We offer a wide variety of courses in pure and applied mathematics and statistics, and you'll have the opportunity to choose an emphasis in one or more of these areas.

Our coursework combines advanced training in the core subjects such as analysis, algebra, number theory, set theory and topology, and graph theory, with courses in computational and applied mathematics subjects such as numerical analysis, mathematical optimization, differential equations, partial differential equations, mathematical control theory, and mathematical modeling.

You'll have the opportunity to hone your skills as a researcher with a required research project. Working closely with a faculty advisor, you'll read current mathematical literature in an area of your choice, prepare a research paper, and present the research in a colloquium.

Our excellent faculty bring their expertise and cutting-edge research into your classes. They have strong connections to local industry, and are leading researchers on topics such as algebra and discrete mathematics, analysis, computational mathematics, dynamical systems, differential equations and control, mathematics education, mathematical physics, statistics and applied probability, and topology and geometry.

Research seminars, both department-wide and subject-specific, take place throughout the year, providing you with opportunities to explore mathematical topics and applications outside your classes.

Choose PSU’s International Development Studies major if you’re looking for:

• Exceptional faculty. Our faculty have extensive experience with both teaching and research in international development-related topics in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• Exciting, cutting-edge courses. Our course offerings cover topics such as poverty and inequality, social and environmental movements, and sustainable development.
• An interdisciplinary degree. We offer a flexible interdisciplinary curriculum that can be tailored to your goals and interests.
• Personalized Advising. Professional and faculty advisors are available to support your learning goals and guide you to new opportunities.
• Study Abroad Opportunities. You can enhance your learning by enrolling in one of the 200 credit-bearing international opportunities offered through PSU Education Abroad, including programs in many developing countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.

Our diverse campus is located in the center of downtown Portland, one of the most vibrant cities on the West Coast.

PSU's master's degree in statistics provides you with advanced training in theoretical and applied statistics, exposure to cutting-edge research through our faculty and weekly seminars, consulting experience and a chance to explore a problem in-depth through a master's research paper and presentation.

Our expertly crafted coursework, including a doctorate-level sequence in statistical learning, equips you with the statistical, mathematical and computational techniques you'll need to succeed in the emerging field of data science.

We believe the strength of our program lies in our diverse faculty who bring their expertise and real-world applications of mathematical statistics, sampling theory, survival analysis, nonparametric methods, applied probability, reliability theory, re-sampling methods, image analysis, statistical learning into your classes.

Statistical consulting is also part of the program, providing you with an opportunity to work as a quantitative expert to solve important research problems brought in by clients, both inside and outside the university.

Our program director provides one-on-one advising, helping you develop an individualized course of study that best meets your interests, and providing guidance as you apply to doctoral programs and jobs. Teaching and research assistantships are also available.

In mathematical sciences at PSU, we encourage interdisciplinary work culminating in first-rate, original scholarship. That's why you'll choose a main concentration within the mathematical sciences as well as a secondary concentration that can draw from the natural sciences, social sciences, or engineering.

Common disciplines include computer science, engineering, physics, biology, economics, systems science, finance, urban studies and planning, and public health and medicine.

In your courses, you'll benefit from small classes and personalized attention from faculty whose areas of expertise range from computational neuroscience to numerical analysis and scientific computation for partial differential equations.

You'll have opportunities to gain hands-on experience through an internship with a Portland-area company, and collaborations with faculty and other researchers on projects with the Portland Institute for Computational Science. The PSU-supported initiative aims to promote the effective use of computational technologies to solve scientific problems, create a regional community of researchers interested in using and training others in computational technologies, and procure high-performance computing clusters.

We also offer students support through teaching and research assistantships, fellowships, and scholarships.

Earn your political science degree in Oregon’s largest and most politically active city of Portland. Studying political science in Portland presents a unique opportunity to see how a mid-sized metropolitan city addresses issues such as gentrification, homelessness, police engagement, and social justice from a public policy, legal, political theory, and American political perspective. Situated in the heart of Downtown Portland and within walking distance from multiple city, state, and federal offices, you’ll be able to easily connect with professionals actively engaged in fields such as law, politics, public policy, sustainable global development, and international justice to gain marketable skills in your field of interest, setting you up for the political science career of your dreams.

Internships prepare you for your career beyond Portland State University. Political Science students have access to signing up with a top-notch internship program that connects you with alumni and current working professionals in your field of interest. The Political Science Internship Program helps students tie together what they have learned through coursework with practical political experience. It provides them with an opportunity to earn course credits in a learning situation outside the walls of the traditional classroom.

Students have considerable flexibility in pursuing an internship position that is appropriate for their particular academic or professional needs. A variety of types of internships are acceptable for credit, be it serving as an assistant to a member of Congress or the state legislature, working in the city or county government, assisting a non-profit organization, or participating actively in an election campaign. The main criteria are that the position must be relevant to political science and it must provide the student with an opportunity to gain experience not otherwise available.

Once hired as interns, students work closely with a faculty member who provides a directed course of study to help the students to understand the work they are doing. The interaction with the professor is a major component of the internship program, providing an academic perspective.

Internship Coordinator

In this program, you'll have direct access to the Internship Coordinator Professor Richard Clucas who is the primary liaison between the student interns, the sponsoring organization, and the individual faculty instructors. Professor Clucas can help you find internships, provides advice, monitors your work within the sponsoring organization, help you handle problems that arise on the job, and maintains all internship records. Even though the coordinator handles most of the internships in the department, all regular faculty members in Political Science can oversee internships.

Past Placement

PSU Political Science students have worked as interns in a variety of organizations and positions. Here is a partial listing of some organizations and offices that have accepted interns from the Political Science department within the past few years:

• Members of the Oregon Congressional Delegation
• Oregon House of Representatives
• Oregon Senate Governor’s Office
• Portland Mayor’s Office
• Members of the Portland City Council
• National Coalition for the Homeless
• AFL-CIO summer intern program
• Campaigns for candidates at all levels of government
• The Veterans Administration
• Oregon Assembly for Black Affairs
• U.S. Humane Society
• Multnomah County Commission on Children, Families, and Community
• Portland Development Commission
• Oregon Latino Health Coalition
• Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO)
• Planned Parenthood
• NARAL
• Scottish Parliament
• State Department Mission at the United Nations

Legislative Intern Program

One of the most popular placements for PSU students has been in the State Legislative Intern Program. The Legislative Intern Program was created in 1976 to provide Oregon college students with an opportunity to work within the state legislature, learning leadership responsibilities as well as developing familiarity with the legislative process. Since the Oregon legislature has fewer professional staff members than many states, the student interns can play an important role in a variety of activities related to the legislative process. As a result, this program can be a very valuable and exciting experience. Some of the positions open to students include Legislative Office Assistant, Legislative Committee Assistant, Legislative Counsel Assistant, Information Systems Computer Assistant, and Media Production Assistant. The recommended prerequisite for the Legislative Intern Program is PS 312: Legislative Process, or PS 431: State and Local Politics.

For more information regarding internships, please feel free to contact the Internship Coordinator, Professor Clucas at (503) 725-3258 or hprc@pdx.edu.

Portland State’s unique and nationally recognized core curriculum provides the framework for the sustainability capstone project, which gives you hands-on experience putting sustainability concepts and measures into practice.

Situated in the center of a dynamic urban environment, Portland State is an excellent setting to study sustainable urban development. A transportation hub, PSU is as vibrant as the city that surrounds us. You'll have access to global companies, internships with local government and organizations, and classes taught by professionals actively working in the field of sustainable urban development.

This certificate was crafted with two main goals in mind: first, to guide students through a curriculum on leadership that is appropriate for all majors and accessible for those students that have never thought of themselves as leaders before. And second, to provide actual leadership training to our students. So in short, it's the best of both worlds: it gives students the foundation in academic research on women's leadership as well as practical skills that will help them become leaders in any field. Participants in the certificate program will also have an opportunity to learn from the members of the Center for Women's Leadership, housed in the Hatfield School of Government.

• Small seminars. The majority of classes in the MA in English program are conducted as seminars with a maximum of twelve students. The classroom environment is friendly and supportive, with an emphasis on learning collaboratively.
• Exciting topics. Faculty often teach seminars based on their current research. Recent seminar topics have included postcolonial ecology, sound and Modernism, visual rhetoric, apocryphal Shakespeare, narrative theory, poetry and politics, the Southern Gothic, Romanticism and translation, race and literary studies, and the sublime.
• Outstanding faculty. The faculty of the English Department are accomplished scholars and dedicated teachers. They will challenge and inspire you in the classroom and offer you support and mentorship during your time at the university and beyond.
• Dual degrees. Students have the option of combining the MA in English with a master’s degree in one of the department’s other graduate programs: Creative Writing, Book Publishing, and Professional and Technical Writing. An innovative and flexible curriculum allows students to share credits between programs and graduate with two degrees in a shorter time period.
• Affordable tuition. In addition to Oregon residents, residents of a number of western states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming) as well as the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands and Guam benefit from low in-state tuition. The department also offers a very small number of Graduate Assistantships, which include a stipend and tuition remission for two years.

The faculty at the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government are world leaders in public management, public policy, and domestic and international politics. Most students draw broadly from faculty within the School and often from faculty in partner units such as Economics and Urban Studies and Planning. Portland, Oregon is one of the most livable and vibrant cities in the U.S. and provides a welcoming environment for students. Those working part-time or with families and professional spouses find the city an ideal location for the successful pursuit of the degree.

PSU's Master's in Professional and Technical Writing has a longstanding history and strong connections to industries throughout Portland. Our faculty are industry experts in their own right and make graduate students’ professional success their priority by engaging students with the resources they need to succeed after graduation.

PSU's location in downtown Portland puts it next door to thriving industries in health and technology, which makes it possible for our students to find competitive internships that often lead to employment. And with industries constantly moving into Portland, our program’s employment resources also continue to evolve with the local jobscape.