Admissions | Elementary Education Master's

The Elementary Education program is dedicated to enrolling and retaining a caring, collaborative student body that is student focused and committed to equity. In our immersive program, students develop expertise in social emotional learning, the science of reading and working with multilingual learners.

Admissions Timeline
Program Start	Fall	Winter
Priority Application Deadline*	January 15	--
Final Application Deadline	April 15	October 15
Final Application Materials Due**	April 29	October 29
Prerequisite Deadline	By the start of the program

Additional Timeline Information:

*If you submit by our priority deadline, you will have access to our scholarship application, which is due by March 1st.

**Recommendations can sometimes take longer to arrive. You can submit your application before these have arrived. This deadline is to allow a short grace period for your recommendations to arrive, if necessary.

After submission, your application will be reviewed by staff and faculty. We make every effort to communicate admissions decisions within 4–6 weeks.

Admissions Requirements

Hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
Complete prerequisite coursework
Meet Portland State University's graduate level English language proficiency requirements.

Prerequisite Coursework

MTH 211, 212, 213 - Foundations of Elementary Mathematics

If you believe you have taken a similar course, please review the equivalent prerequisites to determine if the course you completed is pre-approved. Don’t see your class? Please reach out to us or submit a course substitution form.

View course schedules for Portland State and local community colleges if planning to take prerequisites in the area.

OPTIONAL Highly recommended courses

LIB 428 - Children’s Literature
ED 420 - Introduction to Education
CI 432 - Computer Applications
ART 312 - Art for Elementary Teachers
MUS 381 - Music Fundamentals

Elementary music

Music is a single-subject K-12 endorsement. If you are interested in teaching this subject in elementary school, the Graduate Teacher Education Program (GTEP) will be the correct program for you. GTEP leads to a teaching license with a single-subject endorsement.

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. Ensure that official transcripts include any prerequisite courses taken.
English Language Proficiency: Automatically assessed in your application materials. Learn more about your options for proving proficiency.
Résumé
Statement of Purpose: Please answer the following questions in no more than 250 words each. We recommend you provide examples when appropriate. Your answers should reflect how your background, beliefs, and experiences have prepared you for this program.
- Students successful in the LEEP/ Elementary Education are open to learning, responsible (i.e., they take ownership over their learning), caring, student-centered, collaborative, curious about–and committed to–equity); please provide examples of your experience with youth that demonstrate how you meet these dispositional requirements.
- What have you learned about youth, families, and communities from your experiences working with youth in and out of schools? How will your learning inform your approach to teaching?
- What strengths do you have that you think will help you be a successful teacher? How will those strengths help you?
- What is a teacher’s role in relation to diversity and social justice?
Recommendations: Submit contact information for at least two references via the application. Portland State University will contact your references and provide them with instructions for submitting recommendation forms. Please choose individuals who know you well professionally or academically (e.g., supervisors, professors, mentors, coworkers).

Admissions Review Process

We review your application for the following:

Academic Requirements: Via your transcripts, we assess whether you meet the university’s minimum admissions requirements.
Two Recommendations: If possible, at least one of these should come from someone who has seen you work with youth. Your references will submit a questionnaire that you send them via the application portal.
Experience with children and/or youth: Experience working directly with youth before you begin our program ensures that we feel confident about your future success as a teacher. We use your résumé to assess for this experience.
Your Interest: We evaluate your statement of purpose to gain a stronger sense of your interest in the profession and how your experiences have prepared you to become a teacher.

Ready to apply?

Review the PSU Graduate School’s minimum admissions requirements.
Create an account or sign into the Portland State University Admissions Application system.
Select "Start New Application"
Then select "Graduate Application"
For the college, select "College of Education"
For the program of study, select: "Elementary Education, MEd"
Select the term you plan to start the program

Questions? Contact Laura!

Post-Admissions

You will be notified of your admission decision to the program via an email and formal digital letter from the Graduate School. After admission, you will be assigned a faculty advisor and staff student success advisor, both of whom will support you through your program. The college provides an online orientation module to help you take your next steps to begin your program. You will also be invited to a live orientation session to ensure that you’re fully prepared to begin.

A few additional things to keep in mind:

All students must submit their official transcripts to the Graduate School after admission.
If you’re still completing a bachelor’s degree, you must apply for your degree, and it must be awarded by the term before you begin your graduate program. (Ex: if the program begins summer, the degree must be awarded by the end of spring term).
You must register for coursework in the term that you are admitted in order to validate admission to the program. If you do not, your admission status will be canceled.
If you’re unable to begin in your term of admission, you may request a deferral by emailing askcoe@pdx.edu for up to 4 terms (one year). This request must be made before the start of the program.