Admission Requirements, Master's Degree Programs

Applicants who are admitted into any master's degree program have met the following admission requirements:

• Submit a completed application, available here by creating your own JIU password-protected account.
• Submit an official transcript that documents at minimum an earned bachelor's degree (or highest degree earned) and a minimum GPA of 2.5 from a college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (or its international equivalent). 
  • For non-licensure programs only, if a student's transcript does not meet the Admissions GPA requirement, the University will allow the student full admission if a 3.0 or greater GPA is earned in his/her first 8-week course attempted at JIU (if multiple course are taken in that period, JIU will use the cumulative GPA).

Applicants who are admitted into a master's degree program for K-12 licensed educators also have met the following admission requirements:

• Submit an official transcript that documents an earned bachelor degree and a minimum GPA of 2.5 from a regionally-accredited college or university.
• Submit proof of an active professional state-endorsed K-12 teaching, principal or administrator's license/certificate issued no longer than two years prior to application to JIU, that requires a security background check, including fingerprinting. Reissued K-12 licenses can be submitted to meet this requirement only if the candidate's licensure state provides written evidence directly to JIU of a cleared background check completed within the 2-year period prior to application.
  • Alternatively a student may submit a FBI background check which is not an admission's requirement but is required prior to taking the first field experience course. Click here for more information.
• Sign and submit "K-12 Educators Program Checklist."

             K-12 Educators Program Checklist

Applicants who are admitted into a master's degree program for initial K-12 educator license have also met the following admission requirements:

• Submit an official transcript that documents an earned bachelor degree and a minimum GPA of 2.5 from a regionally-accredited college or university.
• A student also must submit a FBI background check which is not an admission's requirement but is required prior to taking the first field experience course. Click here for more information.
• Sign and submit "K-12 Educators Program Checklist."

      K-12 Educators Program Checklist

Applicants admitted into the MEd in Secondary Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment: Teacher Licensure specialization and the MEd in K-12 Instructional Technology: Teacher Licensure specialization also have met the following admission requirement:

• For candidates applying for Instructional Technology specialization, sign and submit the "MEd Secondary Endorsement Form - IT."
      MEd Secondary Endorsement Form - IT
• For candidates applying for Secondary Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, sign and complete the "MEd Secondary Education Endorsement and Transcript Analysis Form."
      MEd Secondary Education Endorsement and Transcript Analysis Form

Effective with new students applying after February 1, 2012, applicants who are admitted into the master's degree program specialization, Secondary Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment:  Teacher Licensure also have met the following admission requirement:

Secondary candidates seeking middle school or high school licensure in any area except science or social science:

• Submit an official transcript that documents college level coursework consisting of at least 30 semester credit hours in the subject area of the intended secondary level licensure endorsement area. The 30 semester credit hours must include at least 24 credit hours defined as general audience* coursework.

*Courses intended for any student on campus, not just prospective teachers.

Secondary candidates seeking a license in a state that requires single-subject certification in science:

• Submit an official transcript that documents college level coursework consisting of at least 30 semester credit hours in a single teachable science discipline (biology, chemistry or physics). The 30 semester credit hours must include at least 24 credit hours defined as general audience* coursework.

*Courses intended for any student on campus, not just prospective teachers.

Secondary candidates seeking a license in a state that requires general science certification:

• Submit an official transcript that documents college level coursework consisting of at least 30 semester credit hours including 15 credit hours in at least two teachable science disciplines (biology, chemistry or physics). The 30 semester credit hours must include at least 24 credit hours defined as general audience* coursework.

*Courses intended for any student on campus, not just prospective teachers.

Secondary candidates seeking a license in a state that requires single-subject certification in social science:

• Submit an official transcript that documents college level coursework consisting of at least 30 semester credit hours in a single teachable science discipline (history, government/political science, economics, or psychology). The 30 semester credit hours must include at least 24 credit hours defined as general audience* coursework.

*Courses intended for any student on campus, not just prospective teachers.

Secondary candidates seeking a license in a state that requires general social science certification:

• Submit an official transcript that documents college level coursework consisting of at least 30 semester credit hours including 15 credit hours in history, and 15 credit hours in one additional teachable science discipline (government/political science, economics, or psychology).  The 30 semester credit hours must include at least 24 credit hours defined as general audience* coursework.

*Courses intended for any student on campus, not just prospective teachers. 

Applicants who are admitted into a master's degree program for bilingual educators have also met the following admission requirements:

(1) Sign and submit the "Primary Language Attestation Form."

 Primary Language Attestation Form

(2) Submit evidence of language proficiency.

Applicants whose primary language is English:

Submit proof of second language proficiency via one of the following methods:

• Submit an official transcript that documents completion of an earned bachelor degree with a major in a language other than English from a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S. (or its international equivalent).
• Submit an official transcript that documents completion of 24 post-secondary semester hours in a language other than English from a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S. (or its international equivalent).
• Submit an official transcript that documents evidence of successfully completing four years of secondary education or higher in which the language of instruction was not English. 3-year undergraduate degrees earned outside the U.S. are accepted if a NACES-approved evaluator declares the degree equivalent to an earned U.S. bachelor degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher. 
• Submit passing score on a Colorado PLACE or equivalent state required language proficiency exam in a language other than English.
• Submit passing score on an Educational Testing Service: Praxis II exam in Spanish (exam #0192), French (exam #0171) or German (exam #0182).

Applicants whose primary language is not English:

Submit proof of dual language proficiency via options listed below in both A and B:

(A) English Language Proficiency

• Submit an official transcript that documents completion of an earned bachelor degree with a major in English from a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S. (or its international equivalent).
• Submit an official transcript that documents completion of 24 post-secondary semester hours in English from a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S. (or its international equivalent).
• Submit an official transcript that documents evidence of successfully completing four years of secondary education or higher in which the language of instruction was English. 3-year undergraduate degrees earned outside the U.S. are accepted if a NACES-approved evaluator declares the degree equivalent to an earned U.S. bachelor degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher. 
• Submit passing score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): Evidence of having scored at least 79 on the Internet-based Test (iBT), 213 on the Computer-based Test (CBT) or 550 on the Paper-based Test (PBT). Results must be sent directly from the testing service. The JIU school code for TOEFL is 8341.
• Submit passing score on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS): Minimum overall band of 6.0 (with no band less than 5.5). Results must be sent to JIU directly from the testing service.
• Submit passing score on a state required language proficiency exam in English.

 (B) Primary Language Proficiency

• Submit an official transcript that documents completion of an earned bachelor degree with a major in a language other than English from a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S. (or its international equivalent).
• Submit an official transcript that documents completion of 24 post-secondary semester hours in a language other than English from a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S. (or its international equivalent).
• Submit an official transcript that documents evidence of successfully completing four years of secondary education or higher in which the language of instruction was not English. 3-year undergraduate degrees earned outside the U.S. are accepted if a NACES-approved evaluator declares the degree equivalent to an earned U.S. bachelor degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher. 

Applicants who are admitted into the master's degree program for licensed educators in K-12 Instructional Technology will also meet the following admissions requirement:

• Submit an employer evaluation of National Educational Technology Standards (NETS Competencies).  

Background Check Requirements

New students to the School of Education who enroll in K-12 initial licensure programs must submit their fingerprints to the FBI for a background check. The process of obtaining a background check from the FBI can take up to twelve weeks.  It is important that students order a background check from the FBI immediately after admission to JIU’s School of Education.  Students may begin their studies but will be limited to taking two classes (neither of which includes a field experience) and will not be allowed to continue until the FBI background check is on file.

The Registrar’s Office will audit the files weekly until the background check information is received. The Registrar takes appropriate action if a fingerprint card is received that indicates a criminal history. Students who have a criminal history may be dismissed from the program.

Students enrolling into any of these programs are required to complete, sign and return the Candidate Disclosure of Criminal Background upon admission.

The following link will provide additional information regarding the background checks. http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/background-checks.

Transfer Credits

For specific information about the transfer of credit, click here.

International Students

Students with degrees and/or academic credit from institutions outside the United States click here to learn more about enrolling at JIU. 

Credit for Prior Learning

Follow this link for more information about Credit for Prior Learning.

Conditional Admission

Conditional admission is considered on a case-by-case basis by the Deans of schools.See guidelines in the Student Handbook.

For more information, call JIU at 800.811.5663 in the US or +1.303.784.8904 outside of the US.