Graduate Education Program

ADMISSION TO THE MASTER’S LEVEL PROGRAMS

Admission to the graduate education programs at Lewis University is based on the academic qualifications and appropriate experience of the applicant. It is made without regard to race, color, religion, irrelevant disability, age, sex or sexual orientation.

Categories of student enrollment in the graduate education classes:

• Full Admission Status
• Provisional Admission Status
• Student-at-Large Status

FULL ADMISSION STATUS

Candidates seeking a graduate degree and/or an Illinois State Certificate or Endorsement must fulfill the following requirements:

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
   
   
2. Maintain an undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.75 (on a 4.00 scale) in the last 60 undergraduate hours
   or
   Request provisional admission from the Department Faculty. If granted provisional admission, a cumulative GPA of 3.0 based upon the completion of three graduate courses at Lewis University with no grade lower than a B must be maintained.
   
   
3. Complete a graduate application form; the application is to be accompanied by a non-refundable application fee payable to Lewis University. The application fee is waived for alumni of Lewis University.
   
   
4. Submit two letters of recommendation from professors, employers or advisors. Letters of recommendation are to be submitted on the proper departmental approved form available from the appropriate Department Chair/Program Director or from the College of Education office.
   
   
5. Submit complete official transcripts from all institutions previously attended.
   
   
6. Meet with the appropriate Department Chair/Program Director for a personal interview to discuss the student’s goals and to set-up a planned sequence of courses.
   
   
7. Complete a satisfactory Graduate Writing Requirement administered by the College of Education within the first semester of graduate study at Lewis. The Graduate Writing Examination may be taken three times. Students who fail the examination are urged to seek assistance with the Leckrone Academic Resource Center (LARC) or enroll in a developmental writing course. Students who already possess a master’s degree will submit a writing sample in lieu of the writing exam, using the protocol available from the Department Chair/Program Director.
   
   
8. Submit evidence of a passing grade on the Illinois Certification Basic Skills Test.
   
   
9. International students from non-English speaking countries are required to certify proficiency in reading and writing English; achievement of at least the 65th percentile for the applicant’s nationality group on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required.
   
   
10. Be accepted by the Academic Affairs Committee for the College of Education. (Students will be informed in writing of the decision of the Academic Affairs Committee.) Preferably, full admission status should be received within the first semester completed at Lewis University.

PROVISIONAL ADMISSION STATUS

Students who apply for full admission status and are deficient in one or more of the require-ments for full admission may be granted provisional status until the deficiencies are removed. Defi-ciencies must be removed within nine (9) semester hours of graduate coursework taken at Lewis University. (Students will be informed in writing of the decision of the Academic Affairs Committee when full admission status is achieved.)

STUDENT-AT-LARGE STATUS

A student with a baccalaureate degree who wants to take certain graduate courses with the in-tention of becoming a degree or certification candidate, may be admitted as a student-at-large by meeting the following requirements:

1. Submit official documentation of baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
   
   
2. Complete an application form; the application is to be accompanied by a non-refundable application fee payable to Lewis University.
   
   
3. Complete a satisfactory Graduate Writing Examination.
   Nine semester hours of coursework may be completed as a student-at-large as the maximum credit toward an advanced degree, should a student-at-large seek full graduate admission status.

ADMISSION TO THE CERTIFICATE OF ADVANCED STUDY PROGRAMS

Admission to the graduate education programs at Lewis University is based on the academic qualifications and appropriate experience of the applicant. It is made without regard to race, color, religion, irrelevant disability, age, sex or sexual orientation.

Categories of student enrollment in the graduate education classes:

• Full Admission Status
• Provisional Admission Status
• Student at-large Status

FULL ADMISSION STATUS

Students seeking the Certificate of Advanced Study Degree and an Illinois State Certificate must meet the following requirements:

1. Master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. (See specific program tracks for further detail.)
   
   
2. Cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the Master’s degree coursework.
   
   
3. Complete application form. The application is to be accompanied by a non-refundable application fee payable to Lewis University. The application fee is waived for alumni of Lewis University.
   
   
4. Submit two letters of recommendation from professors, employers or supervisors. Letters of recommendation are to be submitted on the form available from the Program Director of the CAS Program or in the College of Education.
   
   
5. Submit official transcripts specific to certification from all institutions previously attended.
   
   
6. Personal interview with the College Representative to discuss the student’s goals and to set up sequence of courses.
   
   
7. Successfully complete the Graduate Writing Sample within the first semester of study at Lewis University.
   
   
8. Submit evidence of passing grade on Illinois Certification Basic Skills Test.
   
   
9. International students from non-English speaking countries are required to certify proficiency in reading and writing English; achievement of at least the 65th percentile for the applicant’s nationality group on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required.
   
   
10. Be accepted by the Academic Affairs Committee for the College of Education. (Students will be informed in writing of the decision of the Academic Affairs Committee.) Preferably, full admission status should be received within the first nine credit hours completed at Lewis University.

PROVISIONAL ADMISSION STATUS

Students who apply for full admission status and are deficient in one or more of the require-ments for full admission may be granted provisional status until the deficiencies are removed. Defi-ciencies must be removed within nine semester hours of graduate coursework taken at Lewis Uni-versity. (Students will be informed in writing of the decision of the Academic Affairs Committee when full admission status is achieved.)

STUDENT-AT-LARGE STATUS

A student with a baccalaureate degree who wants to take certain graduate courses with the in-tention of becoming a degree or certification candidate, may be admitted as a student-at-large by meeting the following requirements:

1. Submit official documentation of baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
   
   
2. Complete an application form; the application is to be accompanied by a non-refundable application fee payable to Lewis University.
   
   
3. Complete a satisfactory Graduate Writing Examination.
   Nine semester hours of coursework may be completed as a student at-large as the maximum credit toward an advanced degree, should a student at-large seek full graduate admission status.

ADMISSION TO THE ED.D. PROGRAM

Admission to the Ed.D. program at Lewis University is based on the academic qualifications and appropriate experience of the applicant. It is made without regard to race, color, religion, irrelevant disability, age, sex or sexual orientation.
Categories of student enrollment in the program:

• Full Admission Status
• Provisional Admission Status

FULL ADMISSION STATUS

Students seeking the Ed.D. must meet the following requirements:

1. Hold at minimum a master’s degree in an educationally-related field from an accredited institution of higher education.
   
   
2. Five years of teaching/administrative experience preferred.
   
   
3. Complete a graduate application form.
   
   
4. Complete a written essay on a topic identified by the College of Education.
   
   
5. Submit Graduate Record Examination scores (valid within last five years).
   
   
6. Submit two letters of recommendation from professors, employers, or advisors.
   
   
7. Submit complete official transcripts from all institutions previously attended.
   
   
8. Complete a personal interview.
   
   
9. International students from non-English speaking countries are required to certify proficiency in reading and writing English; achievement of at least the 65th percentile for the applicant’s nationality group on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required.
   
   
10. Be accepted by the Academic Affairs Committee for the College of Education. (Students will be informed in writing of the decision of the Academic Affairs Committee.)

PROVISIONAL ADMISSION STATUS

Students who have provisional admission status must meet all requirements as determined by the Program Director. Full admission status must be achieved within 12 semester hours