Admissions Requirements

General Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree with 3.00 GPA for regular admission status is required (last 60 hours of coursework).   
• Three letters of reference that address your academic ability and teaching potential are required.

Accelerated BA-MA

• Virginia Tech students may be considered for dual status admission during the last semester of undergraduate coursework. Students beginning the graduate program in the spring semester as dual status or regular status will normally complete the program in a fifth year following graduation from undergraduate programs. If space permits, students may be admitted in the summer for a 15-month program or in the fall for a two-year program. Application deadline is September 20 for spring/summer admission and February 20 for summer (if space permits) or fall admissions for the 2 year program. Acceptance to this program is competitive upon receiving applications; eligible applicants will be called for an interview. Learn More about accelerated B.A.-M.A.

Dual History (M.A.) and History and Social Science Education (M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction)

• Students interested in teaching should consider dual enrollment in the M.A. in History concurrently with the M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction. You can earn two masters in just three years.

Official Transcripts

Include a scanned copy of your transcripts with your online application, then arrange for an official copy to be sent to both Graduate Admissions and School of Education after you receive an offer of admission.

Department Graduate Testing Requirements

GRE is not required for History and Social Science Education (M.A.Ed.  in Curriculum and Instructions) 

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation are required for History and Social Science Education (M.A.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction). You can include references/recommendations email addresses in your online application, or have them send paper copies directly to department.

Academic and Professional Goals

Applicants are asked to provide a 1 - 2 page, double-spaced personal statement which includes the following:

• Why do you want to undertake graduate work?
• Why do you qualify to pursue a graduate degree at Virginia Tech?
• What do you expect to derive from your program of study?
• If you have a concentration or area of interest in mind, briefly outline your interests in this area.
• What do you expect to contribute as a student and subsequently as a member of the profession?
• If you have not previously indicated in your application the names of faculty members you are interested in working with, please include that information in this statement.

Curriculum Vitae/Resume

Attach your Curriculum Vitae/Resume

Applying as an International Student

International students might be required to submit TOEFL scores, immigration documents, and other additional materials with their application.

We require a minimum TOEFL score of 90 (IBT) or IELTS score of 6.5 for admission. Test scores should be sent to us using ETS institution code 5859.

Any Additional Information/Supporting Material

Applicants are welcome to submit any additional information with application material that would be useful in evaluation of your application.

Financial Matters

How much is tuition?

Tuition varies based on in-state or out-of-state status and whether or not you are a teacher. Virtual Campus students do not have to pay activity fees, only a technology fee. Graduate tuitions and fees are listed at http://www.bursar.vt.edu. Our campus is considered Virtual.

For Virginia School Personnel, please scroll down to the bottom of page.

For questions regarding tuition and fees, please contact the Bursar's Office at bursar@vt.edu.

Completed forms for the K-12 Employee Reduced Tuition should be mailed or faxed to Graduate School at the following address:

Graduate School

Graduate Life Center

Virginia Tech (0325)

Blacksburg, VA 24061

Fax: 540-231-2039

Graduate Assistantships at Blacksburg Campus Only

A question on the application for graduate admission asks whether you want to be considered for a teaching assistantship. Check yes. Please note that Indicating that you wish to be considered for an assistantship does not mean that you will be offered one, only that you wish to be considered for one, if available.

What about financial aid?

There is a discount for in-state K-12 teachers; use this application form in order to receive the reduced costs. Otherwise, as with on-campus students, we refer you to the VT Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid for information on financial assistance.

Learn more about other available funding opportunities

Application Fees

Degree-seeking students must include a $75 fee with their application, though check to see if you qualify for a waiver or reduced fee.

To apply to the graduate program, students must submit the Virginia Tech Graduate School online application. 

Include a scanned copy of your college transcripts with your online application, then arrange for an official copy to be sent to us after you receive an offer of admission.

The official transcripts showing degree conferral should be sent directly from your institution(s) to Graduate Admissions and School of Education:

_{To,
Virginia Tech Graduate Admissions
120 Graduate Life Center at Donaldson Brown (Mail Code 0325)
155 Otey Street NW
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061}

_{and To,
Office of Academic Programs 
School of Education
402 Wallace Hall (0565)
295 West Campus Drive
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061}

 Send official scores to Virginia Tech Graduate School, code 5859.

There is a discount for in-state K-12 teachers; use this application form in order to receive the reduced costs. Otherwise, as with on-campus students, we refer you to the VT Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid for information on financial assistance. Generally, distance learners may qualify for federal loans if they take 5 or more credit hours per semester.

Find out what loans are available as a graduate student and other opportunities.

The Graduate School sends an official offer of admission to applicants upon the recommendation of the department faculty. Admitted applicants who are offered graduate assistantships at Virginia Tech are not required to make a decision to commit to the assistantship offer until April 15. See the assistantships page for more details.