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Graduate Admissions

As you prepare to submit your School of Education application, be sure to review the application deadlines and application steps below. In addition to the general steps, there are specific admissions requirements for individual programs.

Application Deadlines

Please note the following application deadlines, dependent on which semester you want to start your program at the School of Education. Meeting our Early Action Deadline will help you qualify for School of Education department scholarships, and likely more financial aid. If you miss a deadline, please start your application and contact us right away, and we can assist you on a case-by-case basis.

SemesterDeadlines
SummerApril 1
FallMay 1 — Early Action Deadline
July 1 — Regular Deadline

International Students:
  • June 1 — On Campus
  • July 1 — Online/Hybrid
SpringOctober 1 — Early Action Deadline
November 1 — Regular Deadline

International Students:
  • October 1 — On Campus
  • October 1 — Online/Hybrid

General Steps to Apply

  1. Apply Online

    An application fee of $65 (non-refundable) must accompany your application.

  2. Complete supplemental application materials

    Log in to your application portal and click on supplemental application items to track your application progress. Via the portal you can:

    • Send out Recommendation Forms (two recommendations required, including pastoral)
    • Track Transcripts
    • Upload Essays & Other Items
  3. Faculty Interview

    After your application and all supplemental application requirements are submitted and approved, you will have an in-person or phone/video interview (if long distance or online) with a School of Education faculty member.

  4. Complete program-specific admissions requirements

    Check the program-specific admissions requirements page for requirement details.

  5. Verify English proficiency (for non-native English speakers or international students)

    The School of Education requires all students whose first language is not English to provide proof of English proficiency. Ways to provide proof of English proficiency include one of the following:

    1. Meet minimum TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo test score (TOEFL iBT: 100, IELTS: 7.5, Duolingo 120). Due to limited testing availability during the Covid-19 season, Biola is currently accepting Duolingo test scores as an alternative to TOEFL or IELTS scores. Submitting Duolingo scores may also result in a brief internal English proficiency assessment as part of the admissions process.

    2. Have earned a degree (bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral) issued by an institution where English is the sole medium of instruction. On-campus residence during the degree program is required. Regional accreditation or its educational equivalent is required from U.S. institutions. To verify that English is the sole medium of instruction, one of the following forms of documentation is required for institutions outside of the United States:

      • Official written communication from the institution (Registrar, Controller of Examinations Office, or Undergraduate College)

      • Official degree statements or transcripts may be accepted given English is stated as the medium of instruction

      • Official catalog verification

      • For universities from non-Anglophone countries, further language assessment may be required.

    3. Successfully complete Biola’s English Language Scholars (ELS) with a passing status on the ELS final exit exam, which must be approved by the ELS Director in collaboration with the academic program committee. An updated TOEFL or IELTS score may be used at the end of the term to test directly into the graduate program for the following term. Please note that ELS is only available on campus. 

    4. Qualify for English Language Scholars, which allows students who do not meet the minimum TOEFL or IELTS scores to still enroll in their graduate degree program. Students would be taking academic English courses concurrently with the graduate degree program courses.

      Students eligible for English Language Scholars will be assessed by the English Language Scholars Director to determine the total number of academic English courses to take while enrolled in their graduate program courses. The following are the scores needed to qualify for English Language Scholars:

      • The English Language Scholars qualification is TOEFL iBT 90/IELTS 7.0

      • NOTE: Students must be admitted to the graduate program first to be considered for English Language Scholars. Also, if you will be a fully online student, please be aware the English Language Scholars may not be an option. Please consult with your admissions counselor.