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LSE Frequently Asked Questions

When do I need to submit my application?
LSE new wtudent applications are now being accepted until February 15, 2012. Students will only be admitted for fall term 2012. Students will not be admitted in winter, spring, or summer terms of 2012.

Do I need to take the GRE?
No. The LSE program admission application does not require GRE scores.

How long is the program?
The LSE program requires the completion of at least 45 credits. This includes the Professional Studies Core (16 credits), LSE Foundational Courses (8 credits), LSE Thematic Specialization (12 credits), Culminating Experience: LSE Comprehensive Exam Course or Thesis (4 credits), and Electives (5 credits).

Students typically take 2-3 courses during each quarter, selecting courses from the professional core, the LSE foundational courses, the LSE thematic specialization and electives. A master’s degree can be completed within a period of 18 months to two years.

How many students are accepted into the program each year? How competitive is the admission process?
In the fall term of 2010, the ELP department welcomed 14 new LSE students. In the fall term of 2011, ELP will welcome 22 new LSE students. The admission process is competitive.

What do I need to submit with my application? Do I submit my application to the Educational Leadership and Policy (ELP) Department?
To apply to the LSE program, you must submit the LSE program application including the goal statement and a current resume, a Graduate School of Education/University application (gse_university_gradapp.pdf), $50.00 application fee, and one official transcript from each university or college you have attended.

Additionally, you must submit two letters reference from individuals who can speak to your potential. See the LSE program application for more instructions on the formatting of the letters, which should be sent directly to the Educational Leadership and Policy Office at the address below.

All application materials listed above should be sent to:

Portland State University
Graduate School of Education
ELP Department
PO Box 751
Portland, OR 97207

Can I take classes in the program before being admitted?
Quick entry is a great option for students interested in exploring the program before formally applying or for students who are late in applying to the LSE program for a specific term. As a Quick Entry student, you are not formally admitted to the University, but you may enroll in as many as eight credits in Fall, Winter, and Spring, and up to 21 credits in Summer. Up to 15 credits are transferable to a graduate program. Certain courses that require a prerequisite or formal University admission are not available to Quick Entry students. Student services such as financial aid, career counseling, and transfer evaluation are not available to Quick Entry students.

Becoming a Quick Entry student is fast and easy. Go to the online Quick Entry Form and choose "First time user account creation." The online process takes only a few minutes to complete, and generates a student record and ID number so you may begin the registration process as soon as possible. Make sure to have your credit card available when enrolling online; a non-refundable $10 processing fee applies and is charged to your credit card as part of the form completion process.

Alternately, download and print a Quick Entry form. Submit the paper form, along with the non-refundable $10 processing fee, to the Office of Admissions, Registration, and Records. As soon as the form is processed -- usually within 24 hours of submission -- they will mail you the information you need to register for classes.

How much does the LSE program cost?
The cost of the program depends on your residency status as well as the number of credits you decide to take each term. See the Portland State Tuition Estimator at http://www.bao.pdx.edu/tuition_estimator/ to determine the cost of your tuition for the given academic year.

Is there financial aid or scholarships available for the LSE program?
Your eligibility for financial aid is determined by the Portland State Financial Aid Office. Please visit http://www.pdx.edu/finaid/ or contact them at (503)725-3461 or toll-free: (800)547-8887 for information about financial aid eligibility, types of financial aid available, instructions and deadlines for completing your FAFSA and other financial aid related questions.

In terms of scholarships, Portland State offers a number of scholarships to graduate students. Please see http://www.sa.pdx.edu/scholarships/ to search for general Portland State scholarships, as well as the Graduate School of Education's scholarship page at http://www.pdx.edu/education/. Each scholarship has its own specific application instructions and deadlines.

What is a graduate assistantship and how do I apply?
Graduate Assistantships provide remission of the instructional fee portion of tuition and a salary on a regular periodic basis as compensation for the service provided each term of the appointment (see the Tuition Remission Policypdf). There are three types of assistantships: teaching, research, and administrative. Graduate assistants must be full-time graduate students, regularly admitted to a graduate degree program, and in good academic standing to begin an assistantship. Students are free to apply for assistantships in any department (academic or administrative), not only in the department to which they are admitted. Students wishing to apply for graduate assistantships must correspond directly with the department offering the assistantship.

Information about Educational Leadership and Policy (ELP) Department graduate assistantships can be found at http://www.pdx.edu/elp/. Only a few graduate assistantships are available through the ELP Department each year and the selection process is highly competitive. Look for ads on the website or on the LSE program listserv in May and June for upcoming openings. To join the LSE student listserv, go to https://www.lists.pdx.edu/lists/listinfo/leclstudents.

For graduate assistant openings in other departments, as well as more information on tuition remission, stipend amounts, etc., please visit the Office of Graduate Studies website at http://www.pdx.edu/ogs/graduate-assistantships.

Can graduate credits taken at a previous institution transfer into the program?
Up to 15 graduate credits can transfer as electives towards LSE program requirements, upon Department/Program approval. You may also use the ELP Department/LSE Program petition for Course Substitution to request course waiver or substitution related to course previously taken at another institution.

What are Community Based Learning hours? What are my options for Community Based Learning?
Community Based Learning (CBL) provides meaningful opportunities for students to interface their classroom experiences with issues in the local community. Many ELP courses carry a requirement for 30 credit hours of community-based learning. Specific requirements for community based learning are set by the instructor. Community based learning can be carried out in a variety of organizations and educational settings across the metropolitan region. LSE students with an interest in school and community gardens often volunteer at the Learning Gardens Laboratory assisting with classes for middle school students or for special events. Other students volunteer in local non-formal and formal education organizations or for non-profit organizations. Students are advised to create a plan for their CBL hours that creates a variety of meaningful experiences that supports their future career goals. See http://www.pdx.edu/elp/lecl_cbl for more information about CBL and a list of possible CBL opportunities in the local area.

What are my options for elective credit? Can I take elective courses outside of the department?
Yes. LSE students are encouraged to select a minimum of 5 credit hours of electives courses that align with their interests and support their future careers. LSE students have chosen electives from various departments on campus including Environmental Sciences and Management, the School of Urban Studies and Planning, Conflict Resolution, the Institute for Nonprofit Management, Sociology, and the School of Community Health. Some LSE students also participate in the sustainability certificate program (http://www.pdx.edu/sustainability/) in conjunction with their degree requirements.

Students may also design a self-directed internship experience, ELP 509 (1-4 credits). Students are responsible for setting up their own internship with a community organization of their choice.

What types of jobs do students get after graduating from the LSE program?
LSE graduates work in a wide variety of jobs after they graduate from PSU. LSE graduates work in non-profit organizations, governmental agencies, schools, and non-formal education organizations (e.g., museums, botanical garden, and nature centers). Some also work in the private sector and others open their own businesses. See examples of LSE alumni work at http://www.pdx.edu/elp/lecl_alumni.

What are some examples of Thesis and Culminating Project Topics of past LSE students?

"Planning for Justice: Inclusion of Participatory Research in the Planning Process" ~ Jonathan M. Pierce

"Designing Schools as Ecosystems: Evaluation of Whole Schools for Whole Students" ~ Michelle Mathis

"Sustaining the Mountain, Sustaining Ourselves: A critical investigation of how to bring about sustainability to the ski culture and industry" ~ Tommy McKoy

"An Ethnographic Study of Women's Leadership in Environmental Activism in a High School Setting" ~ Kathleen Fullerton

"Grandfather Buzzard: The Biocultural Recovery of Condors in the Pacific Northwest" ~ David Moen

"R.E.S.O.U.R.C.E. (Reclaiming Everyone's Soil: Opportunity to Understand Relational Cycles of Ecology" ~ Laura Devorak

"Food Security in Nicaragua" ~ Randi Taylor-Habib

"A Survey of Oregon School Gardens" ~ Haley Smith

"Watershed Governance Principles and Practices in Portland, Oregon" ~ Jamie Walker

"Creating Caring Citizens: An Ethnographic Study of the Open Meadow CRUE Program in Portland, Oregon" ~ Ari Alberg

"Solo Sol: A Permaculture Model of Online Education for Sustainability" ~ Jess Work

"Building Community Food Systems through Assessment, Projects, and Policy: A Case Study of the Lents Food Group in Southeast Portland, Oregon" ~ Megan Fehrman

"Watershed Education through Bioregionalism, Mapping, and a Narrative of the Colombia River" ~ Jason Schmidt

"Teaching Sensory Awareness to Middle Schoolers: A Study in Developing the Relationship between Students and their Local Outdoor Environment" ~ Mindy Dornblaser (with Dawn Williams)

"Critical Evaluation of Inclusive Business Prosperity in North and Northeast Portland" ~ Sarah LoGoudice

"The Nature of Human Perception of Wolves" ~ Laura Nobel

"Children of the Soil: Exploring Dr. Montessori's Vision of Edkinder for Contributions to the Ecoliteracy Movement" ~ Michelle Calascibeta

"The Consumer and the Egg: Negotiating EcoLabels" ~ Michele Knaus

"Planting Seeds in the World Garden: Tending the Inner and Outer Foodsheds" ~ Marcia Thomas

"Green Path to Health and Healing" ~ Judy BlueHorse Skelton

"Education for Action: Integrating Children, the Community, and the Environment" ~ Bill Irelan

"The Perceptual Implications of Place: An Ethnographic Analysis of Emerging Community and Culture" ~ Yveline Wilnau

"Restoring our relationship with the Rain: Towards a Sustainable Water Culture in the Pacific Northwest through Rainwater Harvesting" ~ Adam LeBrun

"Coming to know (in) this Place Called Home: Teaching and Learning Sustainability at Portland Community College" ~ Karen Wolfgang

"Bringing Back the Mapik: An Autoethnographic Exploration of the Qom Children's Schooling in Rosario, Argentina" ~ Tuba Rodriguez

"Horses, Mediterranean Ancient Sites, and the Berlin Wall: Perspectives on Language, Culture, Ecology, and Identity" ~ Daphne Goumas

"The Promise of Garden-Based Education in an age of Ecological Regeneration and Public Participation: An Autoethnographic Inquiry" ~ Matt Bibeau

"Promoting Office Sustainability through the Implementation of the Natural Step Framework" ~ Kerrie McKee

"A Sustainable Mt. Tabor: Harnessing the Power of Community" ~ Scott Yelton

"HOME: A Narrative" ~ Ann Peacock

"Portland Community College Rock Creek Organic Learning Garden: Opportunities for Transformative Learning, Healing and Hope for the Future" ~ Karen Cox

"Bridging Ecology, Culture and Learning: A Chicana Ethnography" ~ Michelle Aldama-Shaw

"Facilitating Year-Round Garden-Based Educational Opportunities: Crop Rotation Planning at the Learning Gardens Laboratory" ~ Bob Hatton

"Sustainability My Campus: An Autoethnography of my Experiences in Sustainability at PSU" ~ Sion Zivetz

"A Case Study: Clackamas County Sustainability Training Module, Based on the Natural Step Framework" ~Juliene Price

"Taking Farm to School Outside the Cafeteria Walls: Community Education and Ecotrust's Community Partner Program" ~Nell Tessman

What happened to LECL?
The LECL program was recently changed to Leadership for Sustainability Education (LSE). Information about the program can be found at www.pdx.edu/elp/lse.