Admissions in Special Education -- Masters Program

Masters degree candidates must follow the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign graduate application procedure.  An applicant for admission to a graduate degree program must have a grade-point average of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).

Please note that applicants are NOT REQUIRED to submit any test scores such as the GRE or MAT.  Admission decisions will not be finalized until the applicant has submitted:

1. Official college transcripts from all previous academic training, both graduate and undergraduate,
2. A written goal statement (minimum of 500 words) indicating why the applicant wants to pursue this particular advanced certificate focus and what their future career plans are upon completion of the degree,
3. Three current letters of reference from persons who have direct knowledge of applicant's academic and/or professional performance and potential for graduate study, and
4. Upload a completed copy of the Special Education Master's Degree Application Form with your application. 
          See Prior Experience Guidelines for Applicants to Master's Programs
5. Pass the Illinois Test of Basic Skills prior to admission, if applying to a teacher certification program (i.e., Learning and Behavior Specialist I). 
   The Basic Skills Test is completed online and is required fo all applicants prior to our recommendation of admittance to the LBS-1 program.  We strongly suggest that you pass the Basic Skills Test PRIOR to paying the Graduate School application fee.

Language Policy for International Applicants
Countries that are exempt from the English Proficiency Requirement may be found at www.grad.illinois.edu/admissions/apply/exemptcountries.

Teacher certification standards in Illinois require teachers to model effective reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills during direct and indirect instructional activities. In recognition of this responsibility, the Department of Special Education at the University of Illinois requires that applicants to certification programs who are from countries that are not exempt from English proficiency testing for admission to the university take the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and Writing Proficiency Test  (WPT). Additional information about the assessment is available at http://www.languagetesting.com/assessments_academic.cfm under the Speaking Proficiency Tab and Writing Proficiency Tab. 

Registration for the assessment must be arranged through Kathy McCormick (kmccormi@illinois.edu or 217/333-0260) in the Department of Special Education.  The cost of this assessment is the responsibility of the student.  Fee information can also be obtained from Kathy McCormick.  A minimum score in the “advanced low” range on both tests is required for admission into a teacher certification program and associated field experiences.

-Applicants who score at least “advanced low” on both OPI and WPT (and all other requirements, including passing the Illinois Test of Basic Skills) are eligible to be considered by the admissions committee for entry directly into a teacher education curriculum.

-Applicants scoring below “advanced low” on either test cannot enter a teacher education curriculum as certification students. These applicants may wish to request consideration for admission as a general master’s degree student rather than a certification student.