Note:The GRE is no longer required for admission into the special education program MA and PhD programs.
Applications for fall 2023 will open the day after Labor Day. Until then, you may start your application in the system. Just be sure to change the term to fall 2023 prior to submitting.
Note: We do not typically admit students for spring semester.
The admissions committee considers a variety of factors including your prior academic achievement, relevant employment and life experiences, personal statement, letters of recommendation, and compatibility of your clinical and research interests with those of the program and faculty. Although interviews are not required, you may be called by the program for more information.
All applications are reviewed during December and January for entrance the following Fall Semester. For updates on the status of your application, visit the graduate application or send an email to the program.
The Office of Graduate Admission completes a final review of your materials. You will receive your official admission decision via the email address provided on the graduate application.
Start your graduate application
Upload and submit all application materials, including transcripts, directly to the graduate application. For additional information on how to apply, visit the Graduate School website.
Choose “Ed-Psych Special Education-M.A.” or “Ed-Psych-Special Education Ph.D.” as your proposed major and degree objective.
Required fields: Program Selection, Term Selection, Biographical Information, Personal Background, Ed Psych – Special Ed questions, Academic History (including transcripts), Test Scores, Employment, Materials (including: Personal Statement, Resume/CV), and Three Letters of Recommendation.
Optional fields: Diversity Statements are optional but highly encouraged. Extenuating Circumstances Statement will be taken into consideration if submitted. A Writing Sample and Description of Research are not needed. As part of the Ed Psych – Special Ed questions, you have the option to upload a course abstract using this form.
Visit the Graduate School website for more information
Please note: If you apply for more than one program in educational psychology (e.g., special education and school psychology or special education and psychological foundations of education), you will need to pay more than one application fee.
An application fee waiver is available for students from racially minoritized backgrounds. Contact sped-adm@umn.edu to request the waiver prior to submitting your application.
Unofficial transcripts or academic records should be uploaded directly to the graduate application under the "Academic History" section. International students should also upload an English translation if the transcript is not in English. Please do not mail in paper copies of your transcripts, there is no need for official transcripts or academic records for initial review.
If you are admitted, the University will then request official copies of these materials.
More information about transcripts and credentials
Report your TOEFL, IELTS, or MELAB scores (non-native English Speakers only) in the "Test Scores" section.
More information on English Language test scores
Three letters of recommendation are required. Acceptable recommendations should come from current or former professors who can assess your potential for graduate work. Other recommenders, such as employers, are also acceptable. You will enter your recommenders name and email into the application. They will be sent direction on how to upload their letter directly into your application.
More information and troubleshooting tips
Upload the following items into the corresponding fields of the Materials section.
Upload a personal statement (not to exceed three double-spaced pages) to your application, outlining your interests and professional goals. This statement is an integral part of your application and will be weighted heavily in its evaluation. You should include, minimally, the following points:
Upload the essay under "Personal Statement" in the Materials section in the graduate application.
Upload your resume/CV under the "Resume/CV" in the Materials section of the graduate application.
Submitting the diversity statement is optional, but highly encouraged, especially for applicants who have experienced hardships or obstacles to complete their previous undergraduate or graduate education (e.g., coming from diverse ethnic, racial, or educational backgrounds; coming from a low-income background; being a first-generation college student). This statement may be used to nominate exceptional applicants for graduate fellowships.
Tip: Tell your story. If you learned from obstacles you personally overcame, write about them. If you grew up with privilege, write about how you discovered your privilege. It might be tempting to write about someone else’s experience, an entire group’s experience, or diversity and inclusion in an abstract way. However, most often, admissions teams want to understand how you personally came to be empathetic, reflective, resilient, and aware of systematic inequalities. Describe how your background, experiences, and achievements will contribute to the program and the University’s goals of promoting excellence through diversity.
Upload the essay under “Diversity Statement” in the Materials section in the graduation application.
You may upload a brief statement explaining any extenuating circumstances that may have affected your grades or your test scores under "Extenuating Circumstances Statement" in the Materials section.
If you wish to be considered for a Common Ground Consortium assistantship (PhD applicants), please be sure to indicate this on your program application, and then upload a statement (no more than 250 words) briefly addressing the following statement: Given that the University of Minnesota is a public grant institution, it is imperative that CGC scholars can both benefit personally from their membership in the program as well as further the university’s founding mission to contribute to scholarship that benefits the local and greater communities.
Please describe how your participation as a CGC scholar would do the following:
Upload the essay under "Graduate Program Additional Upload" in the Materials section.
Writing Sample and Description of Research are not needed.
PhD only: Submit your application materials by Dec. 1, and you’ll automatically be considered for Graduate School fellowships and departmental awards based on scholastic achievement. Notification of awards will be sent in March.
Visit OneStop Student Services for more information on available financial aid.