Academic Catalog

Application for Admission

The IIRP Graduate School is dedicated to the graduate education of adult learners who are baccalaureate college graduates.

Our admissions criteria are based on our professional evaluation of the potential for successful graduate study of each student. Our Committee on Admission shall consider those potential students who:

• have graduated from an accredited college or university with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or better, and
• have official academic transcripts sent directly to the IIRP from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. (Note: We do not accept transcripts forwarded by the applicant. Official transcripts must be sent by the institutions directly to the IIRP. Transcripts should be mailed to: IIRP, 531 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018-5837 USA. Electronic transcripts should be emailed to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..) International credentials must be evaluated on a course-by-course basis by any organization approved by National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) and sent directly by that organization to the IIRP, and
• submit three letters of reference, along with the Graduate School Recommendation Form. These letters should be from persons who know both the character of the applicant and the ability of the applicant to be successful in demanding graduate study in our professional discipline, and
• submit a 1-2 page letter or essay describing their reasons for seeking our specialized graduate education. This essay is a reflection of scholarship and should be reviewed for spelling and grammar prior to submission, and
• submit a résumé or curriculum vitae.
• Optional: A candidate for admission may also submit qualifying test scores, either recent GRE® (code 2589), Miller Analogies Test (code 4030), PRAXIS PPST (code 2323), or PRAXIS Core (code 5751) scores.

Each student applying to our Master of Science program is given personal consideration. Candidates for admission may be asked by the Admissions Committee for a personal interview or additional supporting documents. A prospective student may be admitted unconditionally, admitted with specific conditions, or not obtain admission. The committee shall be the agency to hear any requests for special consideration for admission.

To apply for admission to the master’s program, complete the application by logging into the Student Portal.

The IIRP will readmit admitted or enrolled students who leave the IIRP to serve on active duty in the armed services with the same academic standing as when they left.

Application Requirements for International Applicants

Our Committee on Admissions shall consider those potential international students who:

• have been awarded a degree equivalent to the four-year baccalaureate degree awarded by U.S. colleges and universities with an equivalent cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or better, and
• whose transcripts and academic credentials of all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended have been evaluated on a course by course basis by any organization approved by National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) and sent directly to the IIRP: 
  531 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018-5837 U.S.A. by that organization, and
• submit three letters of reference, along with the Graduate School Recommendation Form. These letters should be from persons who know both the character of the applicant and the ability of the applicant 
  to be successful in demanding graduate study in our professional discipline, and
• submit a 1-2 page letter or essay describing your reasons for seeking our specialized graduate education. This essay is a reflection of your scholarship and should be reviewed for spelling and grammar prior to submission, and
• submit a résumé or curriculum vitae, and
• submit scores from either the Test of English as a Foreign Language TOEFL® code 2589 or scores from the International English Language Testing System IELTS. IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.
• Optional: A candidate for admission may also submit qualifying test scores, either recent GRE® (code 2589), Miller Analogies Test (code 4030), PRAXIS PPST (code 2323), or PRAXIS Core (code 5751) scores.

International applicants are exempt from the TOEFL® and IELTS™ requirement if they have received a baccalaureate or a master’s degree from a college/university/institution in any of the following: Australia, Belize, British Caribbean and British West Indies, Canada (except Quebec), England, Guyana, Republic of Ireland, Liberia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, the United States and Wales.

The scores must not be more than two years old and must be sent directly from the testing agency to the IIRP. The TOEFL® and IELTS™ cannot be utilized as a substitute for the GRE® or Miller Analogy standardized examinations.

The minimum acceptable score for the TOEFL® is 550 for the paper-based test or a composite score of 80 (see below) with a 20 on the speaking section for the Internet-based test (iBT).

The minimum IELTS score is 6.5. (General training not accepted.)

Each student applying to our Master of Science program is given personal consideration. Candidates for admission may be asked by the Admissions Committee for a personal interview or additional supporting documents. A prospective student may be admitted unconditionally, admitted with specific conditions, or not obtain admission. The committee shall be the agency to hear any requests for special consideration for admission.

Notification of Admission

Applicants will be notified whether they are admitted or not by email and with a confirming letter sent through the U.S. Postal Service. Admitted students must enroll within the academic year for which they have been admitted.

Readmission of Veterans

For veterans, the readmission of those students who have left the IIRP due to poor academic performance will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Transfer Credits

Due to the specialized nature of the Institute’s programs, transfer credits will not be accepted, with the exception of IIRP coursework offered as ORLA 5340 and taught by IIRP faculty at the Summer Principals Academy, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York.

Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces may have transfer credits reviewed without guarantee of acceptance of such.