Education: Additional Application Information & FAQs

In addition to having a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, students interested in pursuing this MA must have:

1. Completed at least one course in child development, early childhood education, developmental psychology, or child psychology
2. Substantive experience working with young children

In addition to having a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, students interested in pursuing this MA must have completed:

1. At least one course in developmental psychology or child psychology
2. At least 200 hours of volunteer work in a hospital under the supervision of a child life specialist
   • This volunteer work must be underway by the time we receive your application materials and be completed prior to your enrollment.

Only students who will be earning or have already earned a Mills MA in early childhood education are eligible to pursue this credential. You also must have:

1. Completed at least one course in child development, early childhood education, developmental psychology, or child psychology
2. Passed all portions of the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) before the start of our fall term (August). Be sure to have your official test results sent directly to Mills College.
3. Completed at least 40 hours of work or volunteer experience with young children. We encourage you to complete these hours as early as possible so that we may consider your experience during the application review process.
   • You can download the 40-Hour Documentation Form from the credential requirements section of the Mills admission application.
   • Once you have submitted your application, log in to your Check Your Application Status page, use the upload materials option, and add the completed form to your application materials prior to the start of our fall term (August).

In addition to having a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, students interested in pursuing this credential must have:

• Completed at least 40 hours of volunteer or paid work in a school or other educational setting (after-school programs, religious or community organizations, youth sports teams, summer camps, etc.) prior to enrollment. We encourage you to seek out experiences working with groups of children from cultural and linguistic backgrounds different from your own. We also encourage you to complete these hours as early as possible so that we may consider your experience during the application review process.
  • You can download the 40-Hour Documentation Form from the credential requirements section of the Mills admission application.
  • Once you have submitted your application, log in to your Check Your Application Status page, use the upload materials option, and add the completed form to your application materials prior to the start of our fall term (August).
• Passed three California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) multiple subjects tests and all portions of the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST)

  OR

  Three CSET multiple subjects tests and the CSET writing test

  • Be sure to have your official test results sent directly to Mills College. We encourage you to complete these exams as soon as possible so they can be considered during the application process. If your exam results are not available when applications are reviewed, you can only be admitted to Mills on a conditional basis. Please note that you will not be able to enroll unless all of your passing test scores are received by August 15.

In addition to having a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, students interested in pursuing one of these credentials must have: 

• Completed at least 40 hours of volunteer or paid work in a school or other educational setting (after-school programs, religious or community organizations, youth sports teams, summer camps, etc.) prior to enrollment. We encourage you to seek out experiences working with groups of children from cultural and linguistic backgrounds different from your own. We also encourage you to complete these hours as early as possible so that we may consider your experience during the application review process.
  • You can download the 40-Hour Documentation Form from the credential requirements section of the Mills admission application.
  • Once you have submitted your application, log in to your Check Your Application Status page, use the upload materials option, and add the completed form to your application materials prior to the start of our fall term (August).Completed at least 40 hours of volunteer or paid work in a school or other educational setting (after-school programs, religious or community organizations, youth sports teams, summer camps, etc.) prior to enrollment. We encourage you to seek out experiences working with groups of children from cultural and linguistic backgrounds different from your own. We also encourage you to complete these hours as early as possible so that we may consider your experience during the application review process.
• Passed all portions of the California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) for your chosen subject area and all portions of the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST)
  • Be sure to have your official test results sent directly to Mills College. We encourage you to complete these exams as soon as possible so they can be considered during the application process. If your exam results are not available when applications are reviewed, you can only be admitted on a conditional basis. Please note that you will not be able to enroll unless all of your passing test scores are received by August 15.

In addition to having a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, students interested in pursuing this EdD must have:

1. Significant professional experience in the field of education
2. Demonstrated capacity to complete a doctoral dissertation

A master's degree is not required for admission, but you may be able to transfer credits for previously completed graduate-level work to count toward your doctoral requirements.

In addition to having a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, students interested in pursuing this MA must have demonstrated the capacity to complete graduate-level work. If you plan to pursue the early childhood leadership concentration, we ask that you have at least five years of experience working in early care and education.

In addition to having a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, students interested in pursuing this credential must have:

1. Passed all portions of the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST). Be sure to have your official test results sent directly to Mills College.
2. At least five years of teaching experience.

You can pursue the administrative services credential only, or earn it in conjunction with earning an MA or EdD in educational leadership from Mills.

Students of all genders are eligible for admission to Mills graduate programs. On the undergraduate level, self-identified women and people assigned female sex at birth who do not identify with the gender binary are eligible for admission.

In general, to teach elementary school (grades K–5) you need a multiple subject credential. To teach middle school or high school (grades 6–12) you need a single subject credential. Both kinds of credentials are offered through our Teacher Education Program.

The Mills Admissions Committee does not consider GRE scores as an admission criterion for the School of Education. We have found that the holistic information about each student gathered through our application process is more valuable for admission purposes than standardized test scores.

Yes, for some degree programs. Each School of Education program director evaluates transfer credits on a case-by-case basis. Contact your admission counselor at 510.430.3170 or education@mills.edu for help determining if you have transferable credits.

On occasion, a student applying to one School of Education program realizes that another of our programs is a better fit for her or his needs. We are happy to accommodate these changes in order to find the best match for you. Please contact your School of Education admission counselor at 510.430.3170 or education@mills.edu immediately upon your decision.

Yes, you may defer for either one semester or one academic year, depending on the program. Students interested in deferring their enrollment must submit their $300 enrollment deposit as well as an additional $150 deferral deposit to save their space in a future entering class. These deposits will be applied to a student's first semester tuition.

Yes, we do. Visit our housing page to learn more.