Graduate Admission Requirements & Deadlines

Admission Requirements for MS and MEng

Admission requirements for the MS and MEng degrees include a B.S 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.

MS Applicants: the thesis or research project option for the MS program requires a faculty advisor. If there is no faculty advisor available, MS applicants that meet the minimum requirements for admission may be offered enrollment in the MEng program. It is sometimes possible for an MEng student to switch to the MS program at a later date if a research opportunity arises, though this is not guaranteed.

Applicants with GPAs below 2.75: should review the Department's Policy for Students Applying to the MS/MEng Program with UGPA < 2.75. 

Applicants who do not have a B.S. degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering: should review this advising website on "Qualifying for Admission to the Graduate Program without a Bachelor's Degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering."

Bachelor's + Master's Pathway students: Pathway students must still apply to the Graduate Program and will be admitted to the Graduate Program as long as the B+M Pathway continuation criteria are satisfied.

Requirements for PhD Applicants

Admission requirements for the PhD program include an MS 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.

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Application Deadlines

The CEE Department admits graduate students fall, winter, and spring terms. There are two deadlines for each term, the application deadline, and the supplemental materials deadline. Supplemental materials include test scores and letters of recommendation. All applications must be fully completed by the supplemental materials deadline in order to be evaluated.

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Funding Opportunities

• Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA): GTA positions are determined by the Admissions Committee and may be available to students admitted fall term. Any additional GTA positions will be open to all admitted students to apply to and will be announced by the Department 1-2 months before the start of fall, winter, or spring terms.  
• Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA): GRA positions can be made available by faculty based on available research. Interested applicants may reach out to any faculty they are interested in working with to learn more about funding opportunities in their research groups.
• Graduate Assistantship information (eligibility, tuition & fee remission, stipend)
• Scholarships
• Graduate School Funding and Awards

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Application Process

Application & Fees

Students can apply to any graduate program through Graduate Admissions.

Application Fee Waivers:

• MS and MEng applicants: the CEE department does not offer fee waivers for MS and MEng applicants. 
• PhD applicants: the applicant must have a CEE faculty member agree to be his/her PhD advisor. If the applicant has reached out to faculty and has an advisor, the CEE Department will waive the application fee. If the applicant does not have an advisor, they will not be admitted to the program.
• All applicants: may check the Graduate Admission website to see if they are eligible 

Required Documents

Portland State University's graduate application requires the following documents:

• Copies of your transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended
• Proof of English language proficiency

International applicants must also submit:

• Official degree certificate/diploma
• Official translation of transcripts (Original, official copies are not required to apply, so you do not need to mail paper copies as part of your application. If you are admitted further instructions for submitting your official documents will be included in your admission letter.)
• Proof of English language proficiency
• Financial documentation demonstrating adequate financial support for at least the first year of study

In addition to the above requirements, the program-specific sections of the application require the following information and documents:

• Your degree option (MEng, MS - Project, MS - Thesis, or PhD)
• Your selected concentration area (Structural, Transportation, Geotechnical, or Environmental/Water Resources)
• An adviser preference (PhD only). Since the PhD student must have a supervising adviser for admittance, all prospective PhD students must contact one of the faculty members in their research area of interest prior to submitting their PhD application. 
• A statement of purpose describing your long term career goals and why you are applying to the graduate program. You should clearly describe your research interests and strengths. This is an important statement. Please limit your statement to no more than one page.
• A current resume or curriculum vitae
• The email addresses of three (3) people who will provide letters of recommendation for you.  Select these carefully. At least one reference should be a faculty member from a previous degree program/academic institution who is familiar with your academic performance. Please note: your recommenders will each receive a recommendation request via email. You will be able to check the status of your letters of recommendation, send reminder emails to recommenders, and send requests to new recommenders by logging in to your online account. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that letters of recommendation are submitted on time. 
• GRE scores (required for MS and PhD applicants who do not have a previous degree from a university in the United States, not required for MEng applicants). In addition to entering your scores on the application, please have official scores sent directly to PSU from ETS using the following codes:
  • PSU School Code: 4610
  • CEE Department Code: 1102

Failure to supply complete and accurate information will subject a student to the University’s policies governing academic dishonesty.

Decision Notification

Applicants will receive their admission decision through the application once it has been made. The CEE Department does not have a timeline or deadline for when decisions are made.

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