Ed.M. and Ed.L.D. Application & Requirements

Your statement should be your own original work and may not be written, in part or in whole, by a third party. International applicants must write their statement in English; the use of translators is not permitted. The admissions committee will carefully consider both the content and the writing in its assessment of your candidacy for graduate study at HGSE.

Tips and FAQs about your statement of purpose.

The length and format of your résumé or C.V. is up to your discretion.

Applicants are required to identify three individuals to submit letters of recommendation. Recommenders will receive instructions to submit their letters via our online application system. Please think carefully and thoughtfully about who you would like to serve as your recommenders before adding them to your application, as we are unable to facilitate changing recommenders once you have entered them in the Recommendations section of your application.

You cannot be involved in any way in the drafting or writing of your recommendation letter nor can you help your recommender submit your own letter. The HGSE Admissions Office may follow up with recommenders as needed for additional information.

Letters of recommendation FAQs.

The GRE test is optional for Ed.M. and Ed.L.D. applicants. The information below applies to students who opt to include scores with their application.

GRE scores are valid and reportable within a five-year period from the original test date. The test must have been taken on or after January 1, 2020, if you are applying for enrollment in the 2025-2026 academic year. If your scores are no longer reportable/expired, you will need to submit new GRE results.

HGSE’s degree programs require meaningful engagement in classroom discussions and and interactions with peers, faculty, and staff. English is the only language of instruction at HGSE, and proficiency in spoken English is essential to student success.  

Video Response
To better understand your ability to convey information clearly and concisely, we ask all non-native English speakers to record a 120-second video essay addressing an education-related question. The specific question will be provided in the “Video Response” section of the application. 

TOEFL or IELTS
Applicants whose native language is not English and whose bachelor's degree is not from a college or university where English is the sole language of instruction are required to submit the results of either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam. You are exempt from this requirement only if you have earned a bachelor's degree from an institution at which English was the sole language of instruction and you completed at least 3 years of full-time enrollment at the institution.

Tests must have been taken on or after January 1, 2023, if you are applying for enrollment in the 2025-2026 academic year.  

Note: The video response is a separate requirement from TOELF or IELTS scores. If you are required to submit the TOEFL or IELTS, you will also be required to submit a video response. 

You are required to upload transcripts from each postsecondary institution that you have attended showing all undergraduate and graduate work (including non-degree classes) in the Academics section of the application.

At this stage of the application process, you may upload unofficial or student copies. All transcripts should show courses completed, grades received, duration of study, and degree or diploma received, if applicable.

Please keep in mind that you will need to provide official transcripts (and translations, if applicable) for verification, should you be admitted. HGSE reserves the right to withdraw an admissions offer if there is a discrepancy between the uploaded version and the official original transcript and/or the official translation.

You must submit your $85 application fee when applying to an Ed.M. program or Ed.L.D. using a Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. The application fee is nonrefundable. 

Fee Waivers

Written fee waiver requests will be considered if they are accompanied by documentation of need. Fee waivers are subject to approval by the Admissions Office. The fee waiver request form is located within the online application. 

All Ed.M. applications are required to respond to the following prompt (250 words):

The mission of the Harvard Graduate School of Education is to prepare educators, leaders, and innovators who will transform the world by expanding opportunities and improving outcomes for learners everywhere. We invite you to share how you will contribute to the diverse and vibrant HGSE community and help advance this mission. In your response, please reflect on your background, including social and cultural experiences, leadership roles, community engagement, equity and inclusion efforts, and/or any challenges you have faced. 

Short Essay prompt (750 words)

Describe a system-level strategy that could radically improve the United States PreK-12 education system and explain why you think this strategy would have a meaningful impact. 

Interviews

Once all applications have been reviewed, HGSE will invite selected Ed.L.D. applicants for required virtual interviews (both individual and group) with members of the admissions committee. These virtual interviews will take place in February.

Ed.M. Referral

It is not possible to submit multiple HGSE applications for the same academic year. Ed.L.D. applicants who wish to be considered for admission to an Ed.M. program, should they not be admitted to the program to which they applied, must indicate their interest in an Ed.M. referral on their online application. They will be required to select a specific Ed.M. program (and strand, if applicable) and provide a statement regarding their referral interest.

In the Education Leadership, Organizations, and Entrepreneurship Program, some students seek, but are not required, to pursue the School Leadership Pathway or Principal Licensure. Applicants interested in the School Leadership Pathway must submit an employment verification form on school letterhead verifying your employment. This form should include the school(s) where you were employed as a full-time teacher for at least one year under your teaching license, if applicable, and include the dates of employment.

Principal Licensure only

• A photocopy of your teaching license if you have a teaching license (can be expired).
• Teaching experience must be in the state in which you hold the license. (If you are not currently working as a teacher, you will still need to complete the form confirming your teaching experience.)
• To assist you, we will provide a template of the form that both HGSE and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will accept to document experience. Both the copy of your teaching license and your employment verification form should be uploaded in the Additional Materials section of the online application.

Counseling licensure applicants are required to respond to the following prompt with a short essay (500 words):

A significant component of the School Counseling Licensure Pathway is a supervised practicum in a K-12 school where you will directly engage with students. Describe your interest in school counseling, your preparedness to pursue this curricular pathway, and your ideas for maximizing the practicum experience. 

Application Deadline: November 1, 2024

Video Response
As part of TTL’s practice-based program, all Teaching Licensure Strand students will participate in a residency hiring or intern matching process with K-12 school sites. To better understand your ability to convey information in a clear and concise manner, mindful of diverse learning needs, we ask all applicants to submit a 120-second video essay addressing an education-related question. The specific question will be provided in the “Video Response” section of the application. 

Subject Matter Knowledge
The application includes a template for you to list all post-secondary courses you have taken relevant to your intended subject area and AP credits you have earned that address each particular topic. You should also list any courses that you have taken/are taking during the fall of 2024 or intend to take in the spring of 2025.

The licensure subject areas are:

• Biology 
• Chemistry 
• English 
• General Science 
• History
• Mathematics

You must submit both an updated statement of purpose and resume.

You must submit at least one new letter of recommendation. This can be updated from a previous recommender or a new letter from a new recommender. (You may submit all new letters up to a maximum of three letters.)

 Describe a system-level strategy that could radically improve the United States PreK-12 education system and explain why you think this strategy would have a meaningful impact. 

For Ed.M. and Ed.L.D. reapplicants who choose to submit GRE scores, the test must have been taken on or after January 1, 2020, if you are applying for enrollment in the 2025-2026 academic year. 

Unofficial transcripts do not need to be resubmitted during the application process unless new courses were taken or a new degree program was completed. 

You must submit your $85 application fee when applying to an Ed.M. program. or Ed.L.D. using a Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. The application fee is nonrefundable.