Program Admission

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Graduate School Application

After reviewing the admission requirements below, please select the appropriate application. The University is transitioning application platforms; pay close attention when selecting the application below.

• 2021-2022 Application (Winter 22)
• 2022-2023 Application (Summer 22, Fall 22, or Winter 23)  

The program you are applying to may not accept applicants every semester.

For additional information regarding the application process, please see Graduate Admissions or International Admissions.

Admission Requirements

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

A four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an equivalent degree from a non-U.S. institution. In addition, a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale, or 3.0 in the last half of the undergraduate program, is required for full admission. Applicants who do not meet minimum admission requirements may be considered for conditional admission. See International Admissions for international applicant requirements.

Applicants must also meet the following program requirements:

• Request recommendation forms from two professional supervisors and/or supervising professors that address the applicant’s professional work quality. Applicants may request recommendation letters in addition to completing the recommendation form. Applicants are encouraged to ask recommenders to submit a recommendation letter if this could enhance their application materials. Recommendation forms and letters must come directly from your reference.
• A résumé that details their professional and educational experiences.
• A personal statement of accomplishments and academic goals portion describing the reasons for requesting admission. This 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 master’s degree is as follows:

1. Completed applications are accepted on a rolling basis. If you are seeking a Graduate Assistantship, it is recommended that you apply before February 1st.
2. 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.
3. The faculty review committee will review completed applications. 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 inconsistent with the student’s goals as an administrator. The full faculty will review these “questionable” applications, giving special consideration to the life experiences, verbal skills, writing skills, educational background, and GPAs.
4. Those persons whose applications are accepted will be notified.
5. All decisions by the faculty regarding admissions are final.

Department Information

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Leadership & Counseling | Dr. Devika Dibya Choudhuri​, Ph.D., Interim Department Head | 304 Porter, 734.487.0255, dchoudhur@emich.edu

Advisor Information

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Ronald Flowers, Ph.D., 304 Porter, 734.487.0255, rflowers@emich.edu

Degree Requirements: 38 hours

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Students must complete a minimum of 38 credit hours to complete the master’s degree. 27-28 hours of specific basic concentration coursework and 10-11 hours in related course electives are required.

Exit Process

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Portfolio Requirement

Students will be guided through the portfolio assessment process by their advisor as follows:

• Following admission, students are required to schedule a meeting with their advisor to plan their program of study and to obtain information about the portfolio assessment and exit requirements
• After completing 18 hours of course work, it is recommended that students schedule a meeting with their advisor to discuss the progress of their portfolios.
• A student who believes their portfolio is complete should contact the advisor to schedule the oral and written presentation. This will consist of an oral presentation by the student, followed by a discussion with faculty regarding the student’s learning and growth, along with perceptions of the overall program’s strengths and/or weaknesses.
• Student achievement will be documented in a cumulative portfolio that contains artifacts representative of the educational leadership knowledge base.

An assessment of the portfolio will be made using the following criteria:

Cognitive complexity
Quality of content
Comprehensiveness
Meaningfulness

In addition, the program component stressing effective written and oral communication skills will be assessed by examining the quality of writing presented in the portfolio and the quality of oral communication displayed in the portfolio presentation before the faculty. All of the portfolio components must be rated satisfactory for completion and presented through the use of Watermark.

The portfolio will be evaluated as one of the following:

Pass without revisions
Pass with minor revisions by date indicated
Pass with major revisions by date indicated
No pass

Additional Information

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Course Substitutions/Program Changes - The advisor must approve changes in the student’s official program and substitution of courses before registration.

Courses Outside the Program - The Program faculty have prepared a suggested list of courses. Other courses may be used for electives in this area if approved by the student’s advisor.

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

For more information about the program, admissions, etc., contact the department head.