Candidate Admission Procedures

Admissions Criteria

1. GPA.  Consideration for admission to the program is based on the applicant’s grade point average (GPA) in the last graduate degree or the last sixty hours of undergraduate work if no graduate degree has been completed.  An average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or above from a recognized baccalaureate, graduate, or professional degree from a regionally accredited (e.g. SACS) college or university, or an international equivalent based on a four-year curriculum is required for admission.
2. GRE.  A combined score of 1,000 or above on the verbal and quantitative sections and a 4.0 on the writing component of the GRE is required for admission.  In some rare instances, a prospective student with a score slightly lower than 1,000 may petition the Ph.D. Coordinating Committee for admission, but tangible evidence of the student’s academic  achievement or aptitude (other than a high GPA) must be presented.  International students are required to submit TOEFL scores. A minimum of 550 on the paper test or 213 on the computer version is required.  Applicants who have been awarded a degree from a university in one of the following countries are exempt from the TOEFL requirement: Australia, Belize, the British Caribbean and British West Indies, Canada (except Quebec), England, Guyana, Ireland, Liberia, New Zealand, Scotland, the United States, and Wales.
3. Scholarly writing.  Students must demonstrate the ability to do scholarly writing by submitting a reference-based paper, thesis, or other written document in which information from various sources has been synthesized.  The applicant must be the sole author. 
4. Statement of intent.  One to two pages should be sufficient to include intended enrollment (fall admission only), intended concentration, autobiographical statement, education and professional goals, area of interest for future research, and how your interest fits with faculty in your chosen area of study.
5. Three letters of recommendation.  At least one letter should be from a professor who is able to comment on your qualifications for graduate study.  Consideration will be made based upon the content of the letters.
6. A professional vitae.
7. Interviews with Ph.D. doctoral program faculty.

Application Process

Prospective students are encouraged to make application to the Graduate School in time for admission to be completed at least one full semester before expected entrance to the Ph.D. program.  Admission is open for Fall semester only.  The deadline for application is March 1 for admission the following Fall semester. 

Admission Process

Submit to:

Graduate School

Tennessee Technological University

PO Box 5036Cookeville, TN 38505

(931) 372-3233

Questions, please email gradstudies@tntech.edu

New or entry-level doctoral students should 1) complete the Graduate School Application for Admission, 2) return the completed application form with application fee to the Graduate School, 3) request that the registrar of all college and universities attended send one official transcript to the Graduate School, 4) request that the Educational Testing Service submit to the Graduate School an official copy of verbal, quantitative, and writing scores from the General Portion of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

Submit to:           

College of Education

Ph.D. Program

Tennessee Technological University

PO Box 5116

Cookeville, TN 38505

(931) 372-3177

Questions, please email education@tntech.edu

5) request from the College of Education the application form for the Ph.D. in Education program, and upon completion, submit it to the College of Education, 6) submit a scholarly writing sample (described in Admissions Criteria) to the College of Education, 7) submit a statement of intent (described in the Admissions Criteria) to the College of Education, 8) submit three letters of recommendation (described in the Admissions Criteria) required for the application file to the College of Education, 9) submit a professional vitae to the College of Education, and 10) contact the Coordinator of the Ph.D. program to schedule an interview. 

Processing of Application

Once application materials reach the Coordinator of the Ph.D. program, the file will be reviewed to see if the criteria for admission have been met.  The file will then be sent to the appropriate concentration for further deliberation.  Once completed by the concentration committee, it will be returned to the Coordinator’s office and a recommendation forwarded to the Graduate School.  If students are recommended to the Graduate School for admission, they will be notified in writing by the Coordinator of the Ph.D. program and will be provided directions on how to begin the program.  The Graduate School will notify each applicant of the final, official decision.