Applying for Graduate Studies

Masters Degree Candidates | Certificate and Advanced Professional Course Clusters | Non-Matriculated Students

Thank you for your interest in one of our graduate programs. Below you will find information regarding our application instructions for all of our offerings at the graduate level. If you have questions about any of these requirements or how you might fulfill them please do not hesitate to contact us at graduate@wheelock.edu or 617-879-2206.

Our application instructions relate to the level at which you wish to pursue graduate studies. Please use the navigation links above to review the instructions that pertain to you and the degree or program which you wish to pursue. We have also included instructions for students who simply wish to take a course as a non-matriculated student.

International students are asked to submit additional materials as part of the application process. Please follow this link for more information.

Masters Degree Candidates

(Domestic Students Only)

1. Wheelock Graduate Application and Fee – To apply online visit https://apply.wheelock.edu/gradapply.asp. We ask that all students adhere to our priority deadlines.

   For those students applying via the paper application, a $40 application fee, payable to Wheelock College by check or money order, is required and must be sent to the Office of Graduate Admissions. This fee is not refundable. According to current college policy, any check returned to the college as non-negotiable will subject the applicant to an additional fee. Submission of the online application will waive the application fee.

2. Essay – Please submit a 3-5 page essay describing why you would like to attend Wheelock College as a graduate student. Your essay should include information on which degree program you would like to pursue, how you became interested in this field of work, and why you feel Wheelock College, with its mission to improve the lives of children and families, would be the ideal place for you to continue your education. You are also encouraged to describe the strengths that you bring to your chosen field and the professional challenges that you will face.

   Applicants are welcome to submit additional materials they feel may give the Admissions Committee a broader view of their achievements. Supplemental essays regarding poor performance in undergraduate coursework may also be appropriate. Please contact an admission counselor if you have questions.

3. Letters of Reference – Three (3) letters of reference are required. One should be of an academic nature from a faculty member who is familiar with the applicant’s academic work (e.g., a former professor or instructor of the applicant). The second reference should be from an individual who can discuss the applicant’s work or relevant experience. The third letter may be either academic or professional at the applicant’s discretion. References from family members and/or friends are not acceptable. Please note that additional letters of reference may be requested at the discretion of the Admission Committee.
   
   All references must arrive in unopened envelopes with the evaluator’s signature across the flap. While a student’s recommender may draft a letter on his or her own letterhead we do require that the Reference Form be submitted as well with the student’s signature as well as the recommender’s information. Please make sure that information regarding the confidentiality of the letter is appropriately marked on this form.
   
   **Applicants to the Child Life and Family Centered Care program are highly encouraged to provide a reference from the Child Life Specialist under whom they completed their 100 hours of volunteer work.
   
   **Applicants to the Social Work: Advanced Standing program must have a reference from their field liaison, field instructor or director of the BSW program from which they graduated.
   
   

   Download the Reference Form.

4. Academic Records (transcripts) – Students applying for admission to a graduate program at Wheelock College must hold a Baccalaureate Degree from an accredited institution. Degree-seeking applicants must present official transcripts from each junior college, college, and university (including Wheelock College, if applicable) at which the applicant was granted a degree.
   
   Applicants should contact the Registrar of each school attended, requesting that an official transcript be sent either to the student or to the Office of Graduate Admissions directly. If the student chooses to submit the transcripts, they must be sent in their original sealed envelopes. Any applicant still taking courses or completing a program at the time of application may be eligible for conditional acceptance and must submit a follow-up transcript showing final grades and degree subsequently obtained. Additional transcripts regarding transferred course work may be requested at the discretion of the Admission Committee.

5. Resume - Work experience and career progression are important and will be considered by the Admissions Committee. Resumes should be submitted in a professional format and include: contact information, educational background, work experience, and skills.

6. Interview – Not all degree programs require an interview. However, application interviews are required for the Child Life and Family Centered Care, Elementary Education, Leadership and Administration, and Special Education degree programs. The Admissions Committee also may request an evaluative phone or personal interview with an applicant to further discuss the applicant’s academic and professional goals. Students applying to other programs may request an evaluative interview. All students are welcome to meet informally with members of the admission staff and faculty. In each case, unless the student is initiating the request for an interview, the Admissions Committee will contact the applicant directly.

7. MTEL/Initial Licensure Information for some Education Applicants - information for Professional Licensure Candidates Only – Some licensure only programs require the submission of MTEL scores. Students will be notified of any requirements during the application process. Students applying for a masters degree program which will allow them to be eligible for professional licensure must submit copies of their initial licensure documentation. For more information please contact the Office of Graduate Admissions.

8. Child Life and Family Centered Care Applicants – Students applying to this program must submit documentation of 100 hours of volunteer work completed under the supervision of a Child Life specialist. (Most often these hours are completed in a hospital setting.  If you have any questions please contact us at graduate@wheelock.edu or (617) 879-2206) Students must have completed at least 50 of these hours at the time of application.
   
   Download the 100 Hour Volunteer Form.

All applications materials once submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions become the property of Wheelock College. Incomplete applications as well as applications for students who have been admitted and do not register or who have been denied will be kept on file for one year from the time of application or admission decision. After this period they will be destroyed.