Teaching & Learning
Overview
The Doctorate in Teaching and Learning (Ed.D. in TCH) program at Illinois State prepares practitioners to serve better in a variety of educational leadership positions. Graduates hold positions as school curriculum specialists, community and four-year college and university teacher educators, academic administrators, and instructional specialists.
Point of Pride
More Illinois State graduates have earned National Board certification, the gold standard for accomplished teaching, than alumni from any other university in the Midwest, among reporting teachers.
Advising
Ryan Brown
(309) 438-3964
DeGarmo 253
Schedule a Visit
Discover what life as a Illinois State graduate student is like with an Online Graduate Student Information Session.
How to Apply
University Admission Requirements
A student applying to a doctoral program must:
- have earned a master's degree or equivalent in a discipline appropriate to the specific doctoral program
- have a minimum 3.0 GPA (on a scale in which an A is a 4.0) for the last 60 hours of undergraduate work (approximately the junior and senior years)
- have a minimum 3.0 GPA (on a scale in which an A is a 4.0) for all graduate-level coursework
- provide three letters of recommendation
- provide official scores from the GRE general exam (use institution code 1319)
- present official transcripts from each college or university other than Illinois State at which graduate 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
A student applying to this program must:
- have a minimum of 3 years of P-12 teaching experience
- submit a professional resume.
- submit names and email addresses of three references for letters of recommendation within the online application
- submit a professional goals statement of at least two pages that articulates well-defined professional goals
- if necessary, submit a statement describing the reasons why the application should be accepted despite not meeting all of the admission criteria
- provide an academic writing sample consisting of one of the following:
- A single-author published article or conference paper completed within the last five years
- A critical review (not less than three pages) of representative professional literature on a topic of interest
- A critical analysis (not less than three pages) of a journal article on a topic of interest
- A chapter or relevant section of a thesis
Application Deadlines
- Fall Term — March 1 to have full consideration for funding opportunities; Applications submitted after March 1 will be accepted as space permits
- Spring Term — September 1; Applications submitted after September 1 will be accepted as space permits
- Summer Term — February 1; Applications submitted after February 1 will be accepted as space permits
Graduate Assistantships
The University provides graduate assistantships as a means of financial support. They are intended as a way to facilitate a student's progress to degree while providing important professional development.
Eligibility
To be eligible for an assistantship a student must, generally,
- be admitted unconditionally as a degree-seeking student into a graduate academic program, or have a minimum of 120 undergraduate hours if in an integrated degree program
- be in good-standing
- be enrolled full-time (typically at least 9 credit hours during the fall or spring semesters, or at least 6 hours during the summer session).
Benefits
Graduate assistants receive
- monthly wages paid in the form of either a stipend or an hourly wage
- a waiver for 100% of tuition during a semester of appointment
- a waiver for up to 12 credit hours of tuition for the summer term immediately following a fall or spring appointment
Costs & Funding
See Student Accounts for information on tuition and fees. Funding for graduate students is available from several different sources. Students who have been admitted from contiguous states including Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin will receive in-state tuition.