College of Education

Admissions | Sustainable Food Systems

The Sustainable Food Systems program is committed to attracting, enrolling, and retaining a diverse student body that works effectively and emergently with others to challenge dominant systems to create just and regenerative communities and ecosystems. We prepare leaders and educators who emphasize interconnectedness, social and ecological justice, relationship-building, and skills for sustainable change in a variety of settings.

Admissions Timeline
Program StartFallWinterSpringSummer
Final Application DeadlineAugust 15November 15February 15May 15

Additional Timeline Information:

Applications are reviewed as they are received, once all materials have arrived and the application is complete. Once complete, your application will be reviewed by staff and faculty. We make every effort to communicate admissions decisions within 4 weeks of application completion.

Admissions requirements

  • Possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
  • Have a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or the equivalent (on the U.S. 4.0 scale).
  • Applicants who have earned 9 or more letter-graded graduate credits must have a minimum graduate GPA of 3.0 or the equivalent; this graduate GPA supersedes the undergraduate GPA.

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.
  • Statement of Purpose:
    • Q1: Please describe your personal and/or professional experience that demonstrate the following dispositions of our ideal student:
      • Values the importance of multiple, diverse perspectives and working collaboratively with diverse groups to affect change;
      • Wants to critically examine dominant systems and paradigms by building understanding of how power, privilege, and injustice impact relationships;
        Demonstrates a commitment to equity and inclusion across race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual identification, language, religion, ability, or any other potentially marginalized group;
      • Demonstrates honesty and trustworthiness;
      • Demonstrates flexibility, a willingness to listen, accept and adapt to change, and a tolerance for ambiguity;
      • Accepts responsibility for own actions;
      • Demonstrates a willingness and desire to work collaboratively with others in a manner that honors and respects all participants;
      • Strives for ongoing professional learning and personal development;
      • Demonstrates responsiveness to feedback and a willingness to reflect on own learning, decisions, and practices;
      • Wants to develop knowledge and skills to help build a more just, sustainable food system.
    • Q2: Describe why you are applying to PSU's Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Food Systems, including:
      • (a) your scholarly interest in the program;
      • (b) how it will advance your academic, personal and/or professional goals; and
      • (c) what you hope to gain from the program.

Admissions Review Process

We review your application for the following:

  • Academic requirements: Via your transcripts, we assess whether you meet the program requirements as well as the university’s minimum admissions requirements.
  • Statement of purpose: Essays will be reviewed in terms of your scholarly interest in the program, the connection between your academic, personal and/or professional goals and our program, and your ability to communicate. We recommend reviewing the certificate's learning outcomes and considering them in your response.

Ready to apply?

  1. Review the PSU Graduate School’s minimum admissions requirements.
  2. Create an account or sign into the Portland State University Admissions Application system.
  3. Select "Start New Application"
  4. Then select "Graduate Application"
  5. For the college, select "College of Education"
  6. For the program of study, select "Educational Leadership: Sustainable Food Systems, Graduate Certificate"
  7. Select the term you plan to start the program.
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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. All students must submit their 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.
  4. If you’re unable to begin in your term of admission, you may request a deferral for up to 4 terms (one year) by emailing askcoe@pdx.edu. This request must be made before the start of the program.