Office of Admissions

Step 1. Application to Oregon State University
Step 2. Requirements of your program of Study
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

The Graduate School processes and evaluates graduate applications according to admission standards set by the Graduate Council.

Step 1. Application to Oregon State University

Only online applications are accepted. Although we no longer provide printable forms, if you are unable to access a form because you lack reliable internet access or you do not have a credit card for payment, please send a message to us at graduate.admissions@oregonstate.edu or a note to our postal address to see if alternative arrangements can be made.

The current application fee is $60 USD and is not waived and is non-refundable. An individual application and fee is required for each application submitted. Applying for multiple graduate majors requires multiple applications and fees.

Application materials may be scanned and uploaded into your online application, unless your proposed program directs otherwise. You will only be able to upload application materials after the application has been submitted. You will receive instructions about the document upload system via email.

• Unofficial transcripts from domestic and international institutions may be uploaded as part of your online application. These unofficial documents may be used for review purposes. If admitted, all applicants will be required to have official academic records sent directly to the Graduate School prior to registering for their first term of study.
• Resumes may be uploaded as part of your online application. 
• Letters of Reference may be requested along with your admissions application. Your specified references will be able to log in and submit their letters online. Please see our documentation for help with this process.

If you upload documents to the online application, do not send them to the Graduate School via regular mail or email.
If you choose not to use the document upload system, please send all materials to the mailing address for the Graduate School:

Oregon State University
Graduate School
300 Kerr Administration Building
Corvallis, Oregon 97331

Only upon admission, please send:

1. Official Transcript
   All admitted students are required to send one official transcript from all previous academic work, undergraduate and graduate (grade slips and web printable transcripts or reports will not be accepted). All documents must be issued to OSU directly from the registrar or equivalent official office at your university. If the school is unable to send materials directly to OSU, they may give sealed documents to you to send.  If the seal is unbroken when the envelope reaches OSU, the records will be accepted.
   
   Note: Current and former Oregon State University students are not required to provide OSU transcripts.  You may be required to provide transcripts from prior institutions attended if OSU is no longer in possession of the original transcript. 
   
   
2. International Official academic records
   Upon admission and prior to registration, the Graduate School must receive official confirmation of undergraduate degree completion shown by receipt of official academic records that include the degree earned and date granted.  If your country issues them, we also require official degree certificates.
   
   All documents must be issued to OSU directly from the registrar or equivalent official office at your university. If the school is unable to send materials directly to OSU, they may give sealed documents to you to send. If the seal is unbroken when the envelope reaches OSU, the records will be accepted. Faxed, scanned, and notarized copies are not considered official and will not be accepted. Records certified by lecturers, professors, or other school officials who do not hold primary responsibility for maintaining the academic records of the institution will not be accepted. 
   
   Translations: Academic records from non-US institutions are expected to be in the official language of the country in which they were earned. English language translations are also required. We will accept literal word-for-word (not interpretative) English translations from any qualified translator.  

Important Notes:

• All documents are subject to verification by OSU.
• All documents received by OSU become the property of OSU and will not be returned to the applicant.
• Many academic institutions take several weeks to provide documents, so applicants should request their official records at the earliest possible moment.

Academic Records from China

Please provide academic records issued by the university in English and Chinese for all post-secondary work completed; this includes all degree diplomas and certificates issued by the institutions attended.  All documents must be sent directly to the Graduate School by the institutions that awarded the degree in an envelope bearing the institution's name, seal or stamp and/or an appropriate signature across the sealed flap.  If the school is unable to send materials directly to OSU, they may give sealed documents to you to send.  If the seal is unbroken when the envelope reaches OSU, the records will be accepted.   Academic records attested by persons outside the appropriate academic office, such as individual professors or external notary publics, will not be accepted.

If your university is unable to provide documents in sealed envelopes, OSU will require degree verification from:

China Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Center (CDGDC)

18th Floor, Tongfang Keji Building B
No.1, Wangzhuang Road
Haidian District, Beijing 100083
People’s Republic of China

Approximate cost: $40-50 USD

Tel: 010-82379480
Fax: 010-82379491

Email: zxb@mail.cdgdc.edu.cn
Website: www.cdgdc.edu.cn

Academic Records from India

For application evaluation purposes: Mark sheets issued by colleges are acceptable only when university mark sheets are not yet available.

Upon admission you will need to provide individual mark sheets issued by the university that conducted the examination for all post-secondary work completed; this must include all final or provisional degree certificates issued by the university attended.  All documents must be attested by the Controller of Examinations or Registrar and then sent directly to the Graduate School by the university that conducted the examination in an envelope bearing the university’s name, seal or stamp and/or an appropriate signature across the sealed flap. College-issued mark sheets and degree certificates will not be accepted unless they are from an autonomous college. 

-OR- 

You may make photocopies and have the copies attested by the Controller of Examinations or Registrar. The Controller or Registrar should then place the attested mark sheets and degree statements in an envelope, seal the envelope, sign and stamp it across the flap before returning it to you to send to the Graduate School. If the seal is unbroken when the envelope reaches OSU, the records will be accepted.  Attestations from persons outside the Controller of Examination and Registrar's Offices, such as individual professors or external notary publics, will not be accepted.

Do NOT send intermediate or higher secondary school records.

Academic Records from Iran

Please provide academic records issued by the university in English for all post-secondary programs of study; include all degree diplomas issued by the institutions attended.  Documents must be issued by the university and then sent directly to the Graduate School by the institutions that awarded the degree in an envelope bearing the institution's name, seal or stamp and/or an appropriate signature across the sealed flap.  If the school is unable to send materials directly to OSU, they may give the documents to you to send.  If the seal is unbroken when the envelope reaches OSU, the records will be accepted.   Academic records attested by persons outside the appropriate academic office, such as individual professors or external notary publics, will not be accepted.

If your school is unable to provide records in English, the translation service issuing the English documents must place the translations and copies of the original language records in a sealed envelope with their name, seal or stamp and/or an appropriate signature across the sealed flap. If the seal is unbroken when the envelope reaches OSU, the records will be accepted. 

We will accept documents for verification from you in person at our office only if you attended a university located in one of the following countries:

Albania, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bhutan (Myanmar), Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Cuba, El Salvador, French Polynesia, Georgia, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, North Korea, Serbia and Montenegro, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

2.  International applicants must also send the following documents with the application materials:

•  
  • One photocopy of official TOEFL or IELTS scores. If admitted, official scores must be received by the Graduate School prior to the start of your first term of enrollment.

3.  International applicants must provide financial information prior to formal admission and issuance of visa documents.  Materials may be sent at the time of application, but you have the option to wait until an offer of admission has been received from the program before sending the financial documentation.  These materials are not needed for the application to be reviewed by the department. 

•  
  • Oregon State University Certification of Finances Form with supporting documentation, demonstrating sufficient financial resources for the desired academic program. (International applicants, please read Finances and Funding for International Students at OSU.)

Do NOT send secondary school records.

Do NOT send certificates of participation or merit awards, they will not be included in your application materials.

Step 2. Requirements of your program of study

Application requirements vary by program. The processing of your application will not be completed until your program receives all the required documents.

For specific instructions review requirements for Graduate Majors.

Graduate admissions generally requires the following:

1. A statement of objectives and particular fields of interest. This is normally completed as part of the on-line application.
2. Three letters of professional reference are required of all students, sealed in envelopes, addressed to the proposed major department/program. If you have a master's degree, you should include a letter from your major professor. Reference letters should be written on official letterhead.
3. Certain departments and programs require the GRE of all applicants. Address inquiries regarding GRE requirements to your proposed academic program. The College of Business requires the GMAT.

Contact your proposed program if you have any questions regarding the letters of professional reference, or other program requirements.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the Graduate School's mailing address?
  Oregon State University
  Graduate School
  300 Kerr Admin Bldg
  Corvallis, OR 97331-2121
• How can I find out if you received my documents?
  The fastest way to find out is to follow the directions on this page: Information on Your Admission Status.
• How do I apply to multiple majors?
  Separate applications are required for each major to which you apply.
• I am a current/former OSU student. Do I need to send OSU transcripts?
  No, we are able to access your OSU grades.
• If I am a permanent resident of the U.S. but have lived abroad most of my life, do I need to submit TOEFL scores?
  If your native language is not English, you need to submit language proficiency scores. The requirement is not based upon country of citizenship or residency.
• Can I wait and turn in my financial documents until after an admission decision has been made?
  Although we can process your admission more quickly if we have the documents, you may wait until we contact you to ask for these documents.
• Can you let me know what the status of my application is?
  Please follow the directions on this page: Information on Your Admission Status to check the status of your application online. If your questions are not resolved, please contact us by email at graduate.admissions@oregonstate.edu or contact the office for your graduate major directly.
• Can I get an application fee waiver?
  The Graduate School rarely waives application fees and only for students participating in McNair and other specific programs.
• Can I send transcript before I complete an application form?
  You can, we can more quickly match your application and transcripts if the application arrives first.
• Where do I send my GRE, TOEFL or other test scores?
  Official GRE and TOEFL scores should be sent by the testing agency. Use institution code 4586 to have score sent to OSU. If you are sending paper copies of unofficial scores, please use the mailing address shown in an earlier question.

Letters of Reference/Recommendation

• Is a letter of professional reference the same as a letter of recommendation?
  The terminology refers to the same thing in most cases, but please refer to the specific instructions given by your proposed major/program web site.
• Do I send three or four letters of recommendation?
  The minimum number of letters of professional reference is three. Please send three unless your proposed program requests a different number.
• Who qualifies as a professional reference?
  Letters of recommendation should come from faculty because they are in the best position to assess your ability to do academic work. Other professional references may be compelling if the work experience is directly related to the graduate field of interest and/or has provided a specialized skill set necessary to be competent in the field. Letters from non-faculty contacts may be relevant if there has been a significant lapse in time since you completed your prior degree.
• Is there a letter form to complete?
  Programs have various requirements and some do have a recommendation form. If not, the letter of professional reference should be on the letterhead of the reference's institution or the writer's place of employment.
• Do they (the writer) mail it in or can I send it with my application material?
  You can have the professional reference sent directly to the program or include it with other programmatic admissions requirements.
• Does OSU contact writers to ask for letters? Or should I?
  You must obtain the letters of professional reference. OSU will not ask for them (with the exception of some engineering programs).
• Do I send them to each department to which I am applying?
  If you are applying for more than one program/major you will need to send letters of reference to each department.
• Where do I send the letters?
  To your program. To find the address, visit the Graduate majors page and select your proposed major program.
• I put 3 references in the on-line application but I wish to add a 4th. How would I do that?
  You can send additional letters of professional reference to your proposed major program.
• I applied on-line. Can I send my reference letters electronically?
  No. Currently letters must be sent by post, unless you are applying to a graduate program that specifies you must use their online reference system. Please refer to the specific directions given.