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Graduate Degrees - Application Process

Application Deadlines

•    Priority Fall - First Monday of January (for strongest consideration for funding as a Graduate Research or Teaching Assistant)
•    Fall - April 1
•    Winter - September 1
•    Spring - November 1

 

Application Checklist

Applicants must submit two application packets – one to PSU Admissions, and one to the Department. The admission process will be delayed if incomplete applications are submitted.

Return the following items to the Office of Admissions as a complete packet:

  1. PSU Application for Admission (APPLY ONLINE!)
  2. $50.00 non-refundable application fee (do not send cash). The fee is good for one year.
  3. One official transcript, in its unopened envelope, from each post-secondary institution attended. (PSU transcript is not required for Office of Admissions.)
  4. International applicants must also submit the following:
  • Those students whose first language is not English and who do not have a U.S. degree are required to prove English Language Proficiency. Portland State accepts two test scores as proof of English language proficiency: The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Minimum test score requirements are listed here.
  • Declaration of Finances form. This is for F-1 and J-1 visa holders only. International applicants must show proof of adequate finances for at least the first year of study at PSU.
  • Transfer Clearance form. This is for F-1 and J-1 visa holders only. This is only required for international students who are transferring from another U.S. school. If applicants are not transferring from a U.S. school, this form does NOT need to be submitted.

Most research groups are able to offer financial assistance to strong applicants (including international students). These assistantships are offered on a competitive basis. In a few select cases and dependent on research funds, financial assistance may not be available until after at least one full term of successful graduate coursework. Each applicant is strongly encouraged to contact faculty in the desired research group to find out about available financial support opportunities.

Finally, international students must demonstrate financial status to the PSU Admissions Office, and should contact them for financial criteria. They can be contacted directly at admissions@pdx.edu.

Return the following to the Department:

  1. Departmental application form.
  2. One official transcript from each post-secondary institution attended (PSU transcript is not required).
  3. Three letters of recommendation. It is preferred that at least one of the recommendations be from a faculty member or an academic adviser. Please provide your evaluators with the Department's Personal Evaluation for Graduate Admission form. Letters of recommendation should be sent directly from the evaluator to ceedept@cecs.pdx.edu (preferred) or mailed to the Department in sealed/signed envelopes.
  4. Resume or curriculum vitae. You will be able to upload this document when you fill out the Departmental application form. 
  5. M.S. and Ph.D. applicants only -- statement of career plans. You will be able to upload this document when you fill out the Departmental application form. 
  6. M.S. and Ph.D. programs only -- GRE scores (mandatory for international students, strongly recommended for students with a degree granted from a university in the USA). Please have official scores sent directly to us from ETS using the following codes:
    • PSU School Code: 4610
    • CEE Department Code:1102

In ADDITION, to be considered for a Graduate Research Assistantship and to strengthen your application, you need to submit each of the following items. You will be able to upload these documents when you fill out the Departmental application form.  

  1. Sample of your technical writing in English, i.e. any English publication, thesis, or professional work where your authorship can be validated (include contact numbers and emails). Contact information is not required when you submit a paper or article that has been published in an internationally recognized and peer reviewed journal.
  2. Statement of your skills/potential as a Graduate Research Assistant.  Indicate in clear and concise language how your skills, experience, and interests may be relevant or set you apart for your graduate studies and your work as a research assistant. A illustrative sample (not comprehensive) of skills and abilities include work/research experience, modelling or programming skills, writing and analytical skills, ability to work in groups, leadership, etc. Length limit: one thousand words.

In ADDITION, to be considered for a Teaching Assistantship, you need to submit each of the following items. You will be able to upload these documents when you fill out the Departmental application form.  

  1. Statement of teaching skills and qualifications. Length limit: five hundred words.
  2. Summary of teaching experience, please list: educational institution (include website), year, course(s), language used,  number of students, and your role.

The probability of your receiving a Graduate Research Assistantship or Teaching Assistantship offer depends on the strength of your background (including courses taken and grades), extracurricular activities, communication skills, and GRE scores. The strength and level of detailed knowledge in reference letters from professors or professionals that know you and your work are also significant.

The CEE faculty will evaluate your submission and contact you. The order of the listed items does not imply importance or weight, each research project requires a unique set of skills.

Completed application packages received before the first Monday of January will be reviewed for competitive College of Engineering Fellowships, College of Engineering Recruitment Funds, and will receive preferential consideration  for Graduate Research Assistantships and Graduate Teaching Assistantships. Applications received after the deadline will be considered for assistantships on a waiting list basis only. A completed application package consists of all items listed on the Graduate Application page. Applicants are advised to begin the application process early to make sure that the application and supporting documents arrive in time for the deadlines.

Incomplete applications lacking any of the listed application items will not be reviewed by the admissions committee and will not be considered for funding.

Note for Ph.D. Applicants: Since the Ph.D. student must have a supervising advisor for admittance, all prospective Ph.D. students must contact one of the faculty members in their research area of interest prior to submitting their Ph.D. application.

If you do not register for the term to which you are admitted, your admission will be automatically cancelled unless you notify PSU Admissions and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of your intent to change the date of enrollment. Notification must be given prior to the term for which you are admitted. Failure to supply complete and accurate information will subject a student to the University’s policies governing academic dishonesty.

 

Eligibility

Candidates for graduate programs in Civil & Environmental Engineering must satisfy the following pre-admission criteria (see also additional criteria for Ph.D. below):

  1. Candidates with B.S./B.A. degrees in engineering fields, sciences or closely related areas shall have completed the following: Calculus through differential equations, Physics and Chemistry, Computer Programming, and the necessary prerequisites for the graduate courses that comprise the student's program of study, including the following specified courses, depending on the option selected by the student:
    • Environmental Engineering: fluid mechanics, hydraulics, and environmental engineering.
    • Geotechnical Engineering: soil mechanics and foundation design.
    • Structural Engineering: strength and properties of materials, structural analysis and design.
    • Transportation Engineering: two courses in transportation engineering.
    • Water Resources Engineering: fluid mechanics, hydraulics, and water resources engineering.
  2. GPA Requirements
    • To be considered for admission as a “regular status” student, the applicant with a B.S. in engineering must have a minimum GPA of 3.00.
    • To be considered for admission as a “conditional" student, the applicant must have a minimum GPA of 2.75. Upon review of the application, conditions are assigned and must be met within a given amount of time.
    • The applicant with a baccalaureate degree in a field other than engineering must meet minimum GPA requirements stated in parts (a) and (b) above, except "major discipline" will be substituted for "engineering". A post-baccalaureate student may enroll in approved undergraduate courses to improve GPA prior to admission. Candidates who meet the University requirements but do not have degrees in engineering fields, sciences or closely related areas may petition for admission based on the merits of their extraordinary experience and/or unique education.

Additional criteria for the Ph.D.: a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering or closely related area from an accredited university with a minimum GPA of 3.00 and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering or closely related area with a minimum GPA of 3.25 and a faculty member in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department who has agreed to be the student’s official Ph.D. advisor.

 

Admission requirements – MS and MEng

Admission requirements for the MS and MEng degrees include a B.S./B.A. degree in an engineering field, science, or closely related area with a minimum GPA of 3.00. Courses should include calculus through differential equations, physics and chemistry, computer programming, and all the necessary prerequisites for the graduate courses that comprise the student’s program of study. Applicants without these qualifications may be considered for conditional admission.  To be considered for admission as a conditional student, the applicant must have a minimum GPA of 2.75.   Applicants must also meet PSU graduate admission requirements (pages: 60-62 ).

Admission requirements – PhD

Admission requirements for the PhD program include a M.S. degree in an engineering field, science, or closely related area.  All applicants must contact a CEE faculty member prior to submitting an application seeking a PhD advisor. For admission, a student must have a CEE faculty member agree to be his/her PhD advisor. Applicants must also meet PSU graduate admission requirements (pages: 60-62 ).