College of Education

Admissions | Curriculum and Instruction

Admission Requirements
  • Hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
  • Have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. If your GPA is lower than 3.0, contact the pre-admissions advisor
  • The Master of Science (MS) does not require foreign language competency.
  • The Master of Arts (MA)  indicates competency in a foreign language. The Department of World Languages and Literature administers the required foreign language examination.
Admissions Timeline
Program StartFallWinterSpringSummer
Final Application DeadlineAugust 15November 15February 15May 15

Required Application Materials

Below is the list of the materials and information you will need to provide as part of your online application. We recommend preparing these materials in advance of submitting your application.

  • Unofficial Transcripts: from your bachelor’s degree-granting institution and from any institution at which you have earned graduate-level credit.
  • Official Transcripts: After you are admitted, you must submit official transcripts to the Graduate School.
  • Résumé
  • Statement of Purpose: Describe your career goals, professional experiences and/or accomplishments, and your reason for applying to the program.
  • References: Submit contact information for two references via the application. Portland State University will contact your references and provide them with instructions for submitting recommendation forms.

Admissions instructions

  1. Create an account or sign into the Portland State University Admissions Application system.
  2. Select "Start New Application"
  3. Then select "Graduate Application"
  4. For the college, select "College of Education"
  5. For the program of study, select from:
    "Curriculum and Instruction, Masters," or
    "Curriculum and Instruction online masters program"
  6. Select the term you plan to start the program

To validate your admission you must take a course during the term in which you have requested to be admitted. Should you not take a course in that term, your application will be cancelled and you will need to reapply to the next cohort. The on campus program is not a cohort so you can apply and start taking your core courses and electives at any time. The online program starts their core courses fall term as a cohort. You may apply for admission for the online program for a different term, start by taking your elective courses, and then jump in with the new cohort fall term and begin your core courses together online.

Questions about the application process?

If you have questions about the application process, contact askcoe@pdx.edu.
Learn about available scholarships and financial aid.