Program Eligibility

CTE M.Ed. applicants need to have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited university and while not required, it is highly recommended to have experience teaching career and technical education subjects in K-12 , post-secondary, or other non-formal education settings (outreach/extension/non-profit). There is no admission test for this program.

All M.S. applicants are required to:

• have a related bachelor's degree from an accredited college.
  •  Preferred-degree in one of the following areas
    • Agriculture; (i.e., Agricultural Communications, Agricultural Education, Agricultural Literacy, Agricultural Systems, Animal Science, Entomology, Equine Science, Food Science, Horticulture, Natural Resources, or Plant Science);
    • Family and Consumer Sciences (i.e., Family and Consumer Sciences Education, Financial Literacy, Textile Science, Family, Nutrition, Dietetics, or Community Education);
    • Sustainability/Climate Science; or
    • Technology and Engineering (i.e., Technology and Engineering Education, Technology Systems, Engineering Technology, Integrative STEM, Manufacturing, or Product Development).

CTE Ph.D. 

• applicants have completed a master's degree from an accredited college.
  • preferred-degree in one of the following areas
    • Career and technical education area
    • Higher Education and Administration
    • Business Administration
    • Workforce Development
    • Extension and Outreach.
• show evidence of adequate writing ability by submitting one of the following:
  • Thesis
  • Writing sample and an explanation of your contribution to the writing sample. An adequate writing sample could include:
  • Peer reviewed academic article or abstract (published)
  • Grant submission
  • White paper
  • Research paper for job or class
• preferred-two years of experience in K-12, post-secondary, or other nonformal education settings.

Students wishing to go from their bachelor's degree to a Ph.D. need to contact graduate program director Dr. Michael Pate.

There can be a maximum of 9 concurrent credits shared between the two degrees. A student could thus complete the requirements for both degrees with up to 9 fewer semester credits than the usual minimum totals for two degrees.

Concurrent credits will not be applied towards both degrees, per university policy. Thus, the first degree will be awarded at the minimum credit requirement. The second degree will reflect the credit overlap and not include the shared coursework on the Program of Study.

Students in the bachelor's to Ph.D. option will be required to complete a minimum of 81 credits, including 18 credits of dissertation. Prior to taking their Qualifying and Oral Exam, students will need to have submitted at least two publications for peer review.

Additional Application Information

Applications must be completed and submitted to the School of Graduate Studies. Meeting the eligibility and minimum admission requirements does not guarantee acceptance. Complete the admissions application form and pay the application fee through the School of Graduate Studies website. The application package you submit to the School of Graduate Studies for department consideration will require:

1. Three email addresses of individuals who will complete a letter of recommendation for you. Once you have completed the online application and paid the application fee, the School of Graduate Studies will send a link to a form via email to the e-mail addresses you have provided. Recommendation forms will be completed online and submitted electronically.
2. Your unofficial transcript(s) from each previously attended college and/or university(if your prior transcript(s) are from USU, you do not need to include these). Admission requires a minimum 3.0 GPA for the last 90 quarter or 60 semester credits earned. An official transcript will be required by the second semester to verify all degrees earned from each school previously attended.
3. A statement of purpose explaining who you are and what you would like to achieve by earning a graduate degree from the ASTE Department. Please respond to all of the following prompts. Your statement of purpose should be no longer than 3 single-spaced pages.

• Background. Introduce yourself and explain what led you to apply to the ASTE graduate program. What are your career or life goals? How does a graduate degree help you in achieving your career or life goals?
• Academic Potential. How have your past academic experiences prepared you for graduate school? How would you describe your approach to learning? What prior experiences do you have with research and writing? What initial ideas do you have for your research if you are earning the MS or CTE PhD?
• Experience. How has your professional work experience prepared you to pursue a graduate degree? If you have no professional work experience, what other experiences have prepared you to pursue a graduate degree? How do you approach adversity and stay committed to your goals?
• Fit. Why is the ASTE Department’s graduate degree right for you? After reviewing our faculty profiles which of our faculty have the expertise which aligns with your interests? Have you met with them?

    4. A current resume or vita.

To check the status of your application you may login with your ID and PIN on the School of Graduate Studies website. You can then open your application checklist and view its current status. If there is a date next to the application item required, the School of Graduate Studies has received it.

Additional questions concerning transfer credits, continuous registration fees, time limits, etc., may be answered under the Graduate General Regulations or under Graduate Degree Requirements in the General Catalog. Application deadlines are noted on each degree webpage.