The_Hanged_Man

Thanks for your feedback, and I think the suggestion to take a course or two first is a good one. However, since I am overseas in China now it would have to be an online course. Do those courses or any potential recommendations from an online professor hold the same sort of weight in the admissions process? This is assuming the online course is from an established reputable university.

I'm considering applying to PhD programs in Educational Measurement, but I earned my last degree around 10 years ago and I am worried about references. My goal after earning my doctorate is to work in the private testing industry (ETS, College Board, etc), and I have little interest in research and academia. I feel the rest of my application is strong. My undergrad (Stats/Econ) and master's program (MPA) GPAs were over 3.9, and I have strong work experiences related to education as a former Peace Corps and Teach for America corps member. However, the only reference writers I have available are the principals of the last few schools I have worked at. Will this be a significant barrier in the application process? Also, I currently have general letters of reference from my referees. Would copies of these be acceptable at any grad schools with their current contact info? My guess is no, but since I have been working for international schools my referees are scattered across the globe so it would be a huge hassle to get them to write another letter and coordinate getting them back to the schools I am applying to. Any feedback would be much appreciated!