COAS Graduate Programs: How to Apply

Applicants for the Graduate Certificate in Fisheries Management or for the Graduate Certificate in Marine Resource Management do not need to complete a COAS Application.

Degrees/Majors Offered: At COAS, we offer graduate degree programs at the masters and doctoral levels.

• Atmospheric Sciences
• Marine Resource Management (currently masters only)
• Geophysics
• Oceanography--Biological
• Oceanography--Chemical
• Oceanography--Geological
• Oceanography--Physical
• Oceanography--Interdisciplinary (see note in COAS application requirements section below)

Deadlines and Assessment: Applicants applying for entry in fall term should submit all materials by the preceding January 5th. Decisions for fall-term admission are usually completed by April 15. Applications are evaluated based on consideration of the quality of the prior academic record, GRE scores and percentages, letters of recommendation, and statements of the applicant. (GRE scores and percentages are for the general test only, not for any subject test.) You are responsible for monitoring the "completeness" of your application. We encourage you to submit materials electronically as this begins a conversation with our applications personnel and will help you develop a complete application prior to the January 5th deadline. We only accept applications for winter and spring under unique circumstances; for these, please contact Robert Allan at 541-737-1340 or rallan@coas.oregonstate.edu.

Campus and COAS Visits:

Please see information listed under "COAS and OSU Campus Visits" on the lefthand menu bar.

Two-step Application Procedure

Step One. University Application

Oregon State University Application

Step Two. Departmental Application Packet

All content except References should be sent electronically. Please send these as converted or scanned PDF's. You may combine documents (COAS Application, CV, Statement) into one PDF. You can also send them as MS Word documents, separately, if necessary. If you send separately, please make sure all documents bear your name (preferred format is lastname_firstname_docname.doc).

Please email application content to the following email address:

student_advisor@coas.oregonstate.edu

1. COAS Application for Admission and Financial Support.

Please try to complete and email this application electronically. Due to compatibility issues, this may not be possible on all computers. If it doesn't work as an emailed form, if you can scan the application after completing it by hand and then email it, this would be much appreciated.

Please clearly state in your application which degree level and major you are applying for:

• Atmospheric Sciences
• Marine Resource Management
• Geophysics
• Oceanography (specify Biological, Chemical, Geological or Physical)

Applicants whose interests span two or more of these fields may describe these interdisciplinary interests in their application Statement of Interest. Please note that the interdisciplinary major as an application option is undergoing re-evaluation, and applicants have typically been accepted/admitted under other standard oceanography-major categories.

Please do not leave fields/spaces blank.

2. Statement of Objectives and Field(s) of Interest. PUT YOUR NAME ON THIS DOCUMENT. Content should be BRIEF, two pages max, and should include the following:

Reason for pursuing advanced degree
Long-range plans
Specific area of research interest (mention associated COAS faculty)
Discussion of research problems and previous research results
Relevant experience

Special skills

• Marine Resource Management applicants please specify in your statement of objectives the area of concentration you are interested in pursuing. You may also include a specific skill emphasis.

  
  

  Areas of Concentration:
  Coastal Processes, Policy and Hazards
  Fisheries Management
  Marine Pollution and Coastal Water Quality
  Marine Conservation
  Specific Skills Emphasis:
  GIS and Remote Sensing
  Policy and Planning
  Communication and Marine Education

  
  

3. Resume or CV. Resumes should be held to one page, CVs to two pages.

4. Recommendation Letters (3 minimum) Reference Request form )Please have these sent directly to us from people who can assess your potential for success in graduate school. Please fill out the top portion of the request form, sign the waiver, and then forward a copy to your references. Have them mail the form, with their letter, to the departmental address at the bottom of the form.This can be done electronically but must be via scanning because we need the coversheet with your signature regarding future access. You can do the form, scan and email it to your requested referrer, then they can email the form and their letter together directly to our email address: student_advisor@coas.oregonstate.edu

5. Transcripts: new for 2010 application cycle these do NOT come directly to us.

Please request that official sealed copies of all transcripts mentioned
on the ONLINE OSU application are sent directly from your school to the OSU Graduate Admissions office.

6. GRE Scores (OSU code is 4586, no dept code required): Please route your GRE scores to OSU and include a scan of your score stub in your application packet, if you have it. Also, please remember to include these scores and percentages on your COAS application. While your GRE score is but one part of the application as a whole, and evaluators give varying weight to its importance depending on what discipline you're applying to, please note that if you have any scores parts where the percentage is single-digit, you might strongly consider retesting.

7. TOEFL: International students for whom English is not their primary language must submit TOEFL scores as part of their applications. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is offered several times each year at sites in the United States and other countries. If not available locally, the annual schedules and other information about the TOEFL can be obtained from: http://www.toefl.org

COAS strongly encourages international students to take the iBT version of the TOEFL. Please also see the OSU website for International Students regarding the TOEFL and other admissions requirements for International students:

http://oregonstate.edu/admissions/international/requirements.html#eli

Departmental Contact (COAS) and addresses for PAPER application. Do NOT send us materials that are intended for the OSU Admissions office):

COAS Student Programs Office
College of Oceanic & Atmospheric Sciences
104 COAS Administration Bldg
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97331
email: student_advisor@coas.oregonstate.edu
(541) 737-5188