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Prospective Graduate Students
Graduate Application Process and Deadlines
Application Deadline: January 15
Material must be postmarked no later than
January 15th. If this date lands on a weekend or holiday
materials must be postmarked by the next working day.
Applications for Fall admission are preferred.
In addition to the minimum requirements set forth here for the Environmental Sciences program, all applicants must meet the general requirements of the Graduate School.
New for 2008-09: We are no longer requiring applicants to apply to the university before we consider you for admission. Once we have received your application materials (listed below) if you are tentatively admitted to the program you will be asked to apply to the university
and pay the $50 application fee.
Application Requirements:
(details below)
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1. Cover letter stating which program you are applying
to, your name, address, phone number and email address.
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2. OSU application
printed and filled out from
http://oregonstate.edu/admissions/publications/
(Graduate or International Graduate)
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3. Statement of interest (**PSM applicants must follow special instructions)
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4. 3 Letters of Reference
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5. GRE test scores (general GRE)
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6. Transcripts (1 unofficial to be sent with application,
official transcripts to be sent to the university if asked to
apply)
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7. TOEFL (International Students ONLY)
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8. Application for Assistantships (Application)
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9. Search for major professors (**Not required for PSM applicants)
Send all items in one envelope directly to the ESGP office
Environmental Sciences Graduate Program
Oregon State University
2046 Cordley Hall
Corvallis, OR 97331
linda.james@oregonstate.edu
Remember: The deadline for application is January 15.
Submit your application early to guarantee that all materials arrive
on time.
Details about the application requirements:
2.
OSU application- go to
http://oregonstate.edu/admissions/publications/, print out
either the Graduate Application or the International Graduate
Application, whichever is appropriate for you, fill it out and
send it in with your application materials. The major code
is 5420.
3. Statement of Intent and Goals.
**PSM applicants must write “Professional Science Master’s Program” across the top of their statement in large font.
Your statement should be less than two pages typed, 12 pt font. This is perhaps the most important requirement for your application. Your statement should include a BRIEF personal history regarding why you are interested in pursuing a graduate education in Environmental Sciences at Oregon State University. The main focus of your statement should be what specifically you would like to research.
In order to be successful, graduate students must have a well defined idea of what type of research, and in what field, they would like to undertake for their thesis project. Vague interests such as “human-environmental interactions” or “environmental degradation” are not helpful in finding a specific track to pursue. Specific interests, for example “riparian management in forest ecosystems" or "remediation of toxic waste sites,” can make finding a major professor and research project much easier than broad, unfocused topics. Applicants should have a firm understanding of what they want to research, what types of research projects are currently being conducted at Oregon State, and how their interests coincide with the projects.
Please include a list of professors that you have contacted and those that you are interested in working with on developing your research and study plan.
4. Three Letters of Reference. Three letters in sealed envelopes with signature across the seal should be sent in one package directly to the ESGP office.
Letters may also be emailed directly to
Linda James. Letters should come from academic or professional contacts that have had enough experience working with the applicant to evaluate the individual’s ability to be successful in a graduate program. At least one letter should be from a professor. Letters from personal references are not acceptable. If you have questions about your references, please feel free to email us.
5. GRE Scores.
If you have unofficial copies of your GRE scores send them with
your application materials to the ESGP office. If you do
not have unofficial copies please have your official GRE scores sent to the Admissions office. The School code is 4586 and the department code for Environmental Sciences is 0502. Your GRE scores should be from a test date within the last 5 years. You should plan to take your GRE’s well in advance of the deadline as it may take weeks for scores to reach our office.
6. Transcripts from every college and university attended.
7. TOEFL. TOEFL scores are required for all international students. Please have your official TOEFL scores sent directly to the Admissions Office, the school code is 4586. You should arrange to take the TOEFL well in advance of the deadline as it may take weeks for scores to reach our office.
8. Application for Assistantships. If you choose to submit an application for an assistantship, please send the completed form with your other application materials to the ESGP office.
Please be aware that there are not enough assistantships through
the program for everyone who would like one.
9. Find a major professor.
What is a major professor?
How to find a major professor
This is the most complicated requirement for admission to the ESGP program, and the primary reason that applicants are not admitted to the program. Finding a major professor can be very time consuming and difficult. Professors are incredibly busy, and even the most dedicated applicant may find contacting and receiving a reply from potential major professors challenging and frustrating. However, this is a necessary step for admission to the Masters and PhD Environmental Sciences program. Start early and be persistent. Find faculty that share your interests, study their most recent publications and explore their future research goals. The Environmental Sciences Graduate Program allows tremendous flexibility to explore a broad range of classes and topics, so our students can work with ANY professor in the college and even affiliated professionals in the community (Major professors must be qualified to work with graduate students). The Program is not a Department in the traditional sense, so there is not list of faculty that work exclusively with Environmental Sciences students. We do have a Faculty list of professors that have worked with our students before, but applicants should not feel limited to this list, students can work with individuals in any department. Keep in mind that this search can take a long time, but it is the most common limiting factor in our admissions decisions. When you find professors that are interested in working with you, please have them contact our office by email, and they will be able to view your password protected application online.
** PSM applicants do not need to find a major professor to be admitted to the program.
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