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Holy Family

Admissions Process for Doctoral Studies

Applicants for admission to the Doctor of Education program are expected to demonstrate strong academic skills and a deep commitment to improving the educational experiences and services available to students within their fields of interest. Successful applicants may concentrate their studies in Literacy, Educational Leadership, with the option to quality for state certification as school principals or superintendents or Professional Studies such as Special Education. Successful applicants are expected to have an earned master’s degree from an accredited institution in the field of Education or related area. Applicants without sufficient academic background in Educational Leadership or Literacy may be considered for admission to the program, but they may be required to enroll in prerequisite foundational course work.

Applicants are accepted to begin their doctoral studies each Fall semester. The deadline for applications is April 15. To be considered for admissions to the doctoral program, candidates need to submit the following materials to the Graduate Admissions Office:

  • A formal application for admission to the doctoral program along with a $100 non-refundable application fee. To request an application, e-mail gradstudy@holyfamily.edu
  • A personal essay which discusses the applicant’s academic and professional goals and the role that the doctoral program at Holy Family will play in the achievement of these goals (1500 word maximum)
  • Candidates interested in the superintendency concentration must also submit a second essay that discusses how superintendents shape the learning of students, teachers, staff, and leaders in schools (essay should be minimum five pages of double-spaced text)
  • Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts of all previous and current college-level and graduate-level coursework
  • Copies of all certification documents
  • Three letters of recommendation from professionals familiar with the applicant’s academic or work experience

    For those candidates wanting to pursue the superintendency concentration, one of the three recommendation letters must be from the superintendent of the school district where they are currently employed

  • Recent scores (within the last five years) from either the GRE or MAT
  • Current resume that includes all professional experiences, certifications, professional memberships, and professional activities
  • Sample of written papers completed during the master’s program. Such papers can be the master’s thesis or two copies of papers completed in graduate course work or journal articles where the applicant serves as the main author
  • Current clearances as required by the State of Pennsylvania (child abuse, state criminal background, FBI fingerprinting and completed Arrest/Conviction Report and Certification Form). The clearances may not be more than one year old. These clearances need to be submitted once a candidate is accepted into the degree program and prior to their registration for Fall semester courses.

Applicants whose primary language is not English must submit a current score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) of at least 600 (written) or 250 for the computer-based test. Additionally, international students are required to provide evidence of immunization against measles, mumps, and rubella as well as evidence of the ability to provide medical insurance coverage during their proposed stay in the United States. Such applicants are further required to submit all application materials, including transcripts, diplomas, certificates, etc., translated into English. Such applicants must arrange with World Education Services to have a document-by-document review of their educational credentials, which includes a course-by-course evaluation. World Education Services must confirm that the applicant’s undergraduate experience is the equivalent of four years of undergraduate study at an accredited United States college or university, culminating in the bachelor’s degree and master’s degree. Finally, international students are required to certify that sufficient funds to support their academic and personal living expenses are available during their stay in the United States.

International graduate students are eligible to seek admission to study full-time at Holy Family University under the Exchange Visitor Program sponsored by the United States Department of State whereby eligible foreign nationals can be sponsored for a J-1 Visa by Holy Family University. International graduate degree students applying for Exchange Visitor Program J-1 Visa option must meet the required admission standards described herein for the graduate degree program of interest. For more information, please refer to the University Services section of this catalog.