​Application Process

Application Overview

• Begin Your Application

  Online Application

  Applicants must submit the Graduate Admission Online application by the program deadline.

  The online application consists of:  

  • Letters of Recommendation
    • Letters should be from professors familiar with the applicant's scholarly work or from professional supervisors who have had experience in a graduate program and who can provide information regarding the applicant's potential for success as a graduate student.
  • Current Resume or CV
    
    • Submit a resume detailing one’s employment and/or educational experience relevant to your program of interest
  • Statement of Purpose
    
    • Please see your program information regarding the prompt and length of your statement of purpose.
  • Application fee
    • A $45 is required to submit the online application. Those with fee waiver codes can enter the code when prompted.

  Note: You can submit your application and be considered “incomplete”.
  

  An application is considered “complete and ready for review” once all application materials have been received, including official transcripts, letters of recommendation and other supplemental documents that arrive separately.

• Official Transcript(s)
  • Master's and Certificate applicants:
    • Submit an official transcript from the university where you earned your bachelor’s degree.
      • Current undergraduate applicants - your official transcript will show that the current or last term is "inprogress".
  • PhD applicants:
    • Submit official transcripts from where you earned your bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
  • Official E-Transcripts are acceptable only if emailed directly from the institution to grads@sandiego.edu.
    • Transcripts from study abroad courses and/or transfer credit are not required. 

  Degrees Earned Outside of the United States:

  • Students who earned their bachelor’s degree and/or master's degree from an institution outside the United States must submit a course-by-course degree evaluation at the time of application. Applicants can elect from:
    • World Education Services, Inc. (WES) - Preferred
    • Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE)
    • International Education Research Foundation, Inc. (IERF)
    • Josef Silny Foundation, Inc. (JSA)
    • SpanTran: The Evaluation Company (SpanTran)
    • Foreign Academic Credential Service (FACS)

  • Applications for students educated outside the United States will not be considered complete nor can an admissions decision be made until this degree evaluation has been submitted.
• Standardized Test Scores
  • PhD applicants may submit the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), but it is not required. Official GRE test scores must be within 5 years of the test date.
    • There is no minimum GRE score required.
  • All other programs do not require a GRE.
  • CBEST/CSET scores are not required at the time of application for teacher credential programs and the School Counseling program.
• English Proficiency Exam (EPEX) Scores

  English Language Exam Score

  An official score report for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is required of all international applicants. Official score reports must be two years old or less from the time you submit your online application in order to be considered. 

  Official scores can be sent to the Office of Graduate Admissions, grads@sandiego.edu, school code: 4849.

  Minimum IETLS Score Requirement

  Test Type	TOEFL Minimum Score	TOEFL Minimum for PhD in EDSJ*
  Internet-Based	83	91
  Computer-Based	237	233
  Paper-Based	580	577

   

  Minimum TOEFL Score Requirement

  	IELTS Minimum	IELTS Minimum for PhD in EDSJ*
  Band Score	7	7.5

  _{*PhD in Education for Social Justice Program}

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  Waiving out of the English Language Exam requirement:

  The English Language Exam requirement may only be waived if you have earned a 4-year bachelor's degree or 2-year master's degree, with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, from an institution where English is the official language of instruction. Waiver requests based on living or working in an English-language context, or based on educational pursuits that resulted in less than the conferral of a 4-year bachelor's or 2-year master's degree, will not be accepted.

  Waivers are not automatically applied; all waivers must be requested. Waivers are granted on a one-by-one basis for a specific program and term. Obtaining a waiver is not guaranteed under any circumstances.

  To request a waiver of the English Language Exam requirement:

  1. Submit the Online Application. Your waiver request will not be considered until we receive your Online Application.
  2. Submit your official transcript or official course-by-course international transcript evaluation showing proof of your bachelor's and/or master's degree having been earned at an institution where English is the language of instruction. Please be aware that if you attended a foreign institution, that institution must clearly state on their website that English is the language of instruction. If no such statement is posted, you will need to obtain an official verification letter from that institution confirming English as the language of instruction, and submit it as part of your application for admission.
  3. Once you have submitted both your Online Application and your official transcript(s)/evidence of degree earned at an institution where English is the language of instruction, please email the program you are applying to in order to request the waiver. Your waiver request must be supported by the program you are applying to before it can be reviewed.

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  SOLES Graduate Pathway Program

  If your TOEFL or IELTS score is below the minimum required for admission, you can explore the SOLES Graduate Pathway Program - an opportunity for qualified applicants to pursue conditional admission via our partnership with USD's English Language Academy. 

• Application Review Process

  All applicants are considered utilizing a holistic review process, meaning that many factors are considered including the: 

  • Strength of your academic curriculum
  • Professional and/or extracurricular experiences relevant to the program 
  • Content of your personal statement and its connection to learning outcomes 
  • Letters of recommendation with specific examples of your competencies and aptitudes relevant to the program

  As a general rule, admission decisions are made approximately 30 to 60 days after the final deadline for the program. Each program does have different review schedules, so the timing of decisions may vary. 

Application Process

Online Application Walkthrough

Send all official transcripts and supplemental materials to:
University of San Diego
Office of Graduate Admission
5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110-2492
(619) 260-4524
grads@sandiego.edu 

For questions about the admissions contact:
SOLES Office of Admissions and Outreach
5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110-2492
Mother Rosalie Hill Hall 143
(619) 260-7988
solesadmissions@sandiego.edu