Masters of Arts in Education Application Process

The School of Education also requires an Initial Writing Assessment as part of the application process. This response should be submitted with your application. Deadlines posted on this Graduate Studies webpage(opens in new window).

The initial writing assessment is part of our application process and thoughtful consideration is needed in completing and submitting it. If your writing skills are not deemed strong enough, you may be denied admission or you may be admitted to the program with conditional status.

If you are admitted with conditional status, you will be required to take our credit/no credit one-unit writing course offered through the University's Regional Center for Continuing Education for an additional fee to help you improve your academic writing, citing, and referencing skills and move you from conditional status to classified status.

1. Review the Masters in Education Writing Rubric (PDF) so you know the expectations that will be used in reviewing your academic writing skills.
2. Include your name and "MA in Education" or "MA in Teaching" (depending on your program) at the top of your paper.  
3. Available topics for the initial writing assessment are:
   • Education Standards (e.g., Common Core, NGSS)
   • Purpose of Schooling
   • Changing US Demographics Impact on Education
   • Identity as Educational Leader
   • Co-Teaching Considerations and Issues
   • School Accountability
   • Interventions in General and Special Education 
   • Non-traditional Education Models 
   • Online Learning and Teaching 
   • Equity in Education
   • Teacher Retention and/or Burnout
   • Bilingual Teacher Shortage
4. Select one of the listed education topics above (3.3) and write a three-to-five-page paper (plus an additional page for references) that addresses an issue, trend, or position. (The paper should not merely report on what the topic is.) The Master in Education Writing Rubric outlines how your academic writing will be assessed (see rubric for quality and use of evidence criteria). Note: Using generatvie artificial intelligence (AI) to write any draft of your paper is not acceptable. Using AI to check spelling, grammar, etc. is permissible. Additional details are listed at the bottom of the rubric. 
5. You should have at least three different and appropriate references/citations in APA style(opens in new window)
6. The paper should be double-spaced.
7. The paper should be in Word document format (docx). 
8. Use APA formatting (American Psychological Association Manual, 7^th Edition).
9. Once you receive your Chico State campus ID from the Office of Graduate Studies, self-enroll in the MA in Education Initial Writing Sample Canvas Organization by clicking this link(opens in new window).  Once you have self-registered and logged in, you will be able to submit your writing sample. Note: You need your Chico State campus Portal username to login. The Office of Graduate Studies will email you your Chico State campus Portal username about two weeks after you apply to Cal State Apply. 
10. Your application for the MA in Teaching/Education program cannot be processed until the Initial Writing Assessment has been received and reviewed.