Mills College is preparing to merge with Northeastern University, and we are not accepting admissions applications at this time. Please visit our merger website for the most current information on the merger process.
In addition to the general graduate application requirements, here are a few more items you'll need to know to complete your Mills admission application.
Note: If you’re an international student who is interested in applying to Mills, please visit our application requirements for international graduate students page first.
After the fall priority deadline of January 15, we consider applications for most School of Education programs on a space-available basis until July 15. The final application deadline for our teaching credential program, Education for Liberation, Justice, and Joy (ELJJ), is May 15. If you cannot submit all of your materials in January, here is our complete list of application deadlines:
We strongly encourage you to apply for admission by January 15 to receive the earliest consideration for Mills merit and need-based scholarships.
Use the links below to learn about additional requirements for the three School of Education program areas—early childhood education, teacher education, and educational leadership. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at 510.430.3170 or education@mills.edu to connect with your School of Education admission counselor.
Early Childhood Education | Teacher Education | Educational Leadership
The statement of purpose is your opportunity to provide us with insight into who you are as a person and your personal and professional motivations. It should be typed and 500–750 words in length. Please speak to the following in your statement and upload it to the Mills online admission application:
Most students applying to the ECE Programs will be interviewed by our faculty, either in person or by phone or Skype. A Mills representative will contact you to arrange an interview date and time after we’ve received all of your required admission application materials.
In addition to having a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, students interested in pursuing this MA must have:
In addition to having a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, students interested in pursuing this MA must have completed:
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:
The statement of purpose is your opportunity to provide us with insight into who you are as a person and your personal and professional motivations. It should be typed and 500–750 words in length. Please speak to the following in your statement and upload it to the Mills online admission application:
Each student applying to the Teacher Education Programs will be interviewed by our faculty, either in person or by phone or Skype. Interviews may be conducted in small groups of two or three students speaking with one faculty member. A Mills representative will contact you to arrange an interview date and time after we’ve received all of your required admission application materials.
In addition to having a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, students interested in pursuing this credential must have:
OR
Three CSET multiple subjects tests and the CSET writing test
In addition to having a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, students interested in pursuing one of these credentials must have:
Admission to our Teacher Education Programs includes both the initial teaching credential
and an optional master’s degree.
The statement of purpose is your opportunity to provide us with insight into who you are as a person and your personal and professional motivations. It should be typed and 500–750 words in length. Please speak to the following in your statement and upload it to the Mills online admission application:
Students applying to the doctorate (EdD) in educational leadership degree program should also describe:
Most students applying to the Educational Leadership Programs will be interviewed by our faculty, either in person or by phone or Skype. A Mills representative will contact you to arrange an interview date and time after we’ve received all of your required admission application materials.
In addition to having a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, students interested in pursuing this EdD must have:
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:
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.
If you have any questions about your program, please reach out to us at 510.430.3170 or education@mills.edu to connect with your School of Education admission counselor.
Mills College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, marital status, age, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, or disability in our admission policies, in our scholarship and loan programs, or in the educational programs, cocurricular activities, and residential facilities which we operate. Students of all genders are eligible for admission to our graduate programs. Self-identified women and people assigned female sex at birth who do not identify with the gender binary are eligible for admission to our undergraduate programs.