Admissions
HDO Master’s Admissions
Fall 2024 Admission
The application period for fall 2024 admission is open.
If you would like to learn more before submitting an application, attend one of the many information sessions scheduled over the next few months. Information sessions are offered online and in-person. HDO staff, including program director Professor Mary Rose, will be on-hand to share information about the program and answer questions. Alumni of the HDO Master’s program will join to speak about the student experience and how the program impacted their careers.
You are also welcome to attend an upcoming class meeting to experience the program first-hand. Please email our Academic Program Coordinator Rolee Rios to check class dates and availability.
Application Deadlines
January 15, 2024: Early admission deadline for U.S. citizen and permanent resident applicants; Admission deadline for international applicants
March 1, 2024: Regular admission deadline
If you are interested in obtaining employer support for your HDO education, please see our Employer Support Resources page.
There are a limited number of spots available for each HDO Master’s cohort. Admissions decisions for January (Early Admission) applicants will be made prior to the March deadline (Regular Admission), offering early applicants the chance to join HDO before the cohort reaches capacity.
Admissions Information
Applicant Requirements:
- At least 3-5 years of career-level work experience to be considered for admission.
An applicant’s career path should demonstrate professional growth in a particular field or set of related fields. This experience does not have to be with one employer. Student work experiences provide an invaluable addition to classroom discussions and group projects.
- A bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a regionally accredited college or university (or a comparable degree from a foreign academic institution)
- A grade point average of 3.0 in upper-division coursework (and graduate work, if applicable)
- GRE test scores that are valid at the time you submit your application (taken within the last five years)
Please note that because of the nature of HDO and its students, we offer an opportunity to request a GRE waiver. Applicants with an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher in all upper-division coursework are welcome to submit a waiver request.
Please complete the waiver request form to see if you qualify.
Applicants who do not have the required 3.0 GPA will need to submit GRE test scores by the admission deadlines.
A Completed Application Includes:
- GRE test scores (or an approved waiver) – Official GRE scores to be reported by ETS (the Education Testing Agency) to the Graduate and International Admissions Center. The ETS code for The University of Texas at Austin is 6882. See here for submitting official test scores.
- Official university transcripts
- International students are required to submit TOEFL scores
- A résumé or CV detailing relevant work and academic experience
- Three letters of recommendation (these may be professional and/or academic in nature)
- Two essays (see prompts below)
Application Instructions
All students applying for admission to the HDO Master’s program must complete the ApplyTexas online application with the university.
Application Process
Please note, applicants must possess at least 3-5 years of career-level experience to be considered for admission.
Complete an online application for admissions and pay the application fee at Apply Texas. The application fee is $65 (U.S. citizens/permanent residents) and $90 (International).
Please make sure to select Fall 2024 as your requested semester. You’ll select ‘Human Dimensions of Organizations’ as your major (it’s listed under the ‘Liberal Arts’ area.)
HDO Recommendation: Complete the online Apply Texas application as early as possible. You do not need to wait until you have received your transcripts to complete your application. You will submit your transcripts, essays, resume, etc. after you have officially submitted your application. Your select recommendation letter writers will also be contacted upon application submission.
Within 1–2 business day(s) after submitting and paying for an application, applicants will receive an email message acknowledging that the application has been received. The applicant’s UT EID and temporary password will be included in this correspondence, as well as a link to the Online Admissions Status Check page. From that site, applicants will be provided instructions on how to upload application documents.
Required Application Documents
All materials are submitted online. Please do not send hard copies of required application materials to HDO. We are unable to return original copies of documents.
Documents are submitted to the Graduate and International Admissions Center (GIAC) via the directions you will receive in an email after you submit your application.
All admission documents are carefully reviewed by the admissions committee, but particular consideration is given to the two essay questions and the three letters of recommendation.
- Essays (Statement of Purpose): There are two (2) required essays. (Responses to each essay question should be approximately 500-words.)
- Please explain your interest in joining the HDO program. What particular skills are you hoping to develop through the type of coursework HDO offers?
- Each HDO student will complete a Capstone Project, which is a research-based study using the lens of humanities or social sciences. The Capstone Project is a student’s opportunity to research an organizational issue in-depth. What research question might you explore through the Capstone? To review topics that former HDO students have considered, click here.
- Three (3) Letters of Recommendation: When you complete the “References” portion of the application you will submit the names and e-mail addresses of those you have asked to recommend you.
Note: you must officially submit your admission application in order for your recommenders to receive an e-mail notification with instructions and information for writers on how to electronically submit their letters.
HDO Recommendation: Encourage your recommenders to submit written letters (vs. only answering a question via the link they are sent) as the admissions committee pays particular attention to recommendation letters. The link will have instructions on how to do this. You are encouraged to select writers who can attest to distinct perspectives of your work experience. A recommender should be able to discuss how they know you (and for how long), your work abilities, and your capabilities to thrive in the HDO program. These may be professional and/or academic in nature.
- CV or Résumé: Your document should detail relevant work and academic experience. You will upload via the online Application Status Check (MyStatus)page.
- Transcripts: Official transcripts from every senior college you have attended are required. Upload an official copy to the Status Check page. If you are admitted official hard copy transcripts will be required. Do not mail transcripts. For more information/instructions, please see GIAC’s instructions on uploading transcripts.
- TOEFL Scores: International applicants must submit TOEFL scores unless they are from an English-only speaking country or have earned a four-year undergraduate degree in an English-speaking country. Detailed TOEFL score submission instructions are available on GIAC’s website.
- GRE Waiver: Because of the nature of HDO and its students, we offer a waiver for the test requirement in certain circumstances. To qualify for a GRE waiver, applicants must possess BOTH:
- a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (or higher) in all upper-division coursework AND
- five or more years of career-level work experience
Please complete the waiver request form to see if you qualify.
Applicants who do not have the required 3.0 GPA in upper-division coursework will need to submit GRE test scores by the admission deadlines.
- GRE Waiver: Because of the nature of HDO and its students, we offer a waiver for the test requirement in certain circumstances. To qualify for a GRE waiver, applicants must possess BOTH:
Application Status Check
Visit this link: Application Status Check to upload materials to your application file, edit lists of recommenders or check on the status of an application.
Graduate and International Admissions Center (GIAC)
View contact information for the Graduate and International Admissions Center (GIAC) here.
Utilize this site for specific email addresses for various topics concerning admissions. Please make sure to include your EID in any correspondence for more timely responses.
You will find detailed information about graduate school admission here.
“As brilliant as the faculty were, learning from the wisdom and experience of my cohort mates was equally valuable. I’ve relied on the cohort network many times since graduating. Choosing a favorite professor or identifying the most useful course is like asking about a favorite flavor of ice cream. All different; equally delightful; impossible to pick one. My biggest takeaway from HDO is the joy of discovery. The faculty ‘showed us where to look, but not what to see’ (Maori proverb).”
HDO’s Outstanding Professor of the Year for 2018, Clay Spinuzzi, discusses why he enjoys teaching in the program and what differentiates HDO and its students from other graduate programs.