Graduate Admissions

Admission to graduate programs in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, in general, requires that applicants meet the following baseline requirements:

• a bachelor's degree (for M.S. study) or a master's degree (for Ph.D. study) from an accredited college or university
• a 3.0/4.0 or "B" grade point average (GPA)
• an overall score of at least 77 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT version with minimum subscale scores of 18 for speaking, 18 for writing, 19 for reading, and 14 for listening for individuals whose first language is not English. Note: during the transition to the TOEFL iBT, Purdue will still accept a score of 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based) or above on older versions of the TOEFL.

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is required for all Ph.D. applicants, all international applicants, and for M.S. applicants who fail to meet baseline standards. Verbal and quantitative scores should total 1000 or more; a verbal score of at least 500 is strongly preferred.

In addition to the general admission regulations and other prerequisites of the University and of the Graduate School for entrance into graduate courses and degree programs, individual programs may have additional requirements for admission.

Applications received by the following dates will be given priority in the admissions process:

Prospective students will find additional information on our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page.

Graduate Assistantships & Fellowships

A limited number of graduate assistantships and fellowships are available within the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Departmental assistantships may include, but are not limited to:

• Teaching sections of undergraduate classes (most require prior K-12 teaching experience)
• Supervising student teachers (requires at least 3 years prior K-12 teaching experience)
• Assisting faculty in sponsored research projects.

Applications for assistantships are accepted for both fall and spring semesters as well as summer school. Prospective students should apply as early as possible. To apply for a teaching assistantship, view the available description of assistantships. Contact the main office of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction or download a graduate assistantship application (PDF) (DOC). Complete and return this application, along with a copy of your resume, to the address on the form. You must be admitted to the Purdue Graduate School before you will be offered an assistantship.

Graduate students whose first language is not English must score at least 27 on the speaking subscale of the TOEFL iBT, or at least 5 on the locally administered Oral English Proficiency Test (OEPT), in order to be eligible for a teaching assistantship. (A score of at least 7 on the International English Language Testing System is accepted as an alternative.) Individuals who fail to make a passing score are required to take ENGL 001T, Classroom Communication for International Teaching Assistants, to obtain certification to be a graduate teaching assistant. Eligibility does not guarantee assistantship support; graduate assistantships are limited.

If you do not receive an assistantship offer from C&I, but you have qualifications or experience in teaching a specific subject matter discipline (e.g., art, English, foreign languages, math, science, special education), contact the departments that offer courses in the discipline directly about possible assistantship openings. 

A limited number of graduate fellowships are available in the department through the support of the Graduate School. For more information, see the funding link on the Graduate School web site.

View more information about support on the FAQ page.