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College of Education
Adult, Professional, and Community Education Doctoral Program

Admission Policies

Announcements:

Priority admissions: Applications accepted until February 1.
Standard admissions: Applications accepted until August 1.

APCE Doctoral Program has extended applications to April 1st 2026. 

Important: Priority deadline represents the day an application must be complete in order to be considered for certain types of funding (scholarships, assistantships or fellowships) or to be given priority consideration.

Applications submitted after the priority deadline may be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis, with no guarantees for admission consideration. 

Application Overview

This section provides a brief overview of the admissions process, with links to detailed descriptions of program information, admissions requirements, and procedures.
  • Review the requirements for program admissions, and application procedures.
  • The Ph.D. selection committee screens applications using the published Ph.D. Admissions Criteria and selects those to be interviewed. All applicants, including those not selected for an interview, will be notified in writing of their status. 

General Admission Policies

The requirements set forth on the following pages are the minimum for admission to the Graduate College at the doctoral level. Meeting these requirements does not necessarily ensure acceptance into a doctoral program. Applicants must receive departmental recommendation for admission after the application files are completed in the Office of the Graduate College. The Dean of the Graduate College grants final admission approval. The university reserves the right to deny admission to any prospective or former students who have criminal records, including any conviction of a felony, offenses involving moral turpitude, or other offenses of a serious nature.

Application Deadline

Students who hold acceptable master's degrees from accredited colleges or universities in education or in related fields must submit applications to the Office of the Graduate College if they wish to pursue a Ph.D. degree at TX STATE. Students are admitted to the Ph.D. in Adult, Professional, and Community Education program only in the fall semester; therefore, all application materials must be submitted to the Office of the Graduate College by the designated deadline. See the program and Graduate College websites for current deadlines.

Minimum Requirements for Admission

Students will be admitted once each year into a cohort that begins in the fall semester. Students in a given cohort (including full-time and part-time students) will enroll together in each core course, and both beginning research courses. Students in a given cohort (including full-time and part-time students) who choose the same concentration will also typically enroll together in each course in the major. The cohort concept will not apply to elective, intermediate research, and dissertation courses. Individuals applying to this program should have current or past experience in educational roles, although this experience may encompass a broad range of settings, including schools, colleges and universities, business and industry, government, health and human service agencies, and community-based organizations. 
The Application Process
 
The following items are submitted directly to the Graduate College. 
  • Completed Texas State Graduate College application.
  • Copies of transcripts from any 4-year college or university attended, including evidence of a master’s degree from an accredited university, can be uploaded into the application system. Transcripts are not necessary if the master’s degree was earned at Texas State. If accepted into the program, official transcripts from the previous universities will need to be submitted.
  • An application fee.
  • TOEFL score for students from countries where English is not the first language.
  • An essay of approximately 500 words that describes the applicant’s background and professional goals including his or her rationale for pursuing a doctoral degree.
  • A current resume.
  • Name and contact information for 3 references. The Graduate College will email submission instructions to each reference.
  • Applications received for February 1, 2027 and beyond will require only two references.

The Ph.D. Teaching Faculty Committee will consider the following factors in deciding whether to admit an applicant to the program; strengths in one area may offset shortcomings in another:

  • Evidence of a completed master's degree from an accredited university in an area related to proposed studies, with a a competitive grade point average for courses applied to the master's degree.
  • Demonstration of interest in a career as an educator and potential to contribute to the advancement of education through professional leadership, as indicated by:
    • Review of an essay of approximately 500 words in length describing the applicant’s background and professional goals. This should include the rationale for pursuing a doctoral degree.
    • An interview with program faculty.

Review of reference forms, addressing the applicant’s professional and academic background.