Admission Requirements:

For admission an applicant must:

1. Complete the Graduate School Application. All admission materials are submitted through the Graduate Admissions Office.
2. Have earned a valid undergraduate degree from an accredited four-year institution of higher education.
3. International students must meet the following additional criteria; an official score report from either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Test System (IELTS), or the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) must be sent by the testing service directly to the University. Student score reports, faxes or photocopies will not be considered official. Minimum scores for admission is 550 (Paper-based Test), or 79 (Internet-based Test) for the TOEFL; 77 on MELAB; or 6.5 (or higher) on the IELTS. If the TEOFL is taken, the Test of Written English (TWE) is also required. A conditional admission may be available to those students falling just below the minimum score requirements. 
4. Applicants must have a 2.70 undergraduate GPA or a 3.0 GPA in the second half of the undergraduate program. A 3.3 GPA or better on a previous graduate degree.
5. Submit recommendations from two professional supervisors and/or supervising professors that can address the quality of the applicant’s professional work. Applicants may receive these forms from the department office. Recommendation forms are submitted with the Graduate School Application.
6. Applicants must submit a resume detailing their professional and educational experiences.
7. Applicants must submit the Application for Graduate Admission form. 
8. Complete a personal statement describing the reasons to pursue a graduate certificate program in academic advising including career and educational goals. The essay must be a minimum of 250 words and will be reviewed as an indicator of writing ability. 

Admission Process:

The admission process for the certificate is as follows:

1. The Office of Admissions will receive and gather ALL required documents. Completed applications that contain the required GPAs, confidential appraisal forms, and the résumé will be forwarded to the coordinator of advising for the educational leadership program.
2. Completed applications will be reviewed by the faculty review committee. Those applicants who have submitted acceptable GPAs, résumé, recommendations, and personal statement will be admitted, assigned an advisor and invited for an advising interview. An application may be deemed “questionable” due to a combination of low GPA, fair or poor recommendations, poor writing ability and/or statements that are inconsistent with the student’s goals as an administrator. These “questionable” applications will be reviewed by the full faculty, giving special consideration to the life experiences, verbal skills, writing skills, educational background and GPAs.
3. Those persons whose applications are accepted will be notified.
4. All decisions by the faculty regarding admissions are final. 

Department Information:

Leadership & Counseling - College of Education

Advisor Information:

Degree Requirements: 15-17 hours

Additional Program Information:

Course Substitutions/Program Changes
Changes in the student’s official program and substitution of courses must be approved by the advisor prior to registration.

Courses Outside the Program
A suggested list of courses has been prepared by the EDLD Program. Other courses may be used for electives in this area if they are approved by the student’s advisor.

Internships
Information is available from the director of the intern program or at http://www.emich.edu/coe/lc . Internship placements should be arranged at least one semester in advance and must be approved by the internship director.

For more information about the program, admissions, etc., contact the department head or visit www.emich.edu/coe/lc