Criteria

Admission to the Rossier Ed.D. program is competitive and selective. The Admissions Committee seeks students whose academic background, work experience, leadership abilities, and communication skills meet the demands of the program and show promise for a successful career as an educational leader.

Academic Background

The Admissions Committee looks for candidates whose prior academic work demonstrates the capability to succeed in a rigorous graduate program. An advanced degree (such as a Master's degree or JD) from an accredited institution is required, without exception. Applicants whose prior study was outside the United States must have completed the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree and a Master's degree.

There are no set prerequisite courses or majors, and prior coursework in education is not required. The Committee reviews performance in all prior post-secondary coursework.

Work Experience

Prior work experience is an important component of an applicants' preparation. Entering students will have worked for at least three to five years, including meaningful and progressive experience in education or a related profession. The Committee looks closely at full-time and part-time employment history, weighing skills, aptitude for leadership, and knowledge of the education profession.

Leadership Abilities

The ideal candidate is ready to assume a leadership role upon completion of the Ed.D. Competitive applicants will have a record of involvement and leadership in both their personal and professional lives, including campus organizations, civic endeavors community groups, and/or professional associations.

Essay Responses

Essay responses serve two important roles in the admissions process. First, they allow the Admissions Committee to gain a deeper understanding of an applicant's past experiences and passions for the future. In addition, the essays allow the applicant to demonstrate the written communication skills that are critical for success in the program.

Each essay should be no longer than two pages in length (double-spaced, approximately 500 words), so responses should be direct and concise.

The essay questions are:

1. Discuss your short-term and long-term professional career goals. When combined with an Ed.D. degree from the USC Rossier School of Education, how will your previous professional and educational experiences allow you to achieve these goals? Also, please tell us why you have chosen to apply to the Rossier School and what you will contribute to the Ed.D. program if offered admission.
2. What are the most pressing needs and promising opportunities in your concentration of choice? As an educational leader, how would you respond to these challenges and contribute to the advancement of your concentration area?

Recommendation Letters

Letters of recommendation allow the Admissions Committee to gain additional insight into your leadership abilities and potential for success in doctoral study. Ideally, your recommendations should come from supervisors and colleagues who can comment on the value you have added to your workplaces, or former instructors who can describe your ability to perform well in doctoral-level courses. Three letters of recommendation are required.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

All applicants are required to submit a valid score on the GRE general examination. There is no minimum score for consideration, but the admitted class average exceeds a GRE total score of 1000. The Admissions Committee looks for balance between verbal and quantitative scores. If you take the GRE more than once, we look at your highest score in each section from each sitting. The GRE test may not be more than five years old. Official score reports must be sent directly to USC from the Educational Testing Service (ETS).

It is important to take time to fully prepare for the GRE. The exam is offered six days a week throughout the year at about 400 testing centers around the world. Call 1-800-GRE-CALL or visit www.gre.org to find the nearest testing center and schedule an appointment. Be sure to include the University of Southern California as an institution (Institution Code: 4852) to receive your scores.

The Ed.D. application is completed online, and can be accessed at http://www.usc.edu/admission/graduate/applyonline/. Application review begins on February 1, and continues until the program is full. It is recommended that you submit a completed application by this date for admissions and scholarship consideration.

Application Process

The Online Application

The online system allows you to complete the application in sections. Please remember to select "save" or "save and proceed" at the end of a particular section. Please answer "Yes" to an initial question asking if you want your contact information (including your name & address) to be viewed by our institution before you submit the application. This will allow us to keep you informed of important application updates. Please complete all required fields in the online application, and do not submit additional documentation beyond what is requested. Additional documents may be removed for the purpose of expedited application review.

Application Instructions

Biographical Information: Indicate an alternate or previous name in the "other name" field if applicable.

Employment Information: Upload your resume in this section.

Supporting Documents: DO NOT submit a general statement of purpose. Instead, find the "Supplemental Forms" section on the information bar on the left side of the page and click on the "Education" link to access the Rossier Supplemental Application. Respond to the required essay questions listed in the section marked Supplemental Questions and Essays for Ed.D. Applicants.

Rossier School of Education Merit Scholarships: To be considered for these funds, you must complete the scholarship questions located at the end of the supplemental application.

Recommendations: You must provide three letters of recommendation. In the online application, enter all required contact information for each recommender and select "yes" when asked if recommenders will be providing a letter online. The recommender will then receive an email and password from the online application system so that they can enter and upload their letter. You are responsible for ensuring that your recommenders upload a letter of recommendation. They will be provided with instructions on how to do so.

Rossier Scholarships: To be considered for these funds, you must complete the scholarship questions located at the end of the supplemental application. If you do not wish to do so, please type "n/a" for each question.

Be sure to click the "Check your Application" link located on the information bar on the left side of the page before submitting to ensure you have included all required application materials.

Supporting Documents

After you have hit the "Submit" button, you will need to provide the following documents to USC and to Rossier:

Materials to USC

University of Southern California
Office of Admission & Financial Aid, GRADUATE
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0915

• Sealed official academic transcripts from all postsecondary institutions attended. If the name on your transcripts is different than the name on your application, please include your 10-digit USC ID number.
• Official GRE score report sent from ETS (Institution Code 4852; no department code needed

If your first language is not English or you did not receive a bachelor's from the U.S., you must also submit:

• Official TOEFL score report sent from ETS (Institution Code 4852; no department code needed)

If you are not a U.S. citizen or resident, you must also submit:

• Financial statement/verification of funds- http://www.usc.edu/admission/graduate/international/financialsupport.html

Materials to Rossier

Office of Recruiting and Admissions
University of Southern California
3470 Trousdale Pkwy, WPH 800
Los Angeles, CA 90089-4038
Fax: 213-740-9433

• Sealed official academic transcripts from all postsecondary institutions attended
• Copy of GRE score report (indicate program at the top of the sheet)- fax to 213-740-9433 or email pdf to soeinfo@usc.edu.

If your first language is not English or you did not receive a bachelor's from the U.S., you must also submit:

• Copy of TOEFL score report (indicate program at the top of the sheet)- fax to 213-740-9433