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Requirements for Acceptance into the M.S. Degree Program
Requirements for Acceptance into the Ed.S. Degree Program
- Tri-College University establishes the admission requirements for its programs in educational leadership.
- To obtain an application form, contact the Tri-College University at 701-231-9732.
- Students submit applications for admission (and all accompanying documents and materials) not to the Tri-College University Office, but rather to the admissions office at Minnesota State University Moorhead or the graduate office at North Dakota State University:
Graduate Admissions Office
Owens Hall 104
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Moorhead, Minnesota 56563
(218) 236-2164
OR
Dean of the Graduate School
202 Old Main
North Dakota State University
Fargo, North Dakota 58105
(70l) 231-7033
- Fees and Deadlines - Students pay the application fees and observe the application deadlines of the state university where they apply (see the MSUM or NDSU graduate bulletin for complete information).
- Notification - Following consultation with the TCU Educational Leadership Program chair, the respective graduate dean will notify applicants of their admission status and, if admitted to full or conditional status, will name a faculty adviser. An applicant's admission status will be one of the following: (a) full standing; (b) admission with conditions/provisional (see explanation below); or (c) refusal. An appeals procedure is available.
- Admission with Conditions/Provisions - Applicants not able to satisfy full admission requirements will be considered for provisional (MSU) or conditional (NDSU) admission. Applicants admitted to this status will be provided with a statement of the conditions necessary to be satisfied before being reviewed for advancement to full standing. (Students must advance to full standing before a Plan of Study can be approved.)
- Undergraduate Preparation - The Tri-College University faculty believes that a broad-based background in general studies and the liberal arts is necessary to gain a complete understanding of the discipline of educational leadership. Therefore, the undergraduate record of all applicants will be reviewed to determine that the student has completed sufficient coursework distributed among general studies and liberal arts. Satisfaction of this requirement may be accomplished by any of the following means:
- Completion of an undergraduate teacher education program at an institution accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE);
- Completion of an undergraduate teacher education program at an institution approved to prepare teachers and/or recommend for licensure in either Minnesota or North Dakota;
- Possession of a valid teaching certificate for service in any grade, K-12; or
- Individual transcript review validating that the student has completed at least 30 semester credits distributed among the broad areas of communications, humanities and arts, social and behavioral studies, and natural science and mathematics.
- Completion of an undergraduate teacher education program at an institution accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE);
Students found to be deficient in the satisfaction of the general studies and liberal arts requirements may be admitted to study but will be required to complete additional undergraduate or graduate coursework as necessary to remedy the deficiency.
Requirements for Acceptance into the M.S. Degree Program
- Admission to the master's degree program is considered only after all required application materials have been received and reviewed. Included among the required materials are:
- a completed, signed application form;
- official transcripts of all previous collegiate work, including one verifying graduation with a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution;
- two references which evaluate the applicant's potential for success as a graduate student and as an educational administrator; and
- an exhibit of their written competency through an essay of their professional goals.
Application Leadership Essay Requirements:
As part of the application process, each perspective student is asked to craft a minimum of 500 word leadership essay so that the faculty has some evidence of your leadership ability, educational philosophy, background, goals and aspirations. Please use the following points to assist you in the development of your leadership essay.
1. Define Leadership - especially in the context of an educational setting.
2. Identify a person you would consider a good/effective leader. This could be a person at the local, state, or national level. What characteristics and/or abilities does this person possess that makes him/her a good/effective leader? Why are these characteristics/abilities important in your eyes?
3. How would you describe your leadership style, skills, and capabilities?
4. Describe a time in your life when you had an opportunity to show your leadership ability. In what ways did you apply your leadership in this situation?
5. What are your goals and aspirations in the field of education and how have you prepared yourself to this point?
6. What educational philosophies have influenced your development as an educational leader?
- a completed, signed application form;
- Admission decisions are based upon the predicted success of the applicant as a student and professional administrator and are made only after considering all available data. The criteria for admission are as follows:
- For Admission in Full Standing:
- Accumulative baccalaureate G.P.A. of 3.00 or better on a 4.00 scale, or a G.P.A. of at least 3.25 during the final 30 semesters credits of graded undergraduate coursework, or a minimum G.P.A. of 3.00 on 10 semester credits of graduate coursework.
- Appropriate demonstration of written competencies (essay on application).
- For Admission with Conditions (NDSU)/Provisions (MSUM):
A student who does not meet all requirements for full admission may be admitted with conditions by showing evidence that the applicant's potential is not adequately reflected by his record. The following set of criterion act as guidelines for conditional acceptance: A minimum cumulative G.P.A. of 2.80 or better on a 4.00 scale; and MAT (or GRE quantitative) scores that show prospects of satisfactory graduate school performance. Graduate coursework of 3.00 or better will also be considered for admission with conditions/provisions.
A student admitted to this status will be provided with a statement of the conditions necessary to be satisfied before being reviewed for advancement to full standing. A student must be advanced to full standing before a Plan of Study can be approved.
Requirements for Acceptance into the Ed.S. Degree Program
- Admission to the specialist degree program is considered only after the following application materials have been received and reviewed:
- a completed, signed application form;
- official transcripts of all previous collegiate work, including one verifying graduation with a master's degree from an accredited institution;
- two references which evaluate the applicant's potential for success as a graduate student and as an educational administrator; and
- a sample of written communication skills.
- a completed, signed application form;
- Admission decisions are based upon the predicted success of the applicant as a student and professional administrator and are made only after considering all available data. Grade point average and other criteria for admission are as follows:
- For Admission in Full Standing:
A cumulative G.P.A. of 3.25 or better in all graduate-level courses.
- For Admission with Conditions/Provisions:
A student who does not meet all requirements for full admission may be admitted with conditions by showing evidence that the applicant's potential is not adequately reflected by his record. The following set of criterion act as guidelines for conditional acceptance: A minimum cumulative G.P.A. of 3.00 or better on a 4.00 scale at the graduate level and MAT (or GRE quantitative) scores that show prospects of satisfactory graduate school performance. Graduate coursework of 3.00 or better will also be considered for admission with conditions/provisions.
Students admitted to this status will be provided with a statement of the conditions necessary to be satisfied before being reviewed for advancement to full standing. Students must be advanced to full standing before their Plan of Study can be approved.
Students admitted to this status must achieve full standing before filing their Plan of Study.
- For Admission in Full Standing:
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MSUM HOME