How to Apply

Review Requirements

Before you apply, it's essential to review our program’s admission requirements below as well as the university’s graduate admission requirements. These requirements will provide you with an idea of the caliber of excellence we expect from our students, as well as provide you with information about what documents and tests are required for admission to Oregon State University and the graduate programs in Wood Science.

Reach out to Potential Major Professors

Identifying potential major professors with whom you would like to work is key to a successful application. The major professors you select will be among the first to review your application. Their role goes beyond the application process, and extends into your graduate program. They will serve as an advisor to you and will guide you through research and professional development.

Before submitting your application, it is extremely important to learn about our faculty and the research we perform. Review our research areas and determine which ones best align with your personal interests. Study the recent research publications our faculty have produced before contacting them. When contacting a potential major professor, consider including the following information:

• Your academic background and relevant work experience.
• Your educational and professional goals, and how a graduate degree in Wood Science will help you achieve these goals.
• Why you are interested in joining their research program and any particular research area that stood out to you.

If you do not receive any interest from the potential major professors you contacted, you can still submit your application, however our most successful applicants have successfully connected with faculty members prior to applying.

Contacting Potential Major Professors

Different major professors will be looking for different qualities in potential students, but the most successful inquiries usually:

• Discuss your academic and professional qualifications
• Demonstrate that you are contacting that faculty member because you are interested in their work and expertise
• Include your goals for your graduate education
• Include your CV, transcripts, or other pertinent documents
• Are concise and well-written
• Address any responses from your potential major professor in a timely and professional manner

Before Applying

Review WS&E program (below) and Oregon State University graduate admission requirements.

Before you and any potential major professor agree to work together, it is important to have a detailed conversation about whether you are a good fit for each other. These conversations should include:

• Whether their continued research and projects fit in with your long-term goals
• The expectations you have for each other while working together
• How your education will be funded, and who is responsible for what aspects of your funding

Challenges

If you do not receive any interest from the potential major professors you contacted, you can submit your application without a major professor, however most graduate faculty select their advisees from the applicants who have taken the initiative to review their work and contact them in advance.

After meeting the program's admission requirements, applicants must also meet the minimum University Graduate Admission Requirements.

Application and fee
The application is available at the Office of Graduate Education. The application fee is $75 for domestic applicants, $85 for international applicants, and there is a discounted application fee if you apply to more than one program at Oregon State University.

Copies of your transcripts (academic records) from your undergraduate courses and graduate courses, and if applicable, degree statement for both degrees
Unofficial copies of academic records can be used for initial review purposes, however, at the point of admission you will need to provide official copies of academic records.

Statement of objectives
The statement of objectives should address your reasons for pursuing graduate school, specifically a degree in Wood Science, what has prepared you for a graduate, your research interests and how they relate to the research interests of our faculty, and how a degree in Wood Science will help you achieve your future goals.

Three (3) letters of recommendation
Three letters of recommendation are required for our admissions committee to review the application. Your references can be current professors or instructors, supervisors, academic advisors, or managers. These people should know you well and be familiar with your academic work, work ethic, and accomplishments. If you are applying for the PhD program one of your recommendations must be from your major professor for your Master’s degree.

 Resume/Curriculum Vitae
Your resume should highlight notable accomplishments, achievements, skills, presentations, and any publications in which you are listed as an author. You should include any research, internship, study abroad or work experience you have gained.

There is no maximum length, however, brevity is key. For College of Forestry scholarship consideration you will need to limit your resume to one page.

TOEFL or IELTS scores for international applicants

TOEFL (Effective Summer 2019): The department recommends a 93 on the iBT TOEFL test, with all sub scores on the iBT being at least a score of 18 or above. These score recommendations are higher than those required by the OSU Office of Graduate Education: http://graduate.oregonstate.edu/admissions/international#english-language.

TOEFL scores must not be more than two years old at the time of the applicant's first term of registration. For more information about the test of English as a Foreign Language: http://www.ets.org/toefl.

IELTS: Applicants may take the IELTS exam as an alternative to the TOEFL. The Department requires a minimum IELTS score of 7.0. In special cases, provisional admission may be possible for applicants with IELTS scores below the Department's minimum standard but equal to or above the Graduate School's minimum standard of 6.5.

IELTS scores must not be more than two years old at the time of the applicant's first term of registration. For more information about the International English Language Testing System: https://www.ielts.org.

For applicants…

If you are an applicant who is interested in pursuing a dual major with Wood Science and another major, you can submit applications to both programs. Once you submit and pay the fee for one application, you will receive a discount on the application fee for the second application. The application process is the same as for regular applicants to our program.

Submitting applications to both programs can ensure that you receive optimal consideration for funding from both programs, including assistantships and scholarships from each program.

Initially you can only be admitted to one program, however, once you enroll and begin attending classes at Oregon State you can add on a dual major using the instructions below for current graduate students.

For current graduate students at Oregon State University…

If you are a currently enrolled graduate student at OSU and would like to add on a dual major in Wood Science to your degree, please fill out the Change of Degree form: (need new link from Allison). Select “Change to Dual Major” when submitting the form.

The Office of Graduate Education will send us your documents from your original application, however you will need to provide following updated documents:

• Statement of objectives, detailing why you would like to pursue a dual major degree and your career goals
• Resume

After the admissions committee has reviewed your application, we will inform the Office of Graduate Education of our decision. They will notify you if the addition of the 2nd major was approved.