Admissions Requirements

U.S. Citizens and Immigrants (Domestic Undergraduate Applicants)

Application

Domestic students must submit the following information to the Office of Admissions.

1. Application form and nonrefundable fee. Students may apply online, or obtain the application form at www.pdx.edu/admissions/apply. The application may also be obtained from the PSU Office of Admissions and at the counseling offices in most Oregon high schools and community colleges. To assure consideration for admission, the application should be submitted by the priority filing dates listed and must be accompanied by a nonrefundable $50 application fee (fees subject to change without notice). The application and the nonrefundable $50 application fee are valid for one calendar year.
2. Admission validation. To validate admission, the student must register for classes during the initial term of admission. If the student does not register for this term, the application can be updated to one of the next three consecutive terms without repaying the fee. After this time period the student must submit a new application along with another $50 fee.
3. Official transcripts. Transcripts must be submitted directly from each high school or college attended. Transfer students who have earned fewer than 30 quarter credits of college transfer coursework are also required to submit official high school transcripts. To be considered “official,” transcripts must be received by PSU in the sealed original envelope or through approved electronic means from the issuing school. Since all official transcripts submitted become the property of PSU and cannot be copied or returned to the student, students are encouraged to obtain unofficial copies of their transcripts from prior institutions for advising or personal purposes.
4. Official scores of College Board SAT or ACT®. Freshman applicants who have graduated from an accredited and/or standard high school within three years of Portland State enrollment must submit scores on the College Board SAT or ACT® that include a standardized writing examination. Similarly, transfer applicants with fewer than 30 earned quarter credits must also submit standardized test scores. Portland State requires the writing portion of either ACT or SAT I as part of its admission process. The applicant is responsible for seeing that test scores are submitted directly to PSU from the testing board. For more information on these examinations, contact the College Board at Collegeboard.org or ACT® at actstudent.org; or PSU Testing Services at pdx.edu/testing. Note: High school graduates before 1975 are not required to provide the ACT® or SAT.
5. Altered transcripts and falsified applications. Students who knowingly submit altered transcripts or falsified applications jeopardize their admission status and may have their admission rescinded and/or their registration canceled. All records submitted, filed, and accumulated in the Office of Admissions become the property of the University. The number of students admitted for any term is subject to the availability of space. When space is limited, selection may be based on grade point average, date of application, intended major, etc.

Admission Requirements—Entering Freshmen

To be admitted as freshmen, students need to fulfill each of the requirements (or alternatives to each) as specified in items 1-4 below.

1. High school graduation requirement. Must have graduated from a standard or accredited high school. Students who have not graduated from high school or from a standard or accredited high school may meet entry requirements through alternative testing. Alternative testing includes successful completion of the Test of General Education Development (GED) with a minimum overall score of 580 and a minimum score of 410 on each of the five sub-tests (if taken before January 2001, an average score of 46 and a minimum score of 40 on each subject test is required). Students from non-accredited or non-standard high schools, or home-school students may meet the high school graduation requirement with a minimum score of 1540 or higher on the combined critical reading, writing and math portions of the SAT or 22 on the ACT® and an average of 470 or above (940 total) on two College Board SAT Subject Tests (Math Level I or IIc, and one additional subject test of the student’s choice). An examination in a second language is strongly recommended to qualify the applicant for admission by meeting the language proficiency requirements. Students who do not take an SAT Subject test in a second language must prove language proficiency through another approved process.
2. Subject requirements. Applicants must satisfactorily (grade of C- or above) complete at least 15 units (one year equal to one unit) of college preparatory work in the following areas:
   1. English (4 units). Shall include the study of the English language, literature, speaking and listening, and writing, with emphasis on and frequent practice in writing expository prose during all four years.
   2. Mathematics (3 units). Shall include first-year algebra and two additional years of college preparatory mathematics selected from geometry (deductive or descriptive); advanced topics in algebra (through Algebra II), trigonometry, analytical geometry, finite mathematics, advanced applications, calculus, and probability and statistics, or courses that integrate topics from two or more of these areas. One unit is strongly recommended in the senior year. (Algebra and geometry taken prior to ninth grade will be accepted if posted on HS transcript.)
   3. Science (3 units). Shall include at least a year in fields of inquiry based college preparatory science such as biology, chemistry, physics, or earth and physical science. Science courses that are “inquiry based” provide students the opportunity to apply scientific reasoning and critical thinking to support conclusions or explanations with evidence from their investigations. It is strongly recommended that one year be taken as a laboratory science and that a total of three years of science be taken.
   4. Social Studies (3 units). Shall include analysis of societal issues and events. It is strongly recommended that study includes knowledge and use of geographic information, patterns of United States history, patterns of human history, structures and systems of US Government, and analysis of economic systems.
   5. Second Language (2 units). Shall include demonstrated proficiency equivalent to two years of the same high school-level second language. Students may demonstrate proficiency by meeting one of the following options:

      *Pass with a C- or better, two years of the same high school-level second language

      *Pass with a C- or better, the third year of a high school-level second language

      *Pass with a D- or better two quarters or two semesters of college-level second language

      *Pass an approved proficiency exam

      **American Sign Language qualifies as a second language.

      Students failing to meet the Second Language Proficiency requirement at the time of admission may be admitted, but will not be able to earn an undergraduate degree at Portland State University until the second language requirement has been completed. Students must provide official high school or college transcripts to demonstrate the Second Language Proficiency Requirement has been met.

      The second language requirement only applies to applicants graduating from high school in 1997 or later.

      For a complete list of proficiency options available for meeting the second language requirements, please contact the University’s Office of Admissions, or view the OUS Second Language policy at www.ous.edu.

      Alternatives to the subject requirements. (Any one of the following.)

      Score an average of 470 or above (1410 total) on the SAT II subject exams (English Composition, Math Level I or IIc, and a third test of the student’s choice).

      Take make-up coursework for specific subject requirements missed in high school and achieve a passing grade. Note: Satisfactory completion of Math 95 or its equivalent (Intermediate Algebra) fulfills in total the subject requirement in mathematics. Take make-up coursework for specific subject requirements missed in high school and achieve a passing grade. Note: Satisfactory completion of Math 95 or its equivalent (Intermediate Algebra) fulfills in total the subject requirement in mathematics. 

3. Grade point average requirement. High school students with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00 in all graded subjects taken toward high school graduation. Students who do not meet the 3.00 GPA requirement may be admitted based on a combination of GPA and test scores, as seen on this website: www.pdx.edu/admissions/minimum-admission-requirements-freshmen. 

4. Writing Component of SAT/ACT. Students must take and submit scores for the writing component of the SAT and/or ACT. No minimum score is required.

Admission Requirements—Transfer Students

To be admitted as a transfer student, applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.25 in 30 quarter credit hours of transferable college work. Applicants who present a transferable associate’s degree or an Oregon Transfer Module (OTM) will be admitted with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00. Students who have accumulated fewer than 30 transferable credits of college work must also meet the freshman admission requirements.

1. Writing proficiency requirement. To be admitted as a transfer student, applicants must satisfactorily complete Writing 121 or the equivalent with a C- or better.
2. Second language proficiency requirement. All students must meet the second language proficiency requirement described above in 2e.
3. Academic probation/disqualification from other institutions. Academic probation/disqualification will not affect the admissibility of a student whose complete academic record meets the minimum admission requirements in effect at the time of application.
4. Disciplinary disqualification. A student who has been disqualified from another institution for disciplinary reasons must be eligible to re-enroll at that institution to be considered for admission to Portland State University. Students with extenuating circumstances may petition for a waiver of this policy.

More information on transferring to PSU is available at www.pdx.edu/transferstudent.

International Students

Application

Applicants who are not U.S. citizens or immigrants are considered for admission as international students. Candidates for admission are given priority if complete applications are filed by:

• April 1 for fall term
• October 1 for winter term
• February 1 for spring term
• April 1 for summer term

Applications will be considered for all terms subject to department and/or University restrictions and/or course availability. Graduate-level applicants should contact the appropriate academic department for specific departmental application information.

International applicants should submit the following information to the Office of International Admissions. All documents submitted become the property of PSU and cannot be photocopied, returned, or forwarded to third parties.

1. Application form and $50 nonrefundable application fee. The application and nonrefundable application fee are valid for one academic year only. The $50 fee cannot be waived.
2. Official transcripts. To be considered official, transcripts must arrive in the Office of International Admissions in a sealed envelope from the issuing school. Applicants whose admission will be based on high school/secondary school graduation should submit official transcripts of their final four years of high school/secondary school study. Transfer students must submit official transcripts from each college or university attended, regardless of whether or not they feel their prior academic study may be relevant to their PSU study. Transfer students with fewer than 30 quarter credits of college/university coursework are also required to submit transcripts from their final four years of high school/secondary school. Credits from accredited schools outside the U.S. will be transferred to PSU according to established international transfer credit guidelines and policies. See Academic Credit section of this Bulletin for more information. Students who knowingly submit altered or falsified academic records or other application documents jeopardize their admission status and may have their admission rescinded and/or registration canceled.
3. Proof of English language proficiency (as described below).
4. Evidence of adequate financial resources for educational and living expenses. (International applicants residing in the United States on visas other than F-1 or J-1 student visas are not required to submit proof of financial resources.)
5. Proof of current immigration status (if already residing in the United States).
6. Admission validation. To validate admission, the student must register for classes during the initial term of admission. If the student does not register for this term, the application start term can be changed to one of the next three consecutive terms without repaying the fee. After this time period, the student must submit a new application along with another $50 fee.

Admission Requirements for International Students

Applicants must demonstrate an appropriate level of academic preparation.

Freshman: completion of U.S. academic (university preparatory) high school or secondary school equivalent as determined by the Office of International Admissions with a minimum 3.00 GPA.

Transfer: completion of 30 transferable college quarter credits, excluding ESL courses, with a 2.25 GPA or higher at a U.S. regionally accredited college/university or equivalent as determined by the Office of International Admissions. Transfer students who present a transferable associate’s degree or an Oregon Transfer Module (OTM) will be admitted with a minimum cumulative 2.00 GPA.

English language proficiency requirement. Admitted students who meet the English language proficiency requirement may enroll in academic classes. Those who do not meet this requirement will be restricted to ESL classes until the requirement has been met. Applicants may demonstrate English language proficiency by submitting qualifying TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE scores. See minimum qualifying scores below.

English language proficiency requirements may be found at http://www.pdx.edu/admissions/english-language-proficiency-requirements-undergraduate.

Information on the international TOEFL is available at www.ets.org/toefl. Information on the PSU institutional TOEFL is available at www.pdx.edu/admissions/portland-state-institutional-toefl-exams.

Intensive English Language Program

Persons seeking English language training only, who do not wish to continue toward university-level academic study, may apply for admission to the Intensive English Language Program (IELP). However, persons who want to study English before beginning academic study are eligible for conditional undergraduate or postbaccalaureate admission without minimum English language proficiency test scores.

The IELP provides both credit and non-credit classes. Students must have earned the equivalent to a U.S. high school diploma for admission consideration. Prospective students must be in legal U.S. immigration status at the time of application.

Contact the Department of Applied Linguistics, 503-725-4088 or www.pdx.edu/esl, for additional IELP requirements.

Admission to professional programs and schools

Admission to Portland State University does not automatically admit students to its professional programs and schools. Standards for admission and evaluation of transfer credits often exceed general University requirements. Students should check this catalog under the appropriate academic unit to determine if a unit has special admission requirements.

Student orientation programs

503-725-5555

www.pdx.edu/orientation

The Office of Admissions and New Student Programs coordinates an orientation program for all undergraduate students new to PSU. All newly admitted undergraduate students are required to attend a new student orientation session prior to registering for courses.

After admission to PSU, each undergraduate student must participate in a one-day orientation session prior to the beginning of his or her first term. An advance tuition deposit of $200 is required to sign up for new student orientation in the fall term.

Orientation provides students with the opportunity to meet with current PSU faculty, professional staff, and students in order to:

• Understand academic requirements of a baccalaureate degree
• Successfully develop an academic plan and register for courses
• Access programs and services available to PSU students
• Facilitate the academic and social transition to the University community

Viking Days is part of the orientation program that takes place the week prior to the start of fall term during the month of September. This is a week of activities, information sessions, open houses, and social events in which new students are invited to attend and encouraged to participate. For further information email to orientation@pdx.edu or view the Web site at www.pdx.edu/orientation.