Graduate Application Instructions

Master's applicants seeking financial support must ensure all components of the application are complete by February 1.

Doctoral applicants seeking financial support must ensure all components of the application are complete by January 15.

See Step 7 for instructions on how to monitor your application status to ensure all components are complete. 

Application open date: One year before the beginning of the term for which you are applying. 

Application close date:

• PhD Mathematical Sciences - February 1st (fall term admission only)
• PhD Mathematics Education - February 1st (fall term admission only)
• MS Statistics - June 1st (fall term admission only)
• MA/MS Mathematics - 2 weeks before the term starts (rolling admissions: fall, winter, spring, summer)
• MS Mathematics for Teachers - 2 weeks before the term starts (rolling admissions: fall, winter, spring, summer)
• Graduate Certificate in Applied Statistics - 2 weeks before the term starts (Fall, Winter, Spring terms admissions only)
• Graduate Certificate in Mathematics for Middle School Mathematics Teachers - 2 weeks before the term starts (rolling admissions: fall, winter, spring)

If you are currently enrolled in a graduate program at PSU and would like to add or change a program of study you can do so by filling out a GO-19 Form. 

Currently admitted graduate students in good academic standing must submit a GO-19 form if they wish to:

• transfer to a different degree or graduate certificate program;
• add admission to another degree or graduate certificate program; 
• add admission to an education license or endorsement. 

If you're new to graduate studies at PSU:

You can apply online through the Graduate School.

All applicants applying to a PhD program you must apply online through the graduate school, these programs are not eligible for a GO-19 application. 

Applicants wishing to pursue graduate level studies at Portland State University must meet the university's minimum requirements with regard to having earned a bachelor's degree, undergraduate grade point average, and English language proficiency. 

Please note: if you plan to ask for a waiver to the proof of English language proficiency requirement, please upload to your application a letter from your last university on official letterhead attesting to your English language skills. You will be uploading it specifically to the TOEFL score report section.  This option is not a replacement for proof of English language proficiency and it is at the discretion of the department whether to ask the university for a waiver to the requirement. Please do not email the department asking for a waiver.

Prior to applying, applicants are expected to have successfully completed the program prerequisites with a grade of "B" or better.  Applicants who are either currently registered for the program prerequisites, or are missing at most two prerequisites, may be offered conditional admission at the department's discretion if the application is otherwise excellent.  Program prerequisites are listed in the admission section of each program description. 

When completing the online graduate application, you may be asked for program specific supplementary materials in addition to uploaded copies of transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. Please make sure you upload the transcript legend or grading key for all schools. The transcript legend is typically found on the back side of each page of the official transcripts. 

Here are the optional and required supplementary materials by program:
Master of Sciences/Master of Arts in Mathematics (MTH)
Master of Science in Statistics (STAT)
Master of Science in Mathematics for Teachers (MS-MTCH)
Ph.D. in Mathematical Sciences (MTHS)
Ph.D. in Mathematics Education (MTED)
Graduate Certificate in Applied Statistics (GCAS)

Master's and doctoral program applicants may apply for a graduate assistantship from the department. Positions are limited and highly competitive. Priority consideration goes to doctoral applicants whose application is complete by the deadline (refer to step 1 above). The program application will ask if you are interested in a graduate assistantship. If you indicate "yes", you will then be asked to provide the following materials:

• a description of your background in mathematics/statistics and previous teaching, tutoring, grading experiences. This statement is in addition to any other portfolio or personal statement asked for in the program application. There is no length requirement to this statement.
• the names and email addresses of two references. Recommendation letters should come from a professional or academic reference who can comment on your ability to do graduate work and your teaching potential.  If the program you are applying to already requires reference letters, then additional references are not required. It is to your benefit to let your recommenders know that you are also applying for a graduate assistantship so that they can address your teaching potential in their reference letter. 
• indicate which classes you feel comfortable teaching from a  list of 100 and 200 level math and statistics classes provided within the application
• a CV or resume is optional

Login or create a new account in the application portal.

If materials are needed for your application, you will receive an email noting what is missing.  Access your program application and check your admission status using the account you created in the application portal. 

Please keep in mind that it is your responsibility to ensure that your recommenders have submitted their recommendations by the appropriate departmental deadline.

You may manage your recommendations by logging in to the application portal. If you need to delete a recommender, click the "Edit" button next to the recommender's name then select "Exclude." This will allow you to enter a new recommender. To change the email address of a recommender post-submission, follow the same process to exclude the recommender and then create a new entry with the correct email address.

If you have questions about the admissions process, please contact Graduate Program Administrator at mathstatgrad@pdx.edu.

If you have academic advising or career related questions about one of our graduate programs, contact the adviser for your program of interest.

Regarding graduate assistantships: If you applied for a graduate assistantship and you are in the first round of offers, the offer will be included in your admission letter.  Applicants have until April 15th to accept or decline the offer. Once an offer is declined, an offer will be made to another applicant. This process may take some time until all available slots are taken. Please be assured, everyone who applied for a graduate assistantship will be contacted by the department by email once all available positions are taken.  Therefore, please do not email the department asking about the status of your graduate assistantship application.