Application Process

Admission

The mathematics education doctoral program admits students with a variety of backgrounds. Some students will have equally strong backgrounds in education and mathematics. Others may have more extensive prior preparation in one of these two disciplines. Admissions decisions will be made by an Admissions Committee composed of members of the Mathematics Education Faculty Group.

Candidates should have:

• the equivalent of an undergraduate major in mathematics, OR
• satisfactory completion of coursework in mathematics appropriate to the applicant’s program of study and approved by the Admissions Committee, with the expectation of completing additional mathematics study if necessary.

In the latter case, the guidance committee will help the candidate to design a program that includes appropriate coursework in mathematics. Applicants with deficiencies in academic preparation may be admitted provisionally. These collateral courses will not count toward the degree. In addition, K-12 teaching experience is strongly encouraged, but not required.

A student who shows promise for success at doctoral study but who needs additional background to be eligible for admission to the Ph.D. program will be provided with specific conditions to be met before admission. Upon successful completion of these requirements, the student may re-apply.

Admission to the master's in mathematics education degree program is for students currently in good standing in a PhD program at MSU.

How to Apply

To be considered for teaching and research assistantships and for a variety of possible university or college fellowships, it is very important for applicants to submit application material on time. The MSU Application form for admission the following fall opens August 1st the year before. All application materials should be submitted by December 1st for the following academic year.

Applications for Fall 2025 are OPEN August 1st through December 1st of 2024.

Please contact Lisa Keller, Mathematics Education Assistant Director with any questions regarding the Mathematics Education Doctoral Program.

For a student perspective of the doctoral program, you can contact one of our doctoral student ambassadors, Sabrina Zarza (zarzasab@msu.edu) or Sadrack Pagiling (pagiling@msu.edu).

The entire application package (described below) can now be completed online at https://explore.msu.edu/apply/. Or, parts of the application package can be sent to Lisa Keller:

Lisa Keller
Program in Mathematics Education
619 Red Cedar Road
C112 Wells Hall
Michigan State University 
East Lansing, MI 48824 

If there are issues with the uploading of content online, it can be sent electronically via email to Lisa Keller.

Please complete the items below for your application package. A list of required application items is given first, followed by detailed information for each.

Application Checklist (Materials due by December 1 for full funding consideration)

1. University Application

2. Letters of Recommendation (3 required)

3. Writing Sample

4. Statement of Professional Goals/Academic Statement

5. Personal Statement

6. Current Curriculum Vitae

7. Transcripts

8. English Language Proficiency, such as TOEFL Scores (International Applicants)

 

Here is some detailed information on each item for the application packet:

1. University Application

Go to the website: https://grad.msu.edu/apply for the Graduate Applicant and general information from The Graduate School at MSU. To create an account to start a new application or log in to continue an application, visit:  https://explore.msu.edu/apply/.

Follow the Graduate Application link (for both domestic and international applicants) to begin your application to the Mathematics Education Doctoral Program. The application fee (payable in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank) is $65 for domestic students and $75 for international students. Note that international applicants also need to complete a Financial Proof statement/ Affidavit of Support if they will not be on an assistantship and/or if they will bring dependents. International applicants for whom English is a second language will need to provide  Proof of English proficiency:  See https://grad.msu.edu/internationalapplicants.

Once you have applied, you can use your Applicant ID and password to log in to your personalized online student portal at https://explore.msu.edu/apply/. You can upload your application materials, as well as register your recommenders, using this online gradportal.

2. Letters of Recommendation

Request three letters of recommendation from professors or others who can assess your promise of success in our mathematics education graduate program and enter their contact information into your online portal at the link above. You will enter their names and email addresses under the References tab in the MSU online application. Your recommenders will then be prompted to upload their letter of recommendation online. At least one letter should be from one of your teachers in the highest degree you have earned to date.  If your recommenders have any issues with the website, please have them send their letter of reference to Lisa Keller.

3. Writing Sample

Applicants should submit one or more examples of academic or professional writing, e.g., something you have published, a master’s thesis, or a paper you might have submitted to fulfill an undergraduate or graduate course requirement. The sample must be authored exclusively by the applicant. The purpose is to demonstrate your ability to write English prose in order to give the review committee a clear idea of how well you will be able to carry out the kind of writing that is such a central component of advanced graduate study. It would be most useful if this paper were at least 10 pages long (double-spaced).

An applicant may submit several such papers to the online gradportal site: https://explore.msu.edu/apply/. Again, if you have any issues with the site, please send your document(s) via email to Lisa Keller. Please identify the course for which this paper was written, or the original purpose for this paper.

4. Statement of Professional Goals/Academic Statement/Applicant Statement

From an autobiographical perspective, applicants should discuss their reasons for pursuing a doctoral degree. We will refer to this document as either your statement of professional goals, or your academic statement. On the MSU application, it is called an academic statement. In your academic statement, please include responses to the following questions:

This statement is a very important part of the file for the review committee. Candidates should present a thoughtful and extended verbal portrait (2-3 pages long, single-spaced) of their reasons for pursuing advanced graduate study, and the match between their goals and professional interest that they wish to explore during their graduate career. This document can either be completed within the MSU application itself, or uploaded as a separate document to the online gradportal site:  https://explore.msu.edu/apply/. Again, if you have any issues with the site, please send the document via email. If you completed the personal and academic statements on the MSU application, you do not need to submit a separate statement of professional goals. The statements written on the MSU application will be sufficient. We also do not need a separate Applicant Statement - the Academic Statement and Personal Statement (described below) are sufficient.

5. Personal Statement

The personal statement is a place where you can document your background and describe any obstacles you have overcome along your personal and/or educational journey. You can type your personal statement in the designated place on the MSU Application or upload it as a separate document to the online gradportal site:  https://explore.msu.edu/apply/. The directions in the MSU Application state: The personal statement should include information about your background and life experiences. Items you might address include but are not limited to leadership experiences, how you might contribute to a diverse educational community, and any obstacles you may have overcome.

6. Current Curriculum Vitae or Resumé

Applicants are required to submit a current curriculum vita or resumé, listing educational background, GPA, and teaching experience. Upload to the online gradportal site:  https://explore.msu.edu/apply/.

7. Transcripts

You may send copies of transcripts/unofficial transcripts from all universities attended (except Michigan State University, as we have access to those) to the Academic Program Coordinator at the address above. Do not send copies/unofficial transcripts to the Admissions Office. Or, you may upload unofficial transcript copies for now to the gradportal site:  https://explore.msu.edu/apply/. However, the university will need official transcripts before a prospective student can be admitted. Official transcripts, including e-transcripts, can be sent to the Academic Program Coordinator or to the Admissions Office.

8. English language Proficiency, such as TOEFL Scores (International Students Only)

Applicants for whom English is not their primary language are required to submit English Language Proficiency scores, such as TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), and the test must be taken within two years of the application. Please select Michigan State University as a recipient of your scores. MSU's International code for TOEFL is 1465.

With the internet-based version of the TOEFL (iBT), the minimum MSU requirement is an average score of 80, with no subscore below 19 for reading, listening, and speaking, and no writing subscore below 22. Please visit The Graduate School site for more information regarding English Language Competency and other accepted English Language Tests: https://grad.msu.edu/english-language-competency.

Note:  If the student has completed a degree program in an English speaking country, he or she can request a waiver of the English Language Proficiency Test requirement. Once the program admissions committee is convinced of the student’s English language skills based on past program completion and other evidence, it will ask the University to waive the requirement. This waiver is usually granted, but the university typically requires the admitted student to take the English proficiency test (MSU Speaking Test) upon arrival at MSU before allowing the student to become a Teaching Assistant.

English Language Requirements

Graduate Applicant Instructions for Slate - International

Graduate Applicant Instructions for Slate - Domestic