College of Education

Admissions | Graduate Teacher Education Program

The Graduate Teacher Education Program is committed to attracting, enrolling, and retaining a diverse student body that mirrors our K-12 student population. We prepare teachers who can meet the needs of all of their students, are experts in their content areas, and utilize new technologies to innovate in their classrooms.

Admissions Timeline
Application OpensSeptember 1
Priority Application Deadline*January 15
Final Application DeadlineMarch 1
Final Application Materials Due**January 29
Information NightTBD
Mandatory OrientationJune 2, 2025
**Final NES Content Area Test DeadlineJune 15, 2025
Program StartJune 23, 2025

Additional Timeline Information:

*If you submit by our priority deadline, you will have the following benefits:

  • Access to our scholarship application, which is due by February 1st
  • Priority for admission to the 1-year program

**Letters of recommendation 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.

***Some content areas require a completed NES test at the time of application, please refer to the Content Area Requirements for more information.

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

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
  • English Language Proficiency: Automatically assessed in your application materials. Learn more about your options for proving proficiency.
  • Content area requirement form: Complete the content area requirement form and upload it in the "program-specific questions" section of your GTEP application.
  • Résumé outlining your work and volunteer experience with youth in an educational setting
  • Statement of Purpose: Please complete a statement of purpose that answers the following prompt: Please describe what you hope to accomplish as a teacher and why. In your essay, draw on what you have learned from your specific experiences working with children or in other contexts. [500-750 words]. 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.
  • Recommendations: Submit contact information for at least three references via the application. Portland State University will contact your references and provide them with instructions for submitting recommendation forms.

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.
  • Content Area Expertise: As a secondary teacher, your knowledge and love of your subject are vital to your success working with youth. We evaluate your content area knowledge via your content area requirement form. Your interest in the subject is assessed through your statement of purpose.
  • 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. Please note that if you do not have experience with youth in an educational setting, you can only be admitted to the two-year program.
  • Three 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.

Questions? Please connect with Laura Sequeira.

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: "Graduate Teacher Education Program GTEP - Secondary, MEd"
  6. Select the term you plan to start the program
    1. Please note that GTEP only admits for a summer start each year.

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:

  1. You must submit your official transcripts to the graduate school after admission.
  2. 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).
  3. 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.