How To Apply to the Master's Degree Program

Please read the following information very carefully.

Admission Dates

STEP=UP Master's Degree Program students benefit from a wealth of opportunities and experiences that are designed to help prepare them for careers in special education. These experiences are carefully arranged by STEP=UP faculty and staff.

In order to make this program of enrichment activities possible, STEP=UP students are only admitted as cohorts. The next cohort will be admitted to begin the program in the Spring of 2008. This will be the last STEP=UP Master's Degree Program cohort.

Applications for the Spring 2008 cohort are due by no later than July 15, 2007.

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Eligibility Criteria

Applicants for the Master's Degree Program must either:

  • Have a Bachelors Degree in any area of mathematics, science (e.g., biology), English (e.g., journalism) or social sciences (e.g., history)

    • OR

  • Have or be eligible for a Type 3 or 9 Illinois teaching certificate or have a middle school endorsement

All applicants must also meet the following requirements:

  • Teach or be interested in teaching students with disabilities in 6th to 12th grades

  • Not be certified or have an endorsement in special education

  • Pass the Basic Skills Test

  • Be a US Citizen or Permanent US Resident

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How to Apply

Students can only be considered for a STEP=UP Master's Degree Program award if they have already been accepted into the Special Education Master's Degree program in the UIC College of Education. Application materials must therefore be submitted to three separate offices in order for you to be considered for the STEP=UP award program:

  • The UIC graduate school application must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions.
  • A personal statement, letters of recommendation and your scores for the Illinois Test of Basic Skills must be submitted to the College of Education
  • The STEP=UP application must be submitted to Dr. Marie Hughes at STEP=UP.

Please pay close attention to the following instructions to ensure that your application will be correctly submitted.

  1. Take and pass the Illinois Basic Skills Test: As required by The College of Education, you should have taken your Basic Skills Test on or before April 28, 2007 . This is the last test date that will get scores back before the July 15, 2007 deadline.

    If you have not taken or registered for the Basic Skills Test by this date, you may still be considered for the STEP=UP award if you register immediately for the June 23, 2007 testing date. Complete and submit all other requirements listed below and forward a copy of your June 23, 2007 testing date registration confirmation to steprecruit@yahoo.com by July 15, 2007. When you receive the scores by e-mail on July 20, 2007, please e-mail them to steprecruit@yahoo.com and send a copy to Mike Herkes (see address below) by July 30, 2007. Completed applications with Basic Skills Tests scores submitted by the deadline of July 15, 2007 will be reviewed during the first round; applications with late scores will be reviewed during the second round.

    If you previously took and passed the Basic Skills test, contact ICTS to have your score reports sent to UIC. We also recommend that you send a copy of the score report to Mike Herkes, as described above. You have five years from the date you passed the exam to complete your certification; if you graduate more than five years after taking the exam, you will need to retake it in order to be certified. If you are currently certified in Illinois in an area other than special education (e.g. Type 9, Type 4), you do not need to retake the Basic Skills test.

  2. Submit the UIC graduate school application before July 15, 2007: the following admission materials must be submitted to the address below. You can use the online application or print, fill out, and mail the paper application. With the online application, you still must mail transcripts to the address below.

    • A completed application with the appropriate non-refundable application fee. The program code in the application is 20FS0093MED. The Program of Choice is Special Education and the Specialization can be left blank.

    • Official transcripts for both your undergraduate degree and official transcripts for ALL courses taken after completion of your undergraduate degree (undergraduate and graduate courses). The department does not make exception to this requirement because of the age of the courses or degree work. Transcripts must be sent directly from the institution you attended to the Admissions Office to be considered official.

    Send these materials to:

    OFFICE OF GRADUATE ADMISSIONS
    Office of Admissions and Records - M/C 018
    University of Illinois at Chicago
    1100/1200 Student Services Building
    1200 West Harrison Street
    Chicago, IL 60607-7161

    Please contact the UIC Office of Admisssions and Records for additional information about completing the University Graduate Application.

  3. Submit the following to the College of Education before July 15, 2007:

    Send these materials to:

    Mike Herkes
    College of Education M/C 147
    University of Illinois at Chicago
    1040 West Harrison Street
    Chicago, IL 60607-7133

  4. Submit the STEP=UP award application. Download the Award Program Application (49k/MS Word).

    The application must be submitted via email by 5:00 pm, July 15, 2007 to: steprecruit@yahoo.com

    Email confirmation will be sent within 2 weeks of receipt and no later than August 6th. If you have not received confirmation by that time, it is your responsibility to email steprecruit@yahoo.com

    Hard copies of the application will NOT be accepted.

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After The Application Deadline

  • Candidates' graduate and college of education applications are reviewed.

  • Candidates meeting selection criteria will be contacted to schedule an interview and provide a writing sample.

  • Candidates recommended for admission to the special education program will receive a letter from the College and the Graduate School.

  • STEP=UP applications of candidates admitted to UIC are reviewed and notification sent out.

The Master's Degree Program applicants will be notified after October 1, 2007, as to their admission status. You will be notified by UIC if you are admitted into the graduate program. Acceptance into the graduate program does not guarantee the candidate will receive the STEP=UP award. Results of STEP=UP applications will be sent after candidates have been fully admitted into UIC.

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