Frequently asked questions about M.Ed. admissions and policies
Do I have to submit transcripts?
Yes. You must submit official sealed (unopened) transcripts from all previous postsecondary institutions you have attended with your application.
Students who have attended any University of Minnesota campus (Twin Cities, Crookston, Morris, Duluth, Rochester, Waseca) are not required to submit their University transcripts.
If you graduated from a university outside of the United States, you must submit an English-language version of your transcript. Initial licensure and additional licensure applicants with out-of-country coursework must also submit a transcript evaluated by a professional credential evaluation service. This process can take four to six weeks, so please plan in advance. When requesting such an evaluation ask for both a U.S. degree equivalency and course-by-course evaluations.
List of approved credential evaluators
If I am admitted to an M.Ed. program, how long do I have to decide whether to accept my admission?
M.Ed./professional studies and initial licensure candidates must submit an Intent to Enroll form within 10 days of the receipt of their admission letter. Initial licensure students will be required to submit a confirmation fee along with the Intent to Enroll form to reserve their space in the program. The fee is later used to offset some of the costs associated with their teaching license application.
Can I defer my admission?
M.Ed./professional studies candidates may defer their initial admission for up to one year. Requests for deferment must be made in writing to the Student Services M.Ed. adviser within 10 days of receiving the admission letter.
M.Ed./initial licensure candidates’ requests for deferment are considered on a case-by-case basis by an adviser in consultation with program faculty. All requests must be submitted in writing to: Associate Director of Graduate and Professional Support Programs, Student Services, 250 Education Sciences Building, 56 River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455.
What if I miss a deadline but want to get started with some classes next term?
Most of the M.Ed./professional studies programs will allow students to begin their program as a graduate-level non-degree seeking student. The non-degree seeking status may be used by educators or education-related professionals wishing to take day courses or by persons needing to complete prerequisites for admission. No more than 40 percent of your M.Ed. degree coursework, including credits taken at other institutions, may transfer into your program. Contact Student Services or your department for specific policies on transfer and non-degree credits. A bachelor’s degree is required to apply as a non-degree seeking student at the graduate level.
Master of education/initial licensure programs do not allow students to begin their program as a non-degree seeking graduate-level student. However, students may register as a non-degree seeking student at the undergraduate level if they are completing prerequisites.
CEHD Application for non-degree seeking Students [.pdf]
Does the college have English language requirements?
If you are a non-native English speaker, you may be required to demonstrate English language proficiency. All international applicants must submit an official score report from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). This requirement is not influenced by your visa status. For more information contact Student Services at 612-625-6501. You can also visit the ETS Web site for more information on the TOEFL exam.
How much coursework can I transfer into my M.Ed. program from another institution?
No more than eight adviser-approved graduate-level semester credits from an accredited institution other than the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities may be used to satisfy program requirements. Transferred coursework may be considered before or after admission to the program. Transfer credits vary from program to program. Check with a Student Services adviser to confirm the number of eligible transfer credits in your program of study.
How many credits can I take as a graduate-level non-degree seeking student before being admitted to an M.Ed. program?
M.Ed./professional studies: No more than 12 graduate-level credits may be completed at the University of Minnesota in your field of study or from other accredited institutions (see above) before formal admission to your degree program. Check with a Student Services adviser for further guidance.
Students may not use undergraduate courses or those taken as an undergraduate-level non-degree seeking student toward an M.Ed.
M.Ed./initial licensure program: Students must be admitted to the program to take the courses. Students who have previously taken graduate courses at another institution that might meet program equivalencies may petition to use these courses upon admission to the M.Ed. program.
Should I plan to work while in the program? If so, how much can I work?
M.Ed./professional studies: Students in the professional studies track often continue their full-time teaching positions or other employment while completing their program requirements on a part-time basis in the evenings.
M.Ed./initial licensure program: Programs of study differ widely in their demands on students' time. In general, it is recommended that students enrolled in full-time initial licensure programs limit their work obligations to 15–20 hours per week. However, it is up to students to balance their financial need to work against the demands of their program of study.
How long can I take to complete an M.Ed. program?
All work to be counted toward the M.Ed. degree must be taken within seven years of the oldest course being applied toward the program.
What GPA must I maintain in my M.Ed. program in order to graduate?
Students must maintain a 2.80 grade point average (GPA) throughout their program. All GPA requirements for student teaching, internships, and graduation are computed using University of Minnesota-Twin Cities coursework only. Independent study courses are generally not accepted for an M.Ed. unless approved by an adviser. Courses with D grades are factored into the GPA calculation on the transcript, but courses with D grades may not be used toward the M.Ed.
How many courses can I take pass/fail (S/N)?
The college strictly limits the use of S/N grading. All major coursework must be taken on an A-F basis. No more than one-third of the credits for the M.Ed. degree may be taken S/N. Students are not permitted to change the grading option for a course after the second week of class.
Can I get two M.Ed. degrees from the college?
No. It is not possible to complete two M.Ed. degrees. However, upon adviser approval, you can complete a major in two different areas. As a requirement for a second major, students cannot apply more than one-third of the credits (10 credits) earned in the first major toward the second major. Those credits may only be considered for the second major if they meet the criteria for completion of the second major, e.g., completed within seven years, taken as part of the first major after admission, and meeting content requirements of the second major as determined by the program area faculty.
What if I need to stop attending school for a while?
Your options will depend on your program of study and your particular situation. Students enrolled in an M.Ed./professional studies program have seven years from the oldest work for the degree to complete all program requirements. Thus, continuous enrollment is not required. If you have questions about this, contact your Student Services M.Ed. adviser.
The M.Ed./initial licensure program presents a different situation. Because
most M.Ed./initial licensure programs admit a cohort* of students annually and
offer the curriculum on an annual cycle, students are expected to complete
licensure requirements in 12 to 15 months from the term of enrollment. Requests for
deferment are considered on a case-by-case basis by program faculty, in
consultation with professional advisers in Student Services. All requests must be submitted
in writing to: Associate Director of Graduate and Professional Support Programs,
Student Services, 150 Williamson Hall, 231 Pillsbury Dr. S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455.
*A cohort completes a program as a group, taking all classes together at the
same time and in the same sequence. Students who take a leave of absence
at a particular time must re-enter at that point.
Revised June 2007