
Application Requirements
Application Requirements
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Applications will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee once all required materials are received. Please review the detailed information below regarding application requirements and program prerequisites.
Note: GRE or MAT test scores for Master’s, CAGS, and doctoral programs are no longer required for your application.
Required Application Materials
Please review the following detailed description for each application requirement:
Application Form
When creating your profile, we strongly recommend that you do not sign up with an institutional or work-related email account, as emails to institutional addresses may be blocked or sent to Junk mail.
For questions about the Wheelock graduate application, please contact Graduate Admissions at whegrad@bu.edu.
Begin or continue your application.
Statement of Qualifications and Objectives
All applicants are required to submit a statement describing your qualifications for the program to which you are applying and the objectives of your professional career. The statement should be approximately 2 pages, double spaced.
PhD in Educational Studies:
Submit a statement describing your background in research and your field of study, and what motivates you to pursue a PhD. Describe specific research topics or questions you would potentially like to explore during your doctoral study. The statement should also include information on BU Wheelock faculty and projects that are of particular interest to you, and how they relate to your research interests. We are aware that doctoral students’ interests may change as they go through the program; however, we are interested in connecting your interests with the research of BU faculty. The statement should not be longer than approximately 3 pages, double spaced.
Equity & Inclusion Statement
Resume/Curriculum Vitae
Applicants are required to submit a resume or curriculum vitae (CV). Your resume or CV should contain a summary of relevant job experience and education. You may also include relevant activities, awards, and interests. Boston University does not recommend any particular format.
Transcripts
- An official copy that has been opened and scanned
- A degree progress report
- An electronic transcript screenshot
Unofficial transcripts should be uploaded directly to the applicant portal in the space provided to be added to your application.
If your transcript includes transfer credits, or study abroad credits, we will require transcripts from those institutions as well if grades do not appear for those credits. All institutions attended should be reported on the application.
International Transcripts:
International students with degrees from non-U.S. institutions are required to have their transcripts evaluated by an approved credential evaluation agency and to have an official report sent to BU Wheelock Admissions. We require a course-by-course academic evaluation which includes the language of instruction. Evaluations provide the Admissions Committee with US grading equivalency which is required to make a decision on your application. Additionally, the language of instruction allows our Admissions office to determine if you require proof of English language proficiency.
Please select from one of the following vendors:
World Education Service: Please select the WES International Credential Advantage Package (ICAP) evaluation which includes the language of instruction.
Foreign Academic Credential Service: Please ask for a course-by-course evaluation and for the language of instruction to be included in the evaluation.
Education Credential Evaluators: Please ask for a course-by-course evaluation and for the language of instruction to be included in the evaluation.
International Education Evaluations: Please ask for a course-by-course evaluation and for the language of instruction to be included in the evaluation.
We are not accepting transcript evaluations via snail mail. Please submit your transcript evaluation via the application system or you can email it to:
- whegrad@bu.edu.
Letters of Recommendation
Two letters of recommendation are required. Submitting more than two letters of recommendation is allowed, but not required.
Letters of recommendation should come from individuals with whom you have studied and/or under whose immediate supervision you have worked in a professional capacity, or others who you believe are in a position to offer pertinent appraisal of your skills and ability.
Letters of recommendation must be submitted by the recommender, and not the applicant, in order to be considered.There is a space on the online application for applicants to submit their recommenders’ email address. Recommenders will then submit their evaluations through a link that is emailed to them. If your recommender has trouble submitting their evaluation through the recommender portal, please have them email whegrad@bu.edu for assistance. Recommendations must be sent from an institutional email address (business or academic institution) in order to verify legitimacy. Our office may reach out to recommenders/the applicant for further verification if recommendations are not submitted from an institutional email address.
Standardized Test Scores
English Proficiency
We require official English proficiency test score reports for applicants:
- Whose first language is not English and,
- Who have not previously received a degree from an institution in which the primary language of instruction was English.
Duolingo English Test
For spring/fall 2022 applicants, Boston University will evaluate scores from the Duolingo English Test, an online English proficiency test that can be taken on demand. Select Boston University Graduate & Professional Programs as a score recipient, and email whegrad@bu.edu with the date you have taken the Duolingo test once you have submitted your graduate application.
Minimum required score for all programs: 120
Test of English as a Foreign Language
Our institution code for the TOEFL is 3087; we do not use a departmental code. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure that ETS is able to release an official score report to Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. Please note: ETS will report scores up to 2 years after the test date. It is highly unlikely that applicants with scores below the minimum will gain admission to the School. Please be aware that BU Wheelock accepts TOEFL MyBest scores. Please submit these scores directly into the application system.
- Recommended minimum overall TOEFL score or MyBest score for all programs: 100 on the iBT.
Contact Information:
Phone: 1-609-771-7100 or 1-877-863-3546
Website: www.ets.org/toefl/
International English Language Testing System
It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure that the testing agency is able to release an official score report to Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development.
- Recommended minimum IELTS score for all programs: 7.0 overall.
Wheelock requests for 2022 that all IELTS be submitted to us electronically.
To submit electronic IELTS scores, please email whegrad@bu.edu with your TRF number and we will add your scores to your application.
Contact Information:
Website: www.ielts.org
Note: BU Wheelock does not offer conditional admission under any circumstances.
Analytical Essay
The Analytical Essay should identify key arguments on a current educational or social issue pertinent to your field. Include your analysis and conclusions. Cite references that inform your understanding. This essay may be a new piece of work or a previously written essay. There is no specific length requirement for this essay. Submissions average about 10 pages.
This is optional for the PhD in Educational Studies doctoral applications only.
The Analytical Essay should identify key arguments on a current educational or social issue pertinent to your field. Include your analysis and conclusions. Cite references that inform your understanding. This essay may be a new piece of work or a previously written essay. There is no specific length requirement for this essay.
Optional Essay
Application Fee
Prerequisite Requirements by Degree and Program
View the prerequisite requirements for BU Wheelock degree programs here to submit your strongest application.
Master's Applicants
Master of Arts in Teaching Applicants
Applicants to any program within the Wheelock Master of Arts and Teaching degree are required to have an academic background in the subject area you plan to pursue. Those that do not hold a degree in their subject of choice will be asked to complete prerequisite coursework before applying to the MAT. For more information regarding the qualifying undergraduate degrees and coursework that would fulfill this requirement, please visit your program’s webpage.
Master of Science in Child Life & Family-Centered Care
Applicants to the Master of Science in Child Life & Family Centered Care are required to complete a minimum of 100 hours of volunteer or practicum under a certified Child Life Specialist in a pediatric health care child life program before entering the program. At least 50 of these hours should be completed at the time of application. Applicants should submit a verification letter with their graduate application signed by their supervising practitioner and showing number of volunteer hours completed. Successful completion of a child development course is highly recommended.
Master of Education in Deaf Education
Applicants to the Master of Education in Deaf Education are required to have taken the coursework listed below either prior to admission to BU or while enrolled in the degree program. Please contact the program office at deafstdy@bu.edu to discuss summer course scheduling for the following prerequisites:
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SED LS 565 Introduction to Language and Linguistics
SED LS 566 Language Acquisition
SED DE 581 American Sign Language I
SED DE 582 American Sign Language II
Master of Education/Master of Social Work (Dual Degree)
Students must apply separately and be admitted separately to both the School of Social Work and the School of Education & Human Development. Admission to one school/program does not guarantee admission to the other school/program. You may use the same application materials when applying to both Schools.
Students are not required to apply to the School of Social Work and BU Wheelock simultaneously. Students can be admitted to one of the two schools first (generally School of Social Work) and complete that school’s basic coursework. Typically before the end of the first year, an application is made to the other school.
CAGS Applicants
All applicants to any CAGS program are required to hold a Bachelor’s degree and hold, or be on track to obtain, a Master’s degree at the time of application. All matriculating students will be asked to provide official transcripts showing proof of Bachelor’s and Master’s conferral in the weeks leading up to their first semester of graduate study at Wheelock.
Doctoral Applicants
All applicants to the PhD in Counseling Psychology & Applied Human Development must hold, or be on track to obtain, a Bachelor’s degree at the time of application. A Master’s degree is preferred. All matriculating students will be asked to provide official transcripts showing proof of Bachelor’s conferral in the weeks leading up to their first semester of graduate study at BU Wheelock.
PhD in Educational Studies
All applicants to the PhD in Educational Studies are required to hold a Bachelor’s degree or be on track to obtain, a Bachelor’s degree at the time of application. All matriculating students will be asked to provide official transcripts showing proof of Bachelor’s conferral in the weeks leading up to their first semester of graduate study at BU Wheelock.
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
All applicants to the EdD in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies are required to hold a Bachelor’s degree and hold, or be on track to obtain, a Master’s degree at the time of application. All matriculating students will be asked to provide official transcripts showing proof of Bachelor’s and Master’s conferral in the weeks leading up to their first semester of graduate study at BU Wheelock.
Transferring Credits
BU Wheelock may accept transfer credits into a graduate program if those credits were not used toward a previously conferred degree. Credits can be transferred for evaluation after a student is admitted to a graduate program. View our full transfer credit policy.
Note: Students who are admitted into BU Wheelock routinely participate in field experiences as a part of their respective program curriculum and requirements. Most field sites require criminal background checks to determine students’ eligibility for participation. History of a criminal background may disqualify students from participating in these required experiences, which in turn may impede the successful completion of one’s degree program.