A graduate degree from Penn GSE opens up whole new worlds, intellectually as well as professionally. If you are a passionate, innovative, impactful leader—or aspire to be one—Penn GSE is the place for you.

Application Requirements and Deadlines by Program

It's never too early to start preparing your application. Application requirements vary based on the graduate degree program. Select your program of interest below to find out exactly what is needed.

  • cmhs-ms | Counseling and Mental Health Services (Year One) M.S.Ed.
  • edent-ms | Education Entrepreneurship M.S.Ed.
  • ep-ms | Education Policy M.S.Ed.
  • ep-phd | Education Policy Ph.D.
  • ecs-ms | Education, Culture, and Society M.S.Ed.
  • ecs-phd | Education, Culture, and Society Ph.D.
  • elx-edd | Educational Linguistics Ed.D.
  • elx-phd | Educational Linguistics Ph.D.
  • hem-edd | Executive Doctorate in Higher Education Management Ed.D.
  • exact-cert | Experiences in Applied Computational Thinking
  • hed-edd | Higher Education Ed.D.
  • hed-ms | Higher Education M.S.Ed.
  • hed-phd | Higher Education Ph.D.
  • istr-ms | Independent School Teaching Residency M.S.Ed.
  • icc-ms | Intercultural Communication M.S.Ed.
  • ishd-ms | Interdisciplinary Studies in Human Development M.S.Ed.
  • ishd-phd | Interdisciplinary Studies in Human Development Ph.D.
  • iedp-ms | International Educational Development M.S.Ed.
  • lst-ms | Learning Sciences and Technologies M.S.Ed.
  • lst-phd | Learning Sciences and Technologies Ph.D.
  • meded-ms | Medical Education M.S.Ed.
  • midcareer-edd | Mid-Career Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership Ed.D.
  • pennclo-edd | Penn Chief Learning Officer Ed.D.
  • pc-mphil | Professional Counseling (Year Two) M.Phil.Ed.
  • pbl-cert | Project-Based Learning
  • qm-mphil | Quantitative Methods M.Phil.Ed.
  • qm-phd | Quantitative Methods Ph.D.
  • rwl-cert | Reading/Writing/Literacy - Certification Only
  • rwl-edd | Reading/Writing/Literacy Ed.D.
  • rwl-ms | Reading/Writing/Literacy M.S.Ed.
  • rwl-phd | Reading/Writing/Literacy Ph.D.
  • smhc-ms | School and Mental Health Counseling M.S.Ed.
  • slp-cert | School Leadership - Principal Certification Only
  • slp-ms | School Leadership M.S.Ed.
  • smart-ms | Statistics, Measurement, Assessment, and Research Technology M.S.Ed.
  • tesol-ms | Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) M.S.Ed.
  • tll-ms | Teaching, Learning, and Leadership M.S.Ed.
  • tlte-edd | Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education Ed.D.
  • tlte-phd | Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education Ph.D.
  • utap-ms | Urban Teaching Apprenticeship M.S.Ed.
  • utrp-ms | Urban Teaching Residency M.S.Ed.
  • volt-cert | Virtual Online Teaching Program

Application Fee

If you are applying between September 1 and March 1, the $75 application fee is automatically waived. If you apply outside the fee waiver period, your application may require a fee. Applicants with specific program affiliations may be eligible to receive a fee waiver.

Our Application Review Process

Our application review process is thorough and holistic, and we consider each application in its entirety. In selecting an incoming class of scholars and practitioners, we look for students who demonstrate a strong commitment to education and the potential for academic and personal success at an Ivy League institution. Penn GSE is a dynamic and diverse learning community, and we welcome individuals with a wide range of life experiences and professional backgrounds to apply.

Admission to our doctoral programs is selective and highly competitive. We encourage doctoral applicants to research our faculty and their areas of interest, and to acquaint themselves with our research centers and projects and initiatives. Because fit between applicants and faculty is key in doctoral admission, we invite a small number of Ed.D.* and Ph.D. applicants to campus (all expenses paid) during the month of February to meet with faculty and learn more about our school and programs.

* The Ed.D. programs Executive Doctorate in Higher Education Management and the Penn Chief Learning Officer (PennCLO) do not request candidate interviews.

A Special Note to Applicants in Light of COVID-19

Recognizing the challenges of teaching, learning, and assessing academic performance during the global COVID-19 pandemic, Penn’s admissions committees for graduate and professional programs will take the significant disruptions of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 into account when reviewing students’ transcripts and other admissions materials as part of their regular practice of performing individualized, holistic reviews of each applicant. In particular, as we review applications now and in the future, we will respect decisions regarding the adoption of Pass/Fail and other grading options during the period of COVID-19 disruptions. An applicant will not be adversely affected in the admissions process if their academic institution implemented a mandatory pass/fail (or similar) system for the term or if the applicant chose to participate in an optional pass/fail (or similar) system for the term. Penn’s longstanding commitment remains to admit graduate and professional student cohorts composed of outstanding individuals who demonstrate the resilience and aptitude to succeed in their academic pursuits.

Contact Information

Office of Admissions & Financial Aid
University of Pennsylvania
Graduate School of Education

3700 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 898-6415
1-877-PENN-GSE
admissions@gse.upenn.edu
finaid@gse.upenn.edu