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.
- 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.
- 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academic records or other application documents jeopardize their admission status and may have their admission rescinded and/or registration canceled.
- Proof of English language proficiency (as described below).
- 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.)
- Proof of current immigration status (if already residing in the United States).
- 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.