped you to choose the Saint Mary’s Education program?
    
3. The future: Identify both your short- and long-term goals. Based on items 1 and 2 and your goals, describe a course of study that would enhance your strengths, develop your desired areas for growth, and raise challenging concepts/questions to enrich your knowledge base.
    
4. Individual needs: What kinds of support do you think you will need to successfully complete the course of study and goals that you identified in item 3? What questions do you have about undertaking your commitment to complete the Master of Arts in Education program?
    

Note: Your application narrative may be shared with your instructors or advisor. Occasionally, an instructor will read the narratives in order to get a feel for the makeup of a cohort or class. However, if you request, in writing, that your narrative remain confidential, your narrative may be read only by admission staff, program directors and site coordinators.

All applicants whose native language is not Enlish and/or who submit a transcript from a country other than the U.S. must provide evidence of a TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based0, or 77 (internet-based). The TOEFL is not required if the applicant has a bachelor's or higher degre from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, or has successfully completed Saint Mary's University's English Language Academy certificate program.

Transcripts from countries other than the U.S. must be evaluated on a course-by-course basis by World Education Services and be deemed equivalent to accredited U.S. university standards. Students are responsible for having their transcripts evaluated, as well as the associated costs.