Admission & Application Requirements

• Endorsement(s) Selection
  • The application will ask you to select the endorsement(s) in the subject areas in which you plan to teach. We recommend you limit your choice up to two, though three may be possible if they are all closely related.
    • You can change your endorsement(s) selection before the program begins; connect with the School of Education Dean, Mary Jo Larsen.
  • Washington State requires one or more endorsements for the Residency Teacher Certificate.
    • To earn an endorsement at PLU, you must have taken background coursework in the subject and pass the required content test(s) through the WEST-E (Washington Educator Skills Test – Endorsement) or the NES (National Evaluation Series) by June 1 of the year your program starts.
    • See additional details and a full list of available endorsements on the Endorsement Preparation Section.
• Transcripts from ALL colleges/universities you’ve attended
  • You may upload official OR unofficial transcripts to the application, or send them to gradadmission@plu.edu.
    • If you are a PLU student or alum, you do not need to submit your PLU transcripts.
  • Note: While we will accept unofficial transcripts at the application stage for domestic students, you must submit official transcripts from all colleges/universities before you enroll in a PLU graduate program.
  • If you are an international applicant, you must submit official transcripts with the credential evaluation. See the International Applicants section for more information.
• Personal Statement
  • In an essay of 500-750 words, please respond to the following questions:
    1. Share with us why you want to be a teacher and what you hope to accomplish as a teacher.
    2. What do you want to teach and why?
    3. When you picture yourself teaching in one to two years, what do you see? Provide a detailed description of what students are doing and what you are doing. 
  • Upload your application essay via the application portal.
• Recommendations
  • Identify two references on your application.
    • One reference should speak specifically to your experience working with young people.
    • Another reference should be specific to your commitment to the academics of the program, preferably from a professor/instructor. (For Alternative Routes applicants, or if you are working for a school district, the second reference can be a letter of support from the principal or human resources of your building/district ensuring that you can meet the student teaching requirements.)
  • Your references will receive an email invitation with instructions for completing the reference electronically.
• Resume: Upload resume via the application portal that includes your:
  • Employment history
  • Significant academic, professional and community achievements
  • Honors and awards
• Application Fee
  • Pay the non-refundable $65 application fee.
  • Note: The application fee is waived for all current PLU students and alumni.

If you need to submit additional documents after submitting the online application, you can email them to gradadmission@plu.edu.

• For Washington state teacher certification, you must take the Washington Educator Skills Test–Basic® (WEST–B®) in Reading, Writing and Mathematics and achieve a 240 reference score in each.
  • Official SAT or ACT scores may be substituted (SAT: Reading 500, Math 515, Writing 490. ACT: Reading 22, Math 22, Writing 8)
  • The Washington State Professional Education Standards Board has additional WEST-B exemptions and equivalent assessments information here.
• When you test, arrange to send your results to PLU (PLU’s code is 225)
• You do not need to take the WEST-B before you apply to the PLU MAE program, but must have it complete by June 1 of the year your program starts.
• The Washington State Educator Skills Tests website has helpful resources for test-taking strategies as well as preparation materials.

If you are an international student, you must submit official transcripts (with a credential evaluation), proof of your bachelor’s degree completion, and provide proof of university-level English language proficiency. We strongly recommended you submit your application at least TWO months prior to your intended start term to allow enough time for the issuance of the I-20 and the student visa application.

• Official Transcripts & Credential Evaluation
  • You must submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. International transcripts must be translated to English, and must be submitted for international credential evaluation by any organization on the AICE list or NACES list before being sent to PLU.
  • SpanTran is listed as a NACES-approved international credential evaluator and has created a custom application for PLU that will make sure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate. You can access their application here: SpanTran Application – Pacific Lutheran University.
• Degree Diploma
  • You must provide official proof of your bachelor’s degree completion. You can email a copy to gradadmission@plu.edu.
• Proof of University-Level English Proficiency
  • Proficiency in English is required for graduate study at PLU. Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate English language proficiency.
  • For the MAE, proficiency can be demonstrated by the official score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Duolingo, or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS):
    • MAE Non-Certification Program:
      • Minimum TOEFL-iBT score: 88
      • Minimum Duolingo score: 120
      • Minimum IELTS score: 6.5
    • MAE with Certification (Residency & Alternative Routes)
      • Minimum TOEFL-iBT score: 80
      • Minimum Duolingo score: 120
      • Minimum IELTS score: 6.5
  • The English proficiency requirement can also be met if applicants have completed one of the following:
    • A bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from a regionally-accredited institution in the United States.
    • A baccalaureate degree or higher from a recognized college or university in an English-speaking country or region, including Australia, Canada (other than Quebec), Great Britain, Ireland, or New Zealand.
    • Both primary and secondary education in an English-speaking country or region, including Australia, Canada (other than Quebec), Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, or the United States. Students are considered to be a native English speaker.
    • A recognized Intensive English Program (IEP) in the United States and received an English proficiency level equivalent to the required minimum TOEFL/Duolingo/IELTS scores of the applied program.
    • Other waiver conditions may be allowed subject to the determination of the MAE program.
• I-20 Processing
  • An I-20 form (Certificate of Eligibility for Non-immigrant Student Status) will be issued only after the student has been admitted and paid the non-refundable $300.00 enrollment deposit and has returned all required acceptance forms. The I-20 form should be taken to the U.S. Consulate when requesting a visa to come to the United States for a graduate program.
  • The following items are not required for the application to be considered for admission, but are required prior to issuance of an I-20. To expedite admission processing, applicants should consider submitting the following with application documents:
    • Declaration of Finances form, including proof of financial support. Certification of finances from banks or embassies is permissible.
    • Copy of passport picture page
    • Address and associated phone number to which to send the I-20 via courier service