Before you can enroll in a FES graduate program, your application must be reviewed and accepted by our program and the Graduate School. Make sure you review the Graduate School’s application procedures before you apply.

Jump to:

• Deadlines
• Application Materials
• Application Procedures
• Proceeding from a FES MS to a FES PhD

GRE scores are not required, should not be submitted, and will not be considered in all FES MF, MS, and PhD student admissions decisions. In addition to the materials required by the Graduate School, our program requires applicants to also submit the following:

Statement of Objectives
Your statement should be a well-written essay/letter of interest that addresses your reasons for applying to the FES program, how enrolling in FES will help you achieve your long-term goals, and the experiences and education that have prepared you for graduate school at your desired degree level and in your desired area of study. It is helpful to review the considerations for admissions described earlier and address the criteria in your statement. The Statement of Objectives is vital to your application’s success – please take the time to craft it carefully!

Other Application Questions
These online application questions ask about past experiences related to research, paid or volunteer work, facing adversity, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. You will also be asked to provide a sample demonstrating your writing skills and abilities, and a sample demonstrating your skills and abilities to do quantitative or numerical work.

Letters of Recommendation (3)
The three required letters of recommendation from other individuals should address your critical thinking skills, work ethic, and the considerations for admission described above. They should be written by people who have first-hand experience with your performance in pertinent settings and who understand the demands of graduate school. Letter writers should not pose an actual or potential conflict of interest. For example, letters should not be supplied by your potential major professor or by someone supervised by your potential major professor. Letters must be submitted through the Online Letter of Recommendation System within the OSU Graduate Application. Hard copy letters sent to the department or university will not be accepted.

Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume
This should include experiences pertinent to your academic and professional goals. This may include work experience, volunteer experience, publications, presentations, and/or awards.

Transcripts
During preliminary evaluation of your application, Oregon State University may use official or unofficial transcripts from each institution you have attended. Official transcripts are only those sent from your institution directly to the Graduate School, either physically or via electronic transcript providers Parchment, E-Scrip Safe, or National Clearinghouse. Unofficial transcripts are copies of official transcripts, and include a transcript key. If you are accepted to the program and admitted to Oregon State University using unofficial transcripts, you must supply an official transcript before you can enroll.

Although it is not typical to get a PhD and MS degree from the same institution, it is permitted in FES. If a FES MS student wishes to enroll in the FES PhD degree after completing their MS degree, they must still apply to the FES PhD degree via the process detailed below.

Before applying, students should consult with their current MS major professor, their proposed PhD major professor (see below), and/or the Graduate Program Director to determine whether they are prepared for a PhD program. Students should be aware that the PhD program is not simply an extension of their MS program; it is a far lengthier and more rigorous program with different expectations and standards that prepares students for a different career trajectory.

As with standard applications, current MS students can only be accepted into the FES PhD program after a faculty member has agreed to serve as their major professor for the full duration of their PhD program. Students who intend for their MS major professor to continue as their PhD major professor should ensure that professor is willing and approved to advise at the PhD level, as not all MS major professors are.

Application Procedures
Students intending to proceed from a FES MS to a FES PhD are not required to submit an online application through OSU’s Graduate School. Instead, they will ensure the materials below are delivered directly to the FES Graduate Program Coordinator.

Although there are no specific deadlines for current FES MS students to apply to the FES PhD program, students are strongly encouraged to submit application materials approximately one month before their final exam. This timing will help ensure the student can complete degree change procedures (see ‘If Accepted’ below) prior to their final exam. If students intend to apply for ‘New Student’ funding, they must apply and be accepted in accordance with those funding deadlines.

Application Materials
Although applications to the FES PhD program include the same components as applications to the FES MS program, they are evaluated using different standards. Current FES MS students should produce new application materials that specifically reflect their qualifications and goals for the PhD program instead of reusing materials from their original FES MS application.

After the FES Graduate Program Coordinator receives the materials below, they will pull the student’s current OSU transcripts and transcripts from the student’s FES MS application to complete the PhD application.

Statement of Objectives: Complete in accordance with the instructions above. Please ensure that the statement adequately addresses the objectives of a PhD program and not the MS program.

CV: Complete in accordance with instructions above.

Letters of recommendation (3): Letters should specifically address the applicant’s qualifications for a PhD program. Letter writers should not be solicited from someone with a potential conflict of interest. For example, letters should not be supplied by your potential PhD major professor or by someone supervised by your potential PhD major professor. Letters may either be delivered to the FES Graduate Program Coordinator in a sealed envelope or e-mailed directly to the FES Graduate Program Coordinator. Beyond this, letters should be completed in accordance with instructions above.

If Accepted
If a current FES MS student is accepted to the FES PhD program, they may proceed to the PhD program in one of two ways.

If the student does not plan to complete their current MS degree, they will complete a ‘Change of Degree’ form to switch from the MS to a PhD effective immediately (or at a time designated by the student and their current/future major professor(s)).

If the student plans to complete their current MS degree, they will complete a ‘Change of Degree’ form to add a concurrent PhD degree to their record in the months leading up to their MS final thesis exam. During this period, the student will technically be both a MS student and PhD student at the same time. When the student successfully completes their MS program, they may continue as a PhD student uninterrupted.

Once enrolled in the FES PhD program, students will be expected to meet the same standards and requirements expected of a new PhD student, including completion and submission of a new Program of Study form, learning outcomes, and research proposal.

Funding for Students Continuing on to a PhD
Current FES MS students seeking to apply to ‘new student’ funding for their PhD program must carefully review eligibility requirements to determine if the funding is for ‘new students’ or for students who are ‘new to OSU’. Current FES MS students will not qualify for funding designed for students new to OSU. This includes the Provost’s Graduate Fellowship. However, FES MS students likely will qualify for funding designed for students new to their programs. This includes the CoF Graduate Fellowship Competition.

If current FES MS students wish to pursue this funding, they must apply to the FES PhD program in accordance with funding deadlines. For details of funding deadlines for the current application season, please consult the FES Graduate Program Coordinator.