PhD Admission Process

• A four-year baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and a 45-quarter (equivalent) credit hour graduate degree from an accredited university.
• A master level degree from an accredited university with a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher. 
• Academic transcripts from all institutions where coursework was completed or attempted in pursuit of an undergraduate or graduate degree.
• A recent resume/CV.
• Three letters of recommendation. Reference letters should be submitted through the Office of Graduate Education application system.

• A statement of research and career objectives: Compose a statement describing your academic background, research interests, and career objectives. In your response, explain: what motivates you to pursue a PhD in public policy; the scholarly questions or topics you are most interested in exploring; how your academic and professional experiences have prepared you for advanced research; and how our program’s faculty and strengths align with your goals.

• A statement of public service and personal experience: Our program has a diverse, public service–oriented culture of collaboration. Please describe any public service, community volunteering, outreach, or university activities you have participated in. You may also share obstacles you have overcome or life experiences that have shaped your interest in public policy and your decision to pursue a PhD program.

• A writing sample. 
• Identification of at least three possible mentors from the PhD Public Policy Faculty.
• The GRE is optional for applications.

Only applicants interested in a full-time resident PhD program should apply. Domestic students are strongly encouraged to submit a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Student Aid Report. 

Meeting the minimum entrance requirements does not guarantee admission. Admission to the program is competitive and based on a holistic review of each applicant’s qualifications. Because the number of qualified applicants often exceeds the number of available spaces, not all well-qualified applicants can be offered admission.

General graduate admission standards for international students are available at: Office of Graduate Education Admissions Information; for specific country requirements also see: Country Requirements

All international applicants must meet minimum requirements as detailed above.

General graduate admission standards for international students are available at: Office of Graduate Education International Admissions.

For international applicants, we require a TOEFL Minimum Score of 90 (24 minimum speaking subscore) or IELTS of 7 (7 minimum speaking subscore) or a minimum Duolingo score of 130 (minimum 130 speaking subscore).

For calculation of U.S. equivalent grades, see: http://www.wes.org/gradeconversionguide/index.asp 

Please note that the Public Policy PhD Program does not consider Conditional Admission for international students who do not meet the minimum OSU TOEFL scores or that is below a combined 90. IELTS scores must be 7.0 or higher for consideration of admission to the PhD. 

The Office of Graduate Education can grant application fee waivers only in limited circumstances for domestic applicants who meet specific criteria. We do not provide application fee waivers at the program level.

All applications for the PhD in Public Policy at Oregon State University must be complete by January 20 for full consideration for a Graduate Assistantship or a Provost's Fellowship or Scholarship (for Fall Quarter admission only).  Note that faculty will nominate students for these awards.