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Admissions

Applying for admission into any ELPS graduate programs is a one-step process through the UT Office of Graduate and International Admissions. Visit Graduate Admissions to get started.

The following information is required for our application to ELPS graduate programs.

  • Application Fee—A $60 nonrefundable application fee is required for new admission
  • Transcripts—Submit an unofficial electronic copy of your transcripts from each college or university you have attended in the graduate school application. You will be required to submit official transcripts if you are admitted to the incoming cohort. At that time, please send your official transcripts to the UT Graduate Admissions Office at:

The University of Tennessee
Graduate Admissions
201 Student Services Building
1331 Circle Park Drive
Knoxville, TN 37996-0221

See tabs below for specific info per program and application deadlines.

Students are admitted to the College Student Personnel (CSP) program in mid-January for matriculation the following August.

Applications for Admission are due December 15, 2023. Supporting documents including transcripts, letters of recommendation, are due no later than January 1, 2024.

Requirements and qualifications include:

  • Current resume
  • Responses to the following application questions:
    • Why are you interested in a career in student affairs?
    • What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
    • Why did you choose the College Student Personnel program, specifically?
    • What else should we know about you to consider your fit with the program?
  • GPA—You should have an earned undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher or a graduate GPA of 3.3 or higher.
  • Letters of recommendation—Indicate the email addresses for your references through the graduate school application and the recommenders will then be sent a link to submit their letters of recommendation electronically. The admissions committee strongly encourages that one letter comes from a faculty member who can speak to your ability to engage in graduate-level coursework research.
  • Unofficial transcripts—Submit an unofficial electronic copy of your transcripts from each college or university you have attended in the graduate school application.

When is the application available?
Generally, the application goes “live” on the graduate school website in mid-October.

What if I don’t have all my materials (e.g., scores, transcripts, recommendation letters) in by the deadline?
The admissions committee cannot make decisions without a completed file. Be sure to contact the program coordinator if you think your materials may be delayed.

Did you receive all my materials (e.g., scores, transcripts, and recommendation letters)?
Check with the graduate school first. We do not review the files until after the deadline, so there may be a delay between what the graduate school receives and uploads to our admissions system and what we have.

Is there a specific major or coursework required for admission?
The program does not require any specific undergraduate major or prerequisite coursework. Students come from a wide range of undergraduate institutions with various majors. The diverse experiences of the students that comprise the CSP program allow for exciting interactions in the classroom.

How and when are decisions about admissions made?
After the December 15 deadline, the admissions committee makes decisions. Students should know their initial status by the end of January.

For more information

Mary Dueñas, PhD
Program Coordinator, CSP
The University of Tennessee
317 Jane and David Bailey Education Complex
Knoxville, TN 37996-3430
865-974-2216


Students are admitted to the EdD program in the spring. A cohort begins in the Fall semester.  Application deadline is March 15.

Requirements and qualifications include:

  • Master’s degree (or equivalent) from a regionally accredited university or foreign equivalent.
  • Statement of Purpose Essay – Please furnish a statement concerning your personal and professional goals and the reason you are seeking graduate study at the doctoral level at The University of Tennessee.
  • Resume/CV – Including list of leadership roles, past and current.
  • Three years’ experience in school or district leadership.
  • GPA—You should have an earned graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  • Three letters of recommendation—Indicate the name and email addresses for your references through the graduate school application and the recommenders will then be sent a link to submit their letters of recommendation electronically.  Rating forms should include one present or former supervisor and two additional professional references. Rating forms from nonprofessional sources will not be accepted.
  • Unofficial transcripts—Submit an unofficial electronic copy of your transcripts from each college or university you have attended in the graduate school application.
  • Qualified Applicant Interviews—Qualified applicants will be notified by phone or email to schedule an interview.

EdD Application Procedures

  • Transcripts, and rating forms must be submitted to the Office of Graduate and International Admissions through the online application process.
  • Supplemental information (Statement of Purpose Essay, Resume/CV) are to be submitted to Constance Honorable.

Admission Committee screening will begin in early spring.

Mary Lynne Derrington, EdD
Program Coordinator
The University of Tennessee
318 Jane and David Bailey Education Complex
Knoxville, TN 37996-3430
865-974-2216

For more information

Contact Constance Honorable at honora00@utk.edu or 865-974-6139.


Students are admitted to the Educational Administration doctoral program in mid-January for matriculation the following August. Priority application date is December 1.

Requirements and qualifications include:

  • Personal and Professional Goals – Please furnish a statement concerning your personal and professional goals and the reason you are seeking graduate study at the doctoral level.
  • List of leadership roles, past and current.
  • Writing Sample – The writing sample should illustrate a command of research methods and data analysis.  Previous work from graduate classes, which meet these criteria, are acceptable. Examples include masters theses, journal publications, a critique of an educational article, or manuscripts which are publication-ready.  Candidates who have not written a research-based manuscript may submit a personal statement describing personal leadership capacity and experiences, including the readiness of doctoral study.
  • GPA—You should have an earned undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher or a graduate GPA of 3.3 or higher.
  • Three letters of recommendation—Indicate the email addresses for your references through the graduate school application and the recommenders will then be sent a link to submit their letters of recommendation electronically.  Rating forms should include one present or former supervisor and two additional professional references. Rating forms from nonprofessional sources will not be accepted.
  • Unofficial transcripts—Submit an unofficial electronic copy of your transcripts from each college or university you have attended in the graduate school application.
  • Applicant Interviews—Applicants will be notified by phone or email to schedule afternoon interviews.

PhD Application Procedures

  • Supplemental information and writing sample are to be submitted to elps@utk.edu.

Admission Committee screening will take place in late spring.

For more information

Sonya Hayes, PhD
Program Coordinator
The University of Tennessee
313 Jane and David Bailey Education Complex
Knoxville, TN 37996-3430
865-974-7696
shayes22@utk.edu

For information regarding deadlines, contact the ELPS department at elps@utk.edu or 865-974-2216.


Students are admitted to the Higher Education Administration Online MS program in the summer and fall terms.

Application deadline for summer term admittance: March 31st

Application deadline for fall term admittance: June 15th

Requirements and qualifications include:

  • Current Resume or CV.
  • Letter of Introduction addressing the following in 500 words or less
    • Identify your career goals related to work in a higher education setting
    • Identify ways you believe this degree can assist you in reaching your goals
    • Describe the strengths you possess for completing a graduate degree online
    • Describe the challenges you anticipate for completing a graduate degree online
  • Three Letters of Recommendation. Raters should assess your academic background and likely success in a rigorous program. If you are a recent graduate, you should include one or more faculty members who can attest to your work as a student. Other appropriate raters include work supervisors. Family members and personal friends are not appropriate raters. You need to prompt your raters to submit their forms to the Graduate Admissions.
  • Prior Transcripts—Submit an unofficial electronic copy of your transcripts from each college or university you have attended in the graduate school application.  A grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 or higher for undergraduate work or GPA 3.00 or higher for prior graduate work is required.
  • UTK Graduate School Requirements. Visit Graduate Admissions to get started.

For more information

Tammy Knierim
Distance Education Coordinator
The University of Tennessee
308 Jane and David Bailey Education Complex
Knoxville, TN 37996-3430
tknierim@utk.edu

For information regarding deadlines, contact the ELPS department at elps@utk.edu or 865-974-2216.


The Higher Education Administration PhD program has two deadlines for admission. October 15 is the spring deadline and priority fall deadline for graduate assistantship consideration. March 15 is the summer deadline and regular fall deadline.

Requirements and qualifications include:

  • Current Resume or CV.
  • Academic or Professional Writing Sample. This may be a copy of a thesis written for a graduate degree, a published article, a legal brief, a research report or course paper, or another form of writing that you feel represents your professional writing skills and style.
  • Three Letters of Recommendation. Indicate the email addresses for your references through the graduate school application who are able to speak to your strengths and weaknesses as a student and potential leader.  The recommenders will then be sent a link to submit their letters of recommendation electronically.  Rating forms should include one present or former supervisor and two additional professional references. Rating forms from nonprofessional sources will not be accepted.
  • Four Short Answer Essay Responses. Your responses will be submitted as part of the online application process.
  • Prior Transcripts. Submit an unofficial electronic copy of your transcripts from each college or university you have attended in the graduate school application.
  • UTK Graduate School Requirements. Visit Graduate Admissions to get started.

For more information

Pamela S. Angelle, PhD
Program Coordinator
The University of Tennessee
323 Jane and David Bailey Education Complex
Knoxville, TN 37996-3430
865-974-4139
pangelle@utk.edu

For information regarding deadlines, contact the ELPS department at elps@utk.edu or 865-974-2216.


For more information about applying to the Leadership Academy please see information provided on the program’s website through the Center for Educational Leadership


The Leadership Studies Minor is a transdisciplinary program that invites application from students across all majors at the institution. No specific undergraduate major or prerequisite coursework is required to apply for participation in the minor, and applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Requirements and qualifications 

Students are admitted into the minor based on the following criteria:

  • Academic potential as demonstrated by the GPA or leadership coursework;
  • Proven ability and preparation to lead a self-directed project;
  • Demonstrated passion for engaging in leadership, social change, and/or service;
  • Positional and/or non-positional leadership while in college;
  • Evidence of commitment to developing leadership potential; and
  • Unique contributions to the leadership learning cohort.

See the UTK Undergraduate Catalog for more information.

For more information 

For more information or to apply, contact Karen D. Boyd, Leadership Studies Program Coordinator.

Requirements and qualifications for the Leadership Studies Honors Track

The Leadership Studies Minor also features an Honors track in partnership with Honors and Scholars Programs. Students must be admitted to the Honors Leadership Program to participate in the Honors track. For more information on the Leadership Studies Minor Honors Track, visit the UTK Undergraduate Catalog or contact Ashton Cooper, Assistant Director of the Honors Leadership Program


Students admitted to the Online Leadership Studies program are notified by May 15th for matriculation in the following summer. The priority deadline for applications is March 15 to begin with the 1st session of summer and July 10 for a fall start date.

Requirements and qualifications include:

  • GPA—You should have an earned undergraduate GPA of 2.7 or higher or a graduate GPA of 3.2 or higher.
  • Three letters of recommendation—Indicate the email addresses for your references through the graduate school application and the recommenders will then be sent a link to submit their letters of recommendation electronically.  Rating forms should include one present or former supervisor and two additional professional references. Rating forms from nonprofessional sources will not be accepted.
  • Unofficial transcripts—Submit an unofficial electronic copy of your transcripts from each college or university you have attended in the graduate school application.
  • Applicant Interviews—Applicants will be notified by phone or email to schedule afternoon interviews.
  • Online Leadership Studies Program Admissions Portfolio
  • If you have previously been admitted to the Graduate School, you need only to file a Readmission and/or Request for Change of Graduate Program.

The Online Leadership Studies Program Admissions Portfolio

As part of the application to the Office of Graduate Admissions, you will also be required to have the following supplemental information available in electronic format (PDF) to complete the application.

The Online Leadership Studies Program Admission Portfolio will include the following:

  • Most recent performance appraisal
  • Most recent professional development activities
  • A copy of teaching certificate
  • A statement of professional goals (Explain how this preparation program would assist you in reaching these goals. Provide a response that is detailed and specific.)
  • Professional activities involving leadership roles
  • Professional organizations
  • Professional honors received, including scholarships and fellowships
  • A description of a personal experience where knowledge of curriculum and instruction was used to improve student achievement
  • A description of any personal experience(s) where collaboration, cooperation, and/or relationship building in a professional environment was demonstrated (Attach evidence of this experience, if applicable.)

This additional information should be forwarded to Tammy Knierim at tknierim@utk.edu.

Upon receipt of a complete portfolio and acceptance to the UT Graduate School, the Online Leadership Studies Program Admission Board will review all materials and forward a recommendation for an interview. If you are recommended for an interview, you will be contacted by Tammy Knierim to schedule an interview with the Admission Board. Interviews will take place on-site or via Skype. Applicant interviews will be required and held by appointment only.

Out-of-State Students:

  • All coursework is aligned with the Tennessee Instructional Leader Standards. As such, we cannot recommend out-of-state students for a principal’s license to the respective state’s department of education. Thus, we can offer a master’s or specialist in education degree in educational administration, only in the non-license track. In other words, while Tennessee residents culminate with a degree plus an Instructional Leadership License, out-of-state students can only pursue the degree.
  • Out-of-state candidates can only be admitted to the University of Tennessee Online Leadership Studies Program if they reside in states which have a reciprocal agreement with the University of Tennessee. For information on which states have these agreements, contact Pamela Angelle at pangelle@utk.edu.