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The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education
Patton Hall
100 East Union St.
Athens, OH 45701-2979

Teacher Education Doctoral Application Process

Contact

Frans Doppen 
Professor
Patton Hall 309BB
TEDoc@ohio.edu

Apply Now

Deadlines

Priority Funding and Admissions Deadline: February 15

The Department of Teacher Education gives priority acceptance and funding consideration to applications completed by February 15. Applications completed after the priority deadline will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the Graduate Program Coordinator to discuss your application if it will be submitted after the priority deadline. All international applicants should contact the Graduate Program Coordinator (regardless of application submission date) to ensure they are submitting the correct required application documents. We strongly suggest international applicants submit by the priority deadline (even if not seeking departmental funding) to ensure adequate time to process and review application materials and to share information with the Graduate College who prepares the I-20 that is required for students to obtain a VISA. If you are interested in Spring admission, please contact the Graduate Program Coordinator.

Funding Information

Application Materials

All application materials are submitted to the Graduate College via the online system. In the online application, you may suggest faculty members who you would like to serve as your advisor, but this is not required. If admission is offered, the Graduate Program Coordinator will work with you to select an appropriate advisor whose interests align with yours. After the Graduate College has reviewed your materials, they are made available to the department for review. The combined Graduate College and departmental review of your application can take 6-8 weeks.

All applicants must include the following materials:

  1. Current curriculum vita/resume.
    At least two pages and not to exceed four pages.
  2. Scanned official undergraduate and graduate transcripts.
    Applicants should submit unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended as part of the online application. If you have attended Ohio University, the Graduate College will add those transcripts to the system for you. Please note that a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or equivalent is required.
  3. Three letters of recommendation. The applicant should not upload recommendation letters to the online system. Your letter writers should upload their letters directly to the online system. In completing the online application, you will identify your letter writers and provide their email addresses. Your letter writers will receive an email from the Graduate College asking them to complete the form online. Choose recommenders who know your academic work well and can speak to your capacity to engage in graduate-level study, perform well in courses requiring high levels of reading and writing, work as a classroom teacher or teacher leader, and be successful in a graduate program. At least one letter should address the applicant’s teaching and at least one should address the capacity for engaging in graduate-level study. Do not solicit “character references” from friends, family, or people you know socially. Recommendation letters should come from both college professors and employers or professional colleagues
  4. Goal statement. The goal statement should explain why you are interested in pursuing a doctoral degree in your chosen program at Ohio University and how it will serve your future career goals. In doing so you will likely reference educational experiences, professional work experiences, and leadership experiences. You might also identify an educational problem or concern that drives you to pursue a doctoral degree. Because the Ph.D. is a research degree, you might identify a potential topic (or topics) as research interests, but you are not expected to have a fully developed research agenda. Based on your research/specialization interest, in your goal statement you must identify three to four faculty members who you’d like to serve as your doctoral advisor. The statement is not to exceed two double-spaced typewritten pages. Please contact the Graduate Program Coordinator if you have questions about the goal statement.
  5. Academic writing sample. Submit a piece of academic writing that demonstrates both your technical writing skills and your ability to make logical claims and support them with evidence and references. Your writing sample could be a published paper, a paper submitted for a course, a master’s project thesis, or you may wish to construct a new paper. The Graduate Program Coordinator can offer assistance in choosing an appropriate sample and, if you do not have an appropriate sample available, can provide a writing prompt to which you may respond.
  6. List three faculty in order of preference you would like to work with if admitted to the program.

Additional Application Requirements for International Applicants

In addition to the items listed above that are required for all applicants, the following additional materials are required for international applicants or applicants whose first language is not English. These additional items are required even if an international applicant has previously attended a U.S. institution or has (or will have) a master’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution. All materials, including the resume/CV, goal statement, and academic writing sample must be submitted in English. Letters of recommendation may be submitted in English or in the native language if accompanied by a certified translation. Because of the added time needed for international students to secure travel and financial documentation after they have been admitted, we encourage international applicants to submit all application materials at least 6 months prior to the semester they plan to begin coursework. The Graduate Program Coordinator welcomes the opportunity to help international applicants ensure their applications are complete and correctly submitted. Please contact Graduate Program Coordinator with any questions about your application materials.

  1. Proof of English proficiency.
    Non-native speakers of English must submit official results of one of two standardized tests: The test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). This is required even if the applicant has previously attended a U.S. institution or has (or will have) a master’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution. Certification of completion of another institution’s English Language Program will not be accepted. Official TOEFL or IELTS scores must be reported directly from the testing agency to Ohio University. (For TOEFL use institution code 1593). Information on test centers may be obtained by calling 609.771.7500 or visit the TOEFL website. Photocopies and/or faxes of English proficiency scores are not accepted. Ohio University can no longer issue an I-20 to a student with the provision to test upon arrival. Please take note of the Graduate College English proficiency requirements. The department of Teacher Education will accept scores more than five years old. The Department of Teacher Education will NOT waive the English proficiency requirements outlined below under any circumstances:
    • Unconditional Admission WITH Eligibility for Funding
      • TOEFL iBT - 80 Composite, all other Section Scores of 17
      • IELTS - 6.5 Composite, all Bands 6.5
    • Unconditional Admission WITHOUT Funding Eligibility
      • TOEFL iBT - 70 Composite, Writing 17, all other Section Scores of 15
      • IELTS - 6.0 Composite, all Bands 6.0
  2. Note about Ohio K-12 Teacher Licensure.
    International students who wish to become licensed as public school teachers by the Ohio Department of Education will be required to meet the same requirements as all other students: admission to Professional Education, successful completion of a graduate program, coursework, professional internship, successful completion of the Ohio Assessment for Educators.
  3. After Admission, submit the following items to the Graduate College:
    • Certified official transcripts from all institutions of higher learning showing the award of a Bachelor’s degree and the award (or expected award of) a Master’s degree.
    • Proof of Financial Responsibility. Complete the Financial Support Form. This form must be received by the Graduate College before the I-20 visa. Additional information.

Documents that cannot be submitted through the application system should be sent to the Graduate College at:

Graduate College
1 Ohio University
220 Research & Technology Center
Athens, OH 45701 USA

Admission Criteria

All applications will be reviewed holistically, however, prospective Ph.D. students are generally expected to have:

  • Master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or equivalent
  • Master’s grade point average of at least 3.4 (4.0 point scale)
  • Experience relevant to the individual’s doctoral program or specialization area. This might include PK-12 or post-secondary teaching experience, advanced content preparation, in-service professional development or professional development leadership experience, curriculum/standards development, and design, etc.

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