College of Education

LSE Admissions

Leadership for Sustainability Education (LSE)

Admissions

University requirements

In order to be admitted to the program, students must be able to verify that they received their previous degree(s) from an accredited institution. Students must also be able to verify that they received a cumulative GPA of 3.0 for any undergraduate and/or graduate coursework.

International students must have an official TOEFL score report sent directly to PSU Office of Admission from the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Have the report mailed to: PSU, Office of Admissions and Records, PO Box 751, Portland, OR 97207

A Master of Arts differs from a Master of Science in that there is a second language proficiency requirement for Master of Arts degrees.

Pre-admission

Students may enroll in courses prior to formal admission into the program. Pre-admission credits are defined as credits taken at any institution, including PSU before the term of formal admission.

Students may also transfer credit hours into the degree program subject to approval by the department. These credits are defined as credits earned at any institution other than Portland State University.

Students are limited to 15 credits of any combination of pre-admission and transfer credits to use towards their degree. Courses must not have been used towards any other degree. Courses with grades lower than a “B” and those graded as “Pass/No Pass” are not transferable into the program.

Admissions instructions

  1. Check the application deadline for your program.
  2. Make sure you have everything ready from the Application Checklist.
  3. Create an account or sign into the Portland State University Admissions Application system.
  4. Select "Start New Application" and then "Graduate Application." Do not select "Non-degree". You will not be able to upload the necessary documents with the non-degree application, and your application will not be considered.
  5. For the college, select "College of Education"
  6. For the program of study, select "Educational Leadership and Policy: LSE Specialization, MS"

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.

Questions about the application process?

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

Application checklist

  • Program-specific application
  • Unofficial transcripts are accepted by the College of Education for the program application. You only need to submit transcripts from institutions that you earned a degree from and where any graduate coursework was taken. Additional unofficial transcripts may be sent in if it significantly improves your application GPA. If admitted, you must send in official transcripts from each degree-granting school and any graduate school. More information on submitting official transcripts can be found on the Graduate Admissions page.
    • Acceptable unofficial transcripts are:
      • Web-based transcripts downloaded from an institution: institution and student name must be visible on transcripts
      • Photocopies of official transcripts: these must include the front and back of all pages, including transcript key
    • Previous applicants:
      • If you’ve previously submitted official transcripts to PSU, you are still required to upload unofficial transcripts to complete your application.
  • After you are admitted, you must submit official transcripts to:
    • The Graduate School
      Portland State University
      PO Box 751
      Portland, OR 97207 - 0751
      Electronic official transcripts should be sent to graddocs@pdx.edu
  • Personal statement: A 500-1,000 word essay describing: 1) Your background, experience, and interest in Sustainability Education; 2) Your career goals and why you think the LSE program is appropriate for you; 3) How the LSE mission and guiding principles resonate with your goals; 4) What you hope to contribute to the LSE program.
  • Résumé
  • Two recommendation forms (forms are provided within application)

After the application review is complete, departmental decisions will be emailed to you from the Office of Admissions. Only after you are officially admitted will you be able to register for courses. The whole admission process may take a minimum of up to 4 weeks to complete. Please plan accordingly.

Retention of Student Documents

All application documents submitted to PSU become the property of the University and may not be copied or returned to a student. Transcripts from other institutions cannot be copied. If you have any questions regarding the application process, please email askcoe@pdx.edu.

It is a University requirement that students register and pay for at least one credit in the term they are admitted. Failure to do so will result in automatic cancellation of your admission. If you need to change the term for which you intend to begin classes after you have submitted your application, please contact your department at askcoe@pdx.edu to discuss your options.