Review of applications occurs at two levels: (1) at the TE Department level by MATC faculty, and (2) at the university level by the Graduate School Admissions Office. Applications are reviewed by MATC faculty during the month after the posted deadline each semester. The heaviest application and review periods of the year tend to be for Summer and Fall admission. The MATC Application and Checklist are available here.

Once the MSU Application for Graduate Study, official transcripts, and all other application materials required by MSU and the MATC program have been received by the Department, faculty review the application file and decide whether to accept, accept provisionally, or deny the application based on the following criteria:

• Applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution. Consideration is given to the quality of undergraduate courses taken and grades earned in one’s major area(s) of study and teaching;
• Applicants must have earned a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 for the final two years of undergraduate study.
• Faculty look for a match between the applicant’s goals and resources, and what the MATC program can offer. Sometimes further clarification is sought from an applicant, and based on that information, s/he may be accepted, denied, or referred to another program that appears to be a better match to the applicant’s stated goals and interests.
• Faculty review all of the other materials required by the MATC program to complete an application file: the applicant’s “goals statement,” professional essay, teaching and professional experiences as represented in the applicant’s resumé, and in the three reference forms and accompanying letters. More detailed criteria for each of the above and their relative weights are outlined the Application Review form used by faculty reviewers.
• The GRE (Graduate Record Exam) is not required, but GRE scores will be reviewed if available at the time of application.
• International Applicants. MSU requires proof of English language proficiency of international applicants if their first language is not English. In order to be considered for admission to the Graduate School, international applicants can provide TOEFL scores in one of the following ways and meeting the minimum requirements, as indicated below:
  
  
• Internet-based test, with an average score of 79 or above, no sub-score below 19, and a score on the writing component of this test of 22 or above. (Please note: As of September 7, 2005, only the internet-based test is available for those taking the TOEFL in the United States.); OR
• Paper-based version of the TOEFL, with a total score of 550 or above and no sub-score below 52; OR
• Computer-based version of the TOEFL, with a total score of 213 or above and no sub-score below 19.
• Achieving the minimum scores above does not guarantee an applicant’s admission to the MATC program. Multiple sources of information in an applicant’s file are considered in admission decisions. For example, you may be admitted provisionally if your English language proficiency does not meet the minimum requirement for regular admission to the University, but you meet all other requirements.
• A letter of financial guarantee or a “certified statement of financial proof” for international applicants is required along with some other documentation outlined in MSU’s Application for Graduate Study. Further information regarding this and the TOEFL is found on the Graduate School’s web pages for international applicants and in the MSU Application for Graduate Study.

Coordinator Review

The Coordinator of the MATC program then reviews the faculty’s recommendations for admission, makes the final admission decision, and assigns an academic advisor to the new graduate student. The recommendations from the review committee and the Coordinator are then processed for final approval in the College of Education by the Associate Dean.

Notification

The MATC Coordinator notifies each applicant by letter of the Department’s decision. In this letter, the new graduate student is told who his/her advisor will be and the advisor’s campus address, phone number, and e-mail address. The student is urged to contact his or her advisor as soon as possible to introduce himself/herself and begin planning his/her program with the advisor. It is the student’s responsibility to contact his/her advisor upon admission, not the other way around. The student’s application file is forwarded by the Coordinator to the advisor so that the s/he has background information about the student that will be helpful in advising and assisting the student in planning and tailoring his/her program, and selecting courses to take each semester.

Interested in Literacy

For those interested in literacy, please note your interest during application process, or contact the masters advisor for more information.