Graduate admission and retention policies ensure that student qualifications and expectations are compatible with institutional mission and goals. Graduate program faculty are involved in specifying admission criteria, transfer of graduate credit, and graduation requirements.
Graduate program admission policies and regulations at Portland State University are consistent with, and supportive of, the character of the graduate programs offered by the institution. Portland State maintains a set of general expectations for admission to graduate education that emphasize appropriate student preparation, but also endeavor to avoid unnecessary barriers to access. The following basic requirements apply to graduate program admissions:
- Must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education.
- Must demonstrate academic competence by either achieving an undergraduate GPA of 2.75 on all undergraduate work attempted, or a GPA of 3.00 on at least 12 credits of graded graduate-level coursework in accredited institutions.
Requirements are designed to attain a level of excellence commensurate with the University’s mission, while maintaining access to an appropriate array of professional and graduate programs especially relevant to the metropolitan area for a diverse group of students in terms of age, ethnicity, and experience. The standards are designed to exclude the student whose performance has not been above average at the undergraduate level, but include the student evaluated at least at the satisfactory level in a sufficient number of graduate courses to reflect academic potential.
In general, graduate programs at Portland State operate within a framework of standards and expectations established in University policy, following the context of the University’s mission and goals. Individual programs, schools, and colleges may establish more rigorous standards tailored to their own requirements. The Office of Graduate Studies, under the direction of the Vice Provost for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies, is responsible for carrying out University policies related to graduate programs.
Every student’s program of study is reviewed prior to graduation to make sure all prescribed requirements for graduation have been completed. To ensure accountability, a tenure-related faculty member outside of the home department is appointed to sit on every oral examination and thesis or dissertation defense committee as a representative of the Office of Graduate Studies and the University as a whole.
General University admissions, retention, transfer credit, field-experience credit, candidacy, and graduation requirements are published in the University Bulletin (p. 63-64), available online, and in student handbook materials for specific programs. Admission requirements and criteria comprise two general classes of requirements: those that are University-wide, and those that are program-specific.
University Admission Requirements
All applicants for admission to Portland State graduate programs begin with the graduate application form, which documents the following standards:
- Receipt of an accredited baccalaureate degree
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 for undergraduate work, or at least 3.0 in all graduate credits earned at accredited institutions (minimum of 12), documented in official transcripts.
- For international students with a baccalaureate degree from a non-English speaking institution, a minimum Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 550 or the equivalent.
University requirements are set by the Faculty Senate. Modification of admissions criteria requires review and approval by the entire Faculty Senate.
Program Admission Requirements
Faculty in graduate programs may propose additional admissions requirements, reviewed by the Graduate Council either in the initial program approval process or as a program modification. Program-specific standards must be based in appropriate standards for the discipline, and must be published so that potential students are aware of the additional requirements as they consider application. Common examples of program-specific requirements include the following:
- Higher GPA requirement
- Additional standardized test scores (GRE, MAT, GMAT, etc)
- Completion of specific undergraduate degrees (e.g., a BS in engineering to enter a professional engineering master’s degree program)
- Appropriate professional or community-based experiences (e.g., Graduate School of Social Work)
- Additional references attesting to specific capabilities
- Portfolio of previous work to demonstrate level of proficiency (in art, music, etc.)
Student applications are reviewed by faculty within each program who are involved with the program design, delivery of curriculum, and ultimate assessment of student performance.
Graduation Requirements
Master’s students must have completed at least two-thirds of the minimum number of credit hours required for the degree at Portland State. Doctoral candidates must spend at least three consecutive terms in residence at Portland State.
Graduate degrees require a minimum of 45 credit hours and all of the minimum required credit hours must be taken in graduate level courses. Master’s of Arts programs require demonstrated proficiency in a foreign language. Graduate credit is not awarded for life experience. Credits earned in internships, field, and clinical courses are evaluated following established procedures consistent with the program’s approved curriculum and professional accrediting agencies.
According to University policies, graduate students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 to avoid academic probation or disqualification. GPA must be raised to the standard within the next nine letter-graded credit hours.
For all doctoral degrees (PhD, EdD), successful creation and defense of a dissertation is required. In each case, the dissertation is supervised by a committee appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies. Committees consist of a minimum of five faculty members (maximum seven), each with appropriate credentials. The Graduate Office appoints one member to represent the University, who is not from the program conferring the degree. The committee chair and the Graduate Office representative must have an appropriate terminal degree and appointment in a Portland State academic program on a tenure-related basis. All other members must have an appropriate degree. Information on doctoral programs is provided on page 15 of the Bulletin.
For the master’s degree, some form of culminating experience is required, which may be in the form of a thesis, a project, an examination, or a specially designed course. In many cases, the degree title indicates the appropriate nature of the culminating experience. For example, in the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science a Master of Science degree is completed by either a thesis or project requirement, while a Master of Engineering degree is completed by satisfying coursework requirements.
Program Performance Requirements
Departments, schools, and colleges may specify additional requirements for their graduate programs. A department or program can be more, but not less, stringent than the University general requirements.
- A higher number of credit hours required for the degree
- A shorter time period allowed to complete the degree
- A higher number of credit hours to be completed at Portland State
- The minimum number of letter graded credit hours required
- Examination requirements
- Proficiency requirements
- Thesis, dissertation, and/or research requirements beyond the University requirements.
In the Chemistry department, for example, additional requirements for the MA degree are available on page 84 of the 2004-2005 Bulletin. The MA in Chemistry requires a student to pass entrance examinations in three areas of Chemistry, based on coursework prior to admission. The student must demonstrate proficiency in foreign languages, specifically French, German, or Russian; must successfully present a seminar to the department on an appropriate topic; and finally, the student must successfully defend a thesis. Questions raised at the defense may cover any topic in Chemistry, in addition to the thesis topic.
Policies regarding the transfer of graduate credit are established by the Graduate Council, supplemented in some cases by additional departmental or school requirements. Transferred credits must have been earned no more than seven years prior to the time of graduation from an accredited institution of higher learning. In unusual circumstances, a transfer course up to 10 years old may be validated through a standard University procedure.
No graduate credit is given simply for life experiences, whether those precede the academic program or occur simultaneously. Portland State has, however, developed a national reputation for community-based learning activities, and many graduate programs make such community-based learning opportunities available in the form of course-based learning, field placements, or practicum courses. Such activities may be required or optional for completion of the degree.
Field experience may also, in some instances, be a requirement of the specialized accrediting body (e.g., in Public Health or Social Work). In the MPH, MPA, MSW and many of the Education programs, field experience is an essential part of the preparation of a new professional in the field. In these programs, such activity is carefully outlined in the program materials. Specific faculty members set up, guide, monitor, and assess the activity for acceptable content, including the production of an appropriate academic product from the experience (e.g., a paper, a seminar report, or similar activity reflecting academic examination of the practical experience).
Applies to students in the MPA, MPA-HA and MPH-HAP. Requirements clearly specify how students arrange the experience, the content of the learning contract, and expected deliverables.
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