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Admission Requirements

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• Application Deadlines
• Academic Records and Standards
• Admissions Requirements by Country (New!)
• English Language Proficiency
• TOEFL - ETS institution code for OSU is 4586.
• Conditional Admission Program
• Financial Documentation
• Additional Graduate Requirements
• Statement of Objectives and Particular Field of Interest
• GRE/ GMAT
• Letters of Recommendation
• Information as Requested by Department
• Additional Post-baccalaureate Requirements

University Application Deadlines (effective Fall 2008):

Graduate - Refer to your prospective department's website to determine application deadlines and admission terms.

Academic Records

All applicants must provide complete documentation of all certificates, degrees, titles, or diplomas earned, as well as grades or mark sheets from all academic institutions attended. Be sure to give the dates and names of the certificates, diplomas, degrees, titles, or licenses you received. Faxed copies of records are not acceptable. A photocopy is temporarily acceptable if you can present your originals only after arrival on campus.

Standards of Academic and Professional Conduct

Please note that academic performance is not the sole criterion for admission to the university. The university may evaluate a person's behavior and background to determine their ability to maintain the standards of academic and professional conduct expected at the university. An evaluation may take into consideration current behavior and performance as well as past experiences and actions. Simply qualifying for admission does not guarantee admission.

Undergraduate

Applicants for a first university degree must submit official records of all schools attended, including secondary schools, middle schools, and universities or professional schools. Results of comprehensive examinations are required in the original language and on the official form of the institution, government, or other examining or certifying agency. In general, you must have an excellent academic record (at least equivalent to a "B" or 3.00 average in U.S. terms) from an accredited or recognized institution to be admitted to Oregon State University.

Applicants transferring from a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S. must have a cumulative grade-point average of 2.25 and be eligible to return to the most recent institution attended.

SAT/ACT: The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or American College Test (ACT) is waived for international undergraduate applicants unless they attended a high school in the United States or an accredited American high school outside the U.S.

Graduate

Applicants must have a degree equivalent to a four-year U.S. bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. A "B" average (3.00 GPA) on the last two years (90 quarter hours or 60 semester hours) of undergraduate work is required and any work completed thereafter. Departmental requirements may be higher, so contact your proposed department directly for details.

Effective July 1, 2008 for Fall 2009 admission or later, if the student has completed his or her baccalaureate degree in a country that is a signatory of the Bologna Declaration, then

• A baccalaureate degree of at least three years duration with a B average (equivalent 3.00 on a U.S. 4.00 grading scale) in the last two years, plus all subsequent graded course work;

• A baccalaureate degree of at least three years duration with a two-year (equivalent to 45-quarter credits) graduate degree.

Applicants who meet these requirements and apply for admission prior to Fall 2009 may be considered on an individual basis if supported for admission by their intended academic department.

Admissions Requirements by Country (New!)

Please select your country from the scroll down list below to view your specific requirements.

If your country is not listed, please send us an email with your country name and type of degree sought, and we will send you the grading system equivalents.

If your country is not listed, please email us at osuadmit@oregonstate.edu with your country specified and we will send you the requirements.

English Language Proficiency

All international student applicants must provide official English language test scores as described in the table below, unless they meet the criteria listed under "Exempt from English Language Testing".
ETS institution code for OSU is 4586.

Revised as of Feb. 1, 2008

*Certain departments require higher test scores. For more information, go to: http://oregonstate.edu/admissions/international/graduate.php, and select your major.

Conditional Admission Program (CAP)

TOEFL Alternatives

Exempt from English Language Testing:

• Individuals who have completed a bachelors or masters degree from a regionally accredited institution in the U.S. or other English speaking country (See list below).
• Individuals who are in the process of earning an advanced degree from an accredited institution in the U.S. or another English speaking country may be conditionally admitted.
• Citizens of the following countries: Australia, Belize, Canada, Ghana**, New Zealand, Scotland, West Indies, and United Kingdom. ** Exemptions for citizens of African countries are considered on a case-by-case basis if the medium of instruction is English.

Financial Documentation

All international applicants must 1) complete and return the Certification of Finances form and 2) submit documents showing proof of sufficient financial resources before the I-20 can be issued (for F-1 visas). See the Finances and Funding page for information on the amounts required.

Certification of Finances Form: (downloadable/ print form)

• 2008-09 academic year (Summer 2008, Fall 2008, Winter 2009, Spring 2009)

Documentation of Finances:

• Bank statements should be no more than nine months old before the term of enrollment at the university. All documents must bear an original signature and seal.
• Other types of documentation, such as governmental or agency sponsorship letters, should be official and specify dates of validity.

Additional Graduate Requirements

Admission decisions are based on many factors, such as the quality of the applicant’s prior academic degree and record of accomplishment, statement of purpose, letters of recommendation from professors or others familiar with the applicant’s academic work, performance in aptitude and achievement tests, relevant work experience, preparation in the proposed field of study, and the suitability of the applicant’s academic goals with the faculty’s research interests.

Particularly at the graduate level, a critical consideration in the decision is whether your academic objectives can be satisfactorily fulfilled by the graduate programs at Oregon State. Admission to OSU is competitive and meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission. Following approval by your proposed Department, the Office of Admissions will then determine whether the general university admission requirements have been met.

In general, the following items are required when applying to a graduate program at OSU:

• A Statement of Objectives and Particular Field of Interest
• Letters of Recommendation
• Three letters of professional reference written on official letterhead, in sealed envelopes, and addressed to the proposed major department. If you have a master’s degree, one of the three letters should be from your major professor.
• Additional Information as Requested by your Proposed Department

• GMAT/GRE: The Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT) is required of MBA applicants. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required of graduate applicants by some departments and recommended by other departments. Please refer to your department’s website for more information or go to Graduate Majors.

Under special circumstances, students who do not meet the minimum requirements may be considered for admission. Upon receiving support from the Department, the Graduate Admissions Committee may consider the following additional criteria when reviewing applications from students who do not meet the minimum GPA requirement:

• GRE or GMAT scores,
• the student's undergraduate institution,
• specific courses completed at the undergraduate and graduate level, and
• letters of recommendation from major professors or current employers.

Graduate Teaching Assistantship

• SPEAK Test: The Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit (or SPEAK) is required of all international graduate teaching assistants. The test is given on campus prior to the beginning of the academic term. The Test of Spoken English (TSE), if taken within 12 months, can be substituted for the SPEAK Test. Students receiving SPEAK or TSE scores below 50 will be required to pursue further English language training, the cost of which may be the responsibility of the student.

Additional Post-baccalaureate Requirements

• Applicants must meet the same GPA requirements as transfer applicants
• A 150-200 word statement of academic objectives
• Academic departments may impose additional requirements and must approve all admissions.