How to Apply

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Please review the Graduate School requirements.

OSU Graduate Admissions Online Application

The OSU Graduate School coordinates the application process. The guidance below is from the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (CEOAS). Questions about transcript requirements, document uploads, and other "parts and process” aspects of the web application need to be sent to OSU Graduate Admissions

Graduate School
541-737-4881
Graduate Technical Support
graduate.admissions@oregonstate.edu

The application process:

• Choose Fall as your application term.
• Online application and fee
• Upload resume/cv.
• Include Statement of Interest (see details below).
• References
• The GRE is no longer required. For TOEFL test scores, please have these transmitted from ETS to OSU; OSU Code is 4586 and no department code is required.
• Upload copies of unofficial transcripts (must contain grading scale).
• Be sure to answer all ‘program’ or ‘other’ questions, this is essential for routing and review.
• Writing sample (optional)

The online application requires a Statement of Objectives (also named 'Statement of Interest' in some instances). Please see the application section instructions. Be sure to respond to any additional custom questions that are part of the Statement. Your application will not be completed without this.

Applicants are encouraged to review the CEOAS “Research” and “Academics” webpages to help familiarize yourself with our current research.

Application Guidance

• Please treat all fields in the application as “required”. Put N/A if not applicable and ensure all sections show as 100% complete.
• Please be prepared to remind your reference-providers to submit their letters prior to the December 15 deadline. The web application allows you to send reminders; be conservative with these.
• CEOAS believes in holistic admissions which means our programs consider the whole applicant, not just a numerical measure such as grades and test scores.

English Language Proficiency Test Scores

This required for international applicants. TOEFL scores should be sent directly to the OSU Graduate School, OSU code 4586. Please arrange to take the language proficiency test well in advance of the deadline as it may take some time to reach the Graduate School. The scores will be loaded onto the application database and we will have access to them. Additional information can be found at Graduate Admissions - International Applicants.

Transcripts

OSU requires a transcript for all schools on the online application. Review can proceed with ‘unofficial’ transcripts, but these must have the grading scale on the document, so no web-kiosk printouts or pdfs. If you are admitted, you will be required to submit official transcripts at that time, and the ones for a degree-conferred school or program must show the “degree earned” status and date.

Three Letters of Reference

The online reference request system is available from within the application. Be sure to send requests in time for references to submit their letters before the December 15 deadline. You can submit requests prior to completing the application and paying the fee. You are allowed to send reminders from within the system, but please be conservative with these.

Acceptance and admission

The Graduate School reviews all applications to determine if minimum standards for admission to graduate study at OSU are met. The minimum standards include a four-year baccalaureate degree and a grade point average of at least 3.00 GPA on the last 90 hours of coursework. Faculty determine the relative merits of qualified applicants before selecting a subset of applicants for acceptance. Graduate admission is fundamentally different from undergraduate admission because individual faculty members must agree to be research mentors (major professors) for accepted students. The availability of research mentors is the primary limiting factor in determining the number of students that will be admitted. Strong academic records are necessary, but not sufficient, condition for acceptance. Assuming the academic track is acceptable, faculty reviewers examine applications to select those with the best fit for the program and available mentors. Applicants are encouraged to review the College website to understand available programs, the roster of faculty, and research directions before applying.

Faculty Research

On the CEOAS Research page, you will find research subject areas that list to faculty members. Start researching possible faculty mentors early and be persistent. Find faculty that share your interests by studying their most recent publications, and exploring their future research goals. Then contact them via email or telephone to let them know you are applying and you are interested in their research.

Preparation and pre-requisites

All CEOAS graduate programs admit exceptionally talented applicants with a variety of academic backgrounds. In most cases, background deficiencies can be eliminated after admission to our programs by completing specified coursework. In some cases, you may be able to eliminate deficiencies before arrival at OSU.

Graduate Student financial support

Graduate teaching or research assistantships provide a monthly stipend, tuition remission and subsidized health insurance. You should indicate an interest by marking the appropriate boxes on the online admission application for both a teaching assistantship and a research assistantship if you are willing to accept either type of position. By limiting yourself to only one type of position, you are reducing the chances of receiving financial assistance.

The Graduate School offers scholarships, fellowships and loans. Information about these opportunities is found on the Graduate School Financing Your Education web page. See FAFSA note below.

Note about “financial aid”: the OSU Financial Aid office sends info directly to all applicants—generally these are for student loans or widely available scholarships. Part of this is completing a FAFSA and we do encourage that as some supplemental awards/funding requires this form to be filed. But, the actual support funds that CEOAS offers, as part of admissions, are independent of traditional “financial aid” that is promoted by OSU Financial Aid office.

CEOAS Application code: CEOAS-ETO-J2H9
Code entry field is on the Application Start page

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Questions?

Contact Lori Hartline: lori.hartline@oregonstate.edu or 541-737-5188.