Application Requirements and Information

If you are a prospective applicant to the program in International Educational Development (IED) or Comparative and International Education (CIE), please read the following ten points before contacting the Program Assistant or Faculty Program Coordinator; these points are intended to make the application process smooth for everyone involved. Please also consult the TC Office of Admissions for information on TOEFL, GRE and other requirements. With over 300 current students in our programs and hundreds of applications per year, we rely on your consideration.  If questions arise during the application process, please direct them to Teachers College Office of Admissions.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS
1. Applicants to the IED and CIE programs must indicate an area of concentration on their application form. The personal statement should speak directly to the applicant's desired program and concentration.  Please see the link "Description of the Two Programs" for a list of IED specializations and CIE disciplines. Please note that the code for IED is INTL (formerly TFZ) and the code for CIE is COMP (formerly TFI).

2. Doctoral applicants MUST have completed a Masters degree by the time of enrollment in the IED/CIE doctoral program. A social science educational background is preferred for those who wish to be considered for the Ph.D. program in CIE: for example, an applicant to the CIE program with an intended discipline in Political Science should have a signficiant academic background in Political Science, Government, International Affairs, Public Policy or a similar field.

3. Doctoral applicants must submit an academic writing sample with the application. This is usually a research paper or Masters thesis. This sample should demonstrate excellent technical writing skills, analytical skills and research aptitude and cannot be returned to the student.

4. Applicants should print or make a copy of their application for their records before submitting it on-line.

5. Meeting the final deadline is extremely important, especially for doctoral students. Please allow ample time to obtain and submit letters of recommendation, transcripts, and test scores so that the application is not held up. Admissions decisions are usually sent out by early April.  Financial aid decisions are usually sent out by May.

6. Please do not contact the Program Assistant or Faculty Program Coordinator for information or updates regarding admissions or financial decisions; all admissions decisions come from the TC Office of Admissions.

INTERVIEWING AND VISITING CAMPUS
7. It is highly recommended that applicants to either of the doctoral programs (IED/EdD or CIE/PhD) have an interview with a faculty member. To schedule an interview, please contact the IED/CIE Program Assistant at IEDCIEinfo@tc.columbia.edu. If the applicant is interviewing on campus, the Program Assistant can also possibly arrange for the applicant to sit in on a class. If it is not possible for the applicant to arrange an on-site visit to TC, a phone interview may be scheduled.

8. All applicants are encouraged to attend an Open House at TC or participate in an on-line chat for applicants. These are hosted by the TC Office of Admissions; please visit their website for more information.

9. If you are planning a visit to Teachers College to aid in your discernment process, please contact the Program Assistant at least 2-3 weeks prior to your visit. The Program Assistant may be able to arrange for you to sit in on a class during your visit. Before your visit, please read all available information on the programs and Teachers College in general. Please do not expect immediate and undivided attention if you show up to the IED/CIE programs office for a visit without having contacted the Program Assistant in advance.

RE-APPLICANTS (CURRENT TC STUDENTS)
10. If you are a current TC student applying to a degree in the IED or CIE program, you need to fill out and submit a "Re-Application" available from the TC Office of Admissions. It is highly recommended that: you do not ask to waive any part of the application; that you do have at least one letter of reference from an IED, CIE or TC professor; that you include a copy of your TC transcript; and that you meet the priority deadline and follow all other guidelines above.