Pursuing a graduate degree at Xavier University of Louisiana can help you achieve career success, personal growth, and job satisfaction. Xavier is ranked No. 3 among HBCUs by U.S. News and is nationally known for its leave-ready philosophy, educational excellence, and commitment to a just and humane society for all. Xavier will prepare you to be a leader while providing you with an excellent education. Here are some of the benefits of pursuing a graduate degree at Xavier:
- You will gain knowledge and skills that are in high demand in the job market.
- You will network with other professionals and build relationships that can help you advance your career.
- You will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that will make you a more effective employee.
- You will have the opportunity to conduct research and contribute to the field of your study.
- You will be challenged academically and intellectually, which will help you grow as a person.
If you are looking for an advanced education to help you achieve your career goals and stand out in a competitive job market, look no further than Xavier University of Louisiana.
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Admission Requirements:
- Master’s degree from a regionally-accredited college or university with a minimum 3.0 GPA
- Minimum combined GRE score of 294 or MAT score of 391 are preferred but not required
- Two letters of recommendation
- Personal statement/statement of interest detailing why you chose this program and Xavier?
- A writing sample is also required (a writing prompt will be provided to applicants during the application process)
Documents Needed:
- Online application
- Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended
- GRE or MAT scores are preferred but not required
- Two letters of recommendation
- Personal statement detailing why you have chosen this program and why Xavier?
- Successful completion of an online interview upon invitation
Admission Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited college or university with a minimum 2.5 GPA
- GRE scores are required with no minimum score
- Two letters of recommendation
- Personal statement/statement of interest detailing why you have chosen this program of study
- Selected applicants will be invited to participate in a group interview
Documents Needed:
- Online application
- Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended
- GRE scores are required with no minimum score
- Two letters of recommendation
- Statement of interest
The Master of Arts in Educational Leadership is designed for individuals looking for leadership roles in education as principals, assistant principals, or central office administrators. Educational Leadership - Professional preparation in Educational Leadership is offered with specialization in the following area:
- Educational Leadership - building-level K - 12 certification track, and
- Educational Leadership - non-certification track.
Admission Requirements:
- A bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited college or university with a minimum 2.5 GPA
- Minimum Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores of 280 or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) scores of 380 are preferred but not required
- Two letters of recommendation
- Statement of interest detailing why you have chosen your program of study
Program Curriculum:
This advanced level program provides kindergarten to grade 12 perspectives of educational issues that impact teaching and learning. It is designed to prepare educators to be leaders as teachers, principals, and central office administrators. The program meets current Louisiana state requirements for the required coursework for an advanced degree and state Educational Leadership certification or an advanced degree, only. To complete the certification process the applicant must pass the state licensure examination, hold a valid Type A teacher certificate and have evidence of three successful years of teaching.
Required Courses:
- EDLD 5000 - Visionary Leadership
- EDLD 5000I - Visionary Leadership Internship
- EDCG 5000 - Statistics
- EDLD 5015 - Collaborative Leadership
- EDLD 5015I - Collaborative Leadership Internship
- EDLD 5570 - Management of School Personnel and Finance
- EDLD 5570I - Management of School Personnel and Finance Internship
- EDLD 5540 - Educational Law
- EDLD 5540I - Educational Law Internship
- EDLD 5060 - Curriculum Progression
- EDLD 5060I - Curriculum Progression Internship
- EDLD 5020 - Supervision of Instruction and Assessment
- EDLD 5020I - Supervision of Instruction and Assessment Internship
- EDCG 5010 - Research Methodology
- EDLD 5040 - Organizational Leadership
- EDLD 5040I - Organizational Leadership Internship
- EDLD 5580 - Capstone Seminar for Educational Leaders
- EDLD 5999 - Comprehensive Examination in Educational Leadership
Total Hours: 36
Students must register for comprehensive examinations at the beginning of the semester in which they expect to complete their program of study.
Admission Requirements:
- Complete on-line application -
- Two professional references
- 2.5 GPA
- GRE/MAT scores are required with no minimum score
- Must Pass Praxis I (Pre-professional Skills Test)
- An ACT composite score of 22 or an SAT combined verbal/critical reading and math score of 1100 or higher (New SAT) or 1030 or higher (pre-March 2016 SAT) may be used in lieu of Praxis 1 Core Academic Skills for Educators exams in reading, writing and math by prospective teachers in Louisiana.
- Must pass Praxis II (content exam)
- All applicants must be health cleared through Student Health Services prior to registration.
Documents Needed:
- Online application
- Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended
- GRE/MAT scores are required with no minimum score
- Praxis I and II scores
- Two letters of recommendation
- Statement of interest
Passing scores from Praxis I and II:
- Praxis 1 may be waived if an applicant has an ACT score of 22 (composite), a SAT score of 1030 (combined verbal/critical reading and math), or an advanced degree.
25% Tuition Discount offered to teachers and other educational personnel.
We do offer a 25% tuition discount to current teachers and other educational personnel only in the fall and spring semesters.
Note: Summer sessions do not qualify for the discount. During summer school the university discounts the same courses. This places Xavier summer school at one of the lowest graduate tuition rates in New Orleans.
Please contact Ahdija Donatto in the Division of Education and Counseling at acbaker@xula.edu for additional details about the eligibility requirements and process for receiving this discount.
Admission Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited college or university
- with a minimum 2.75 GPA
- GRE scores are preferred but not required
- Three letters of recommendation
- Statement of interest/personal statement (one page) addressing the following topics: 1) What are your interests in public health and why are you planning to pursue an MPH? 2) What are your future career goals and what have you done either academically or professionally to guide your interest in public health?
Documents Needed:
- Online application
- Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended
- GRE scores are preferred but not required
- Three letters of recommendation
- Statement of interest (one page) addressing the following topics: 1) What are your interests in public health and why are you planning to pursue an MPH? 2) What are your future career goals and what have you done either academically or professionally to guide your interest in public health?
Admission Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited college or university with a minimum 2.5 GPA
- Minimum combined GRE score of 280 or MAT score of 380 are preferred but not required
- Three letters of recommendation
- Two academic letters from professors familiar with the student's academic work and one ministerial letter from a pastor or pastoral staff person familiar with the student's work in their church and/or community
Documents Needed:
- Online application
- Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended
- GRE or MAT scores
- Three letters of recommendation
- Statement of interest
Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology
Admission Requirements:
• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a preferred overall 3.0 GPA and preferred 3.2 GPA in the Communication Sciences and Disorders courses
*Applicants who do not meet the preferred grade point average may be considered for conditional admission based on their last 60 hours of semester credit.
- Three letters of recommendation, 2 academic, and 1 professional
- Official transcripts from every college or university attended
- Successful completion of a face-to-face interview, upon invitation.
- Personal statement
*As part of the application process, applicants must clearly express in writing their views on cultural and linguistic diversity.
- Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score requirements include a 280 preferred combined score. (Verbal & Quantitative Reasoning), preferred writing score of 3.0
TOEFL Score
*Students who are not native speakers of English will be required to pass the TOEFL and demonstrate English speaking comprehension skills appropriate for service delivery. A minimum TOEFL score of 600 on the paper-based exam, or 100 on the internet-based exam, must be achieved on a test taken within the last two years. Students may be referred for accent reduction or ESL instruction.
Documents Needed:
- Online application
- Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended
- GRE or MAT scores are required
- Three Letters of Recommendation
- Personal Statement - as part of the application process, applicants must clearly express in writing their views on cultural and linguistic diversity
- Successful completion of a face-to-face interview, upon invitation
*Students will be notified in March about their application decision for the upcoming Fall semester"
Documents Needed:
In addition to the documents required for a specific program of interest; all College or University transcripts must be in English. If educated in a non-English speaking college or university, a Course-by-Course evaluation of your college or university work must be evaluated by a United States foreign credential evaluator from the NACES Evaluation Agency. SPANTRAN is recommended. Applicants who utilize SPANTRAN via link will receive a 10% discount on the evaluation. Please access the evaluation application via SPANTRAN here.
English language proficiency is essential to your success at Xavier. Applicants who have completed all or some high school or secondary school in a country where English was not the language of instruction, will be required to demonstrate English proficiency by completing the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or the International English Language Testing Service (IELTS).
However, TOEFL and IELTS scores are not required for applicants with English as the native language.
Minimum TOEFL or IELTS scores required for non- native English speakers:
- TOEFL: Paper – 550
- Internet-Based – 80
- IELTS: 7.0
Lastly, a Xavier University Certificate of Financial Support (a notarized form indicating who will pay the cost of attendance) is also required.
Current students who were not enrolled the previous semester must apply for readmission. Graduate students seeking readmission must submit a readmission application prior to registration. Please submit your readmission application here.
Admissions Process
We recognize the uniqueness of each student and provide individual attention throughout the admissions process. We use a holistic assessment of all submitted information to make admissions decisions.
Fees and Tuition
It’s part of Xavier’s mission as an HBCU to offer groundbreaking graduate and doctoral degrees that propel students who have innovative ideas to take on the big problems our planet is faced with.