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Dear Prospective Applicant,

Thank you for your interest in applying to the Learning and Leadership Doctoral Programs

(Ed.D./Ph.D.) at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. For program information, please

visit the program website (link: Learning and Leadership Doctoral Programs).

We request that you review the following instructions carefully in their entirety before starting

your application. The preferred web browsers to complete the application process are Google

Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Application files must be completed by February 26, 2021 in order

to be considered for Summer 2021 admission. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test requirement will be waived for Summer 2021

applicants.

If you have questions regarding admission requirements or the application process, please

contact the Graduate School Program Liaison, Mr. Mark Fairchild, at Mark-Fairchild@utc.edu.

If you have questions regarding program delivery, please contact the LEAD Program Office at

utclead@utc.edu.

We look forward to receiving your application materials and extend our best wishes as you take

this important step toward enhancing your professional career.

Sincerely,

David W. Rausch, Ph.D. Elizabeth K. Crawford, Ed.D.

Professor and Program Director Professor and Program Advisor

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Overview of the Application Process

Summer 2021

Application Deadline: February 26, 2021

Minimum qualifications include:

Master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or foreign equivalent

Cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on all prior graduate work

A minimum of two years of professional experience, preferably in a leadership role

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test (taken within five years of

application) – waived for Summer 2021 applicants

Application Sequence:

1) Submit Graduate School Application (Summer 2021) and the non-refundable application

fee (first time UTC graduate students only) – completed online.

2) Submit Learning and Leadership Program Application (Summer 2021) – completed

online.

3) Request transcripts be sent from all previously attended institutions to UTC Graduate

School (ATTN: Mark Fairchild). An official transcript must be submitted even if a degree

was not awarded.

4) Confirm application materials submission status through the Application Self Service

Center (link: Application Self-Service Center). Resend invitation or cancel

Recommenders, if needed.

Contact Information:

Please check your application email address frequently for updates. If you have questions

regarding admission requirements or the application process, please contact Graduate School

Program Liaison, Mr. Mark Fairchild, at Mark-Fairchild@utc.edu. If you have questions

regarding program delivery, please contact the LEAD Program Office at utclead@utc.edu.

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Application Instructions

Summer 2021

STEP 1: GRADUATE SCHOOL APPLICATION AND APPLICATION FEE (ONLINE)

To access the Graduate School Application (Summer 2021), click here.

Note: The preferred web browsers to complete the application process are Google Chrome or

Mozilla Firefox.

If you are new to this application system, please enter

your information and select the Create Account

button.

(Note: It may take up to 15 minutes to receive a

verification email)

If you are a returning user to the application system, please enter your established Username and

Password and select the Sign In button.

Once logged in, you will see a series of gray tabs at the top of the application screen which

represent each section of the application.

Starting with the Student

Information tab, enter the

requested information in the fields

provided.

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As you complete each section, select

the Next button to save your entries and

move to the next section.

To save your application and

complete it later, select the Save

and Submit Later button and then

the Logout button.

To return to a saved application, login to the Application Self-Service Center (link: Application

Self-Service Center)

Please complete the Graduate School Application as follows:

Student Information

o Enter your full legal name (no nicknames). If you have a nickname that you prefer

to be called, please enter that name in the Preferred First Name field.

o Please enter your Cell Phone number in the appropriate field.

Personal Information

Emergency Contact Information

Education Information

o Planned course of study (initial selection) = EDD Learning & Leadership

(Hybrid) or PHD Leadership & Decision-Making (Hybrid)

Note: Admitted participants will be advised regarding the degree designation

selection process (Ed.D./Ph.D.) during the initial Summer semester of enrollment.

o Full-time or part-time enrollment: This question is optional. Participants will

enroll in 6 graduate credit hours during the core program of study.

o Type of application: Graduate School (if you have not previously attended UTC

at the graduate level) or Graduate Readmission (if you have previously attended

UTC at the graduate level)

Note: The type of application will be verified by the Graduate School staff. If you

are unsure, select Graduate School.

Armed Forces

Additional Information

Consent

Prior Experiences

o Enter your current employment information first (and check the Current

Employer box). Additional employment or experience information is optional.

Supplemental Data

o This section is optional.

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Charges and Additional Items

o Under Additional Items – Please

select 1, select the Domestic Student

(U.S. Citizen) or International Student

Application checkbox. This is a

required field.

o Once you have completed all required fields and are ready to submit your

application, select the gold Submit Application button. Once submitted, you will

not be able to edit the application.

o Select OK.

o You will now be directed to the

Upay/TouchNet application fee payment

screen.

If you have not previously attended

UTC at the graduate level, you are

required to pay the application fee.

If you have previously attended

UTC at the graduate level, you are

not required to pay the application

fee again. Please disregard the fee

payment screen and close your

browser.

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STEP 2: LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP PROGRAM APPLICATION (ONLINE)

To access the Learning and Leadership Program Application, click here.

Sign in using the same username and

password you used for completing the

Graduate School Application.

If you have forgotten your username or

password, select Forgot

Username/Password.

Please do not create a new account.

Once logged in, you will see a series of

gray tabs at the top of the application

screen which represent each section of the

application.

Any fields that you previously entered on

the Graduate School Application will be

pre-populated in the program application.

As you complete each section, select the

Next button to save your entries and move to

the next section.

If at any point you wish to save your application

and complete it later, select the Save button and

then the Logout button.

To return to a saved application, login to the Application Self-Service Center (link: Application

Self-Service Center)

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Please complete the Learning and Leadership Program Application as follows:

Contact Information

o Please select the program/degree designation for which you are applying (initial

selection) = EDD Learning & Leadership (Hybrid) or PHD Leadership &

Decision-Making (Hybrid)

o Note: Admitted participants will be advised regarding the degree designation

selection process (Ed.D./Ph.D.) during the initial Summer semester of enrollment.

Statement of Purpose Essay

o Please follow the guidelines (including

maximum word count) provided online

and answer all questions. A minimum of

one word must be entered in each text

box in order to save your entries,

Recommendations

o Enter the contact

information (names and

email addresses) for the

three individuals you wish

to invite to complete a

recommendation for you

and select Send Invitation.

If possible, one recommendation should be from an individual familiar with your

academic work, one recommendation should be from an individual familiar with

your professional work, and the third recommendation is your choice (academic

or professional). Please select your recommenders carefully and ensure their

email addresses are accurate. The recommender will receive an automated email

invitation with a link to the Learning and Leadership Recommendation Form.

To confirm whether your recommendations have been received, visit the

Application Self-Service Center (link: Application Self-Service Center). Login

using the same username/password you created when submitting your application.

Select the Applications button and then the Learning and Leadership Summary

page. You have the option to select the Resend Invitation button next to the name

of the recommender, if any of your recommendations have not yet been received.

You also have the option to select the Cancel button next to the name of any

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recommender, if you would like to cancel the recommender and extend the

invitation to another individual.

Note: The Cancel option should only be used if you wish to cancel the current

recommender and extend the invitation to another individual. Please avoid

cancelling the invitation if you simply need to correct a typo in the email address

or enter an alternate email address for the same recommender. To request to make

changes to the current recommender’s email address, please contact Mark-

Fairchild@utc.edu for assistance.

Requirements

o Upload a current Resume or CV in Microsoft Word or PDF format by selecting

the Attach File button, then Choose File, then Upload Selected File.

Note: Please ensure that

your popup blocker is

turned off. Please include

your last name in the file

name and avoid using

special characters in the file

name. Your resume/CV

should include your current

employment information as

well as previous

employment information

including dates of service

(month/year), company

name, position title, etc.

o Once you have completed all

required items and are ready to

submit your application, select the

gold Submit button. Once

submitted, you will not be able to

edit the application.

STEP 3: OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS

The UTC Graduate School requires one official transcript from every institution attended, even

if a degree was not awarded. Photocopies, advisement copies, or student copies cannot be

accepted. UTC alumni are not required to submit official transcripts for coursework earned at

UTC. Official transcripts must show conferral of the regionally accredited Master’s degree (or

higher degree), as well as any other work taken at institutions of higher learning. It is preferable

to request transcripts after you have submitted your Graduate School application. If any of your

transcripts are under a different name, please inform your program liaison at Mark-

Fairchild@utc.edu. Applicants may not be offered admission to the program until all official

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transcripts have been received. Please request transcripts be sent directly from the institution to

the UTC Graduate School.

Transcript mailing address:

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

The Graduate School, ATTN: Mark Fairchild

615 McCallie Avenue

Dept. 5305, Race Hall 103

Chattanooga, TN 37403

Electronic transcript email address:

If your institution provides the option of sending an official electronic transcript (PDF),

please request the transcript be sent to Mark-Fairchild@utc.edu.

Note: It may take up to 2 business days for your Self-Service account to reflect receipt of

your transcripts and other admissions requirements.

STEP 4: APPLICATION SELF-SERVICE CENTER

To continue working on a saved application OR to check the submission status of your

application materials, visit the Application Self-Service Center (link: Application Self-Service

Center). Sign In using the same username and password you created when submitting your

application(s). Do not create a new account.

Select the Applications

button.

From the list of Applications, locate the desired

application (Learning and Leadership (LEAD)

Summer 2021 or Graduate Summer 2021).

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Select Summary to confirm the submission

status of your application materials or select

Continue to continue working on a saved

application.

Note: You will have two separate application

Summaries to review – one for the Graduate

application and one for the Learning and

Leadership application.

Learning and Leadership Summary Page - Recommendations: On the Learning and

Leadership Summary page, you have the option to select Resend Invitation, if any of your

Recommendations have not yet been received, or to Cancel if you would like to cancel

the recommendation and extend the invitation to another individual. The Cancel option

should only be used if you wish to cancel the current recommender and extend the

invitation to another individual. Please avoid cancelling the invitation if you simply need

to correct or enter an alternate email address for the same recommender. To request to

make changes to the current recommender’s email address, please contact Mark-

Fairchild@utc.edu for assistance.

Learning and Leadership Summary Page - Resume or CV: On the Learning and

Leadership Summary page, you will also have the option to upload your Resume or CV,

if you have not already done so. Please ensure that your popup blocker is turned off.

Please include your last name in the file name and avoid using special characters in the

file name. Your resume/CV should include your current employment information as well

as previous employment information including dates of service (month/year), company

name, position title, etc.

Note: It may take up to 2 business days for your Self-Service account to reflect receipt of

your transcripts and other admissions requirements. During this time the status on your

application will say “Incomplete Items Outstanding” and will change to “Complete Ready for

Review” when your file is complete.

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APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS

To review the current admission timeline and review process, please visit the Admission Info

section of the Learning and Leadership website (link: Admission Info).