Prospective Graduate Students

• Prospective Graduate Students Home
• Application Process & Deadlines
• Faculty list
• Finding a major professor
• Assistantships
• Forms and Links
• Life in Corvallis
• International Student Information

Graduate Application Process and Deadlines

Applications must be postmarked by:  January 15

        Read and follow these instructions carefully to be considered for admission.

       Applications are accepted for Fall admission.

Application Requirements (details below):

¨     1. OSU Application  (Online or paper application- Admissions Office)

¨     2. GRE scores

¨     3. Transcripts

¨     4. TOEFL (International Students ONLY)

¨     5. 3 Letters of Reference

¨     6. Statement of interest (**PSM applicants- follow special instructions)

¨     7. Application for Assistantships  (Application)

¨     8. Find a major professor (**Not required for PSM applicants)

         Send items numbered 1, 2, 3 & 4 directly to the Admissions Office-

Office of Admissions

Oregon State University

104 Kerr Administration Building

Corvallis, OR  97331-2106           

         Send items 5, 6 & 7 in one envelope directly to the ESGP office-

Environmental Sciences Graduate Program

Oregon State University

2046 Cordley Hall

Corvallis, OR   97331

             Remember: Mail your complete application by January 15.

           Applications are not evaluated until all items have been received. 

Details about the application requirements:

1. OSU Application. Submit your application directly to the Admissions Office.  Items sent to the admissions office are processed and forwarded on to the Environmental Sciences Graduate Program, which could take as long as two weeks.  We recommend that items sent to the admissions office be sent in advance of the January 15 deadline so that we receive your complete application in a timely manner.

2. GRE Scores. 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.

3. Transcripts from every college and university attended. Submit all of your transcripts in sealed envelopes directly to the Admissions Office.  Request transcripts early so that they are received and forwarded to our office in a timely manner.

4. 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.

5. Three Letters of Reference. Three letters in sealed envelopes with signature across the seal should be sent in one package (with your statement of interest) directly to the ESGP office.  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, or are unable to send your letters and statement in one envelope, please let us know via email.

6. Statement of Intent and Goals.

Only one copy is needed. There is no need to send an additional copy to the Admissions Office.

**PSM applicants must write “Professional Science Master’s Program” across the top of their statement in large font.

The online application has a section for your statement, however a copy should be submitted directly to the ESGP office.  The statement should be a maximum of two pages typed, 12 pt font. This is perhaps the most important requirement for the application.  A BRIEF personal history regarding why you are interested in pursuing graduate studies in Environmental Sciences at Oregon State University should be included.  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 these projects.

Your statement MUST include a list of professors that you have already contacted regarding their ability and/or willingness to serve as your major professor (see below)

7. 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. 

8. 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.  Over half of our qualified applicants are denied admission because they can not find a major professor to work with them. 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 no 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. Remember, our students can work with individuals in any department.

Because we are not a department and our students can work with any professor, our office staff is not able to stay up-to-date with the current research projects of every professor in the university.  It is the applicant's responsibility to identify and contact professors with whom they would like to work.

Keep in mind that this search can take a long time.  When your complete application has been received, we will first scan your application onto our password protected website.  Then we will email the professor(s) that is/are listed on your statement of interest with access information to view your application. This email is rarely enough to secure a major professor, that is why applicants must contact professors directly via email, phone, mail or personal contact.  When you find professors that are interested in working with you, they can contact our office by email to gain access to your application online. 

 ** PSM applicants do not need to find a major professor to be admitted to the program.

Return to Prospective Students