Admissions

University Admission Requirements

A student applying to a master's program must:

• have earned a four-year bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a college or university that is accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting association, or do so within one academic year
• present official transcripts from each college or university other than Illinois State at which graduate, undergraduate, or non-degree credit was earned. Transcripts can be emailed from the university to Admissions@IllinoisState.edu or mailed in a sealed envelope to: Office of Admissions, 201 Hovey Hall, Campus Box 2200, Normal, IL 61790-2200

International students can learn more about specific application requirements by visiting the Office of Admissions.

Additional Program Admission Requirements

You may only apply to one of the Applied Community and Economic Development programs at a time.

GPA

You must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for either the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework or 9+ hours of coursework in a master's program.

Coursework

You will need to have successfully completed an undergraduate economics class. If you do not meet this requirement, you may still be admitted into the program but you will be expected to take this course before beginning graduate study.

Resume

Upload your current resume into the application system.

Statement of Purpose

Write and upload a two-page statement of purpose. Your statement should address:

• Your motivations for graduate school
• Your career goals
• How this master's degree in your specific academic discipline (anthropology, applied economics, kinesiology and recreation, political science, or sociology) will help you reach these goals
• Any additional information about your interest in our program

Writing Sample

Submit a sample of your academic writing.

Recommendation Contact Information

Submit the names and email addresses of three references for letters of recommendation within the online application.

Service Document

Upload one of the following:

• Letter of Service (Applied Community & Economic Development Fellows Program)
• Official Description of Service (Peace Corps Fellows Program)

Assistantship Application

Complete the graduate assistantship application and the teaching preferences form available through the School of Kinesiology and Recreation. Only applicants selected for both admission and the graduate assistantship are admitted to the ACED sequence.

Interview

Applicants who submit all materials according to the posted instructions and by the posted deadlines, and whose materials indicate potential for success in their chosen program, will complete a required interview (by phone or in person).

Admission Dates and Deadlines

Graduate Coordinator