Undergraduate Admissions

Students sitting outside of Hoffman Hall at PSU

How to Apply

Apply to Portland State University

Whether you are planning to join Portland State as a freshman, transfer student, or postbaccalaureate student, you will need to formally apply to the university. For more information please visit the PSU Admissions site. Submit all transcripts from previous institutions to the Office of Admissions.

Before a student is able to take 300-level CEE courses they must also apply for the CEE Upper Division. This is a separate, department-specific application.

Applying to the CEE Upper Division Program

Students nearing the end of their lower division 100-200 level prerequisite coursework should plan to apply for the Civil or Environmental Upper Division Program by April 15 for the Fall cohort. Upon admission to the Upper Division, students are able to access 300-400 level coursework in their assigned Track, which includes electives that allow them to customize their specialty within civil or environmental engineering.

Information regarding admissions eligibility and requirements, deadlines, continuation criteria, and appeals are posted and maintained in the PSU Bulletin. CEE also provides sample 4-year course plans to guide students as they map out their educational journey, as well as important information for transfer and post-baccalaureate students. Please thoroughly review the information at these links before applying to the Upper Division. If you are in-progress or transferring courses from outside of PSU that have not yet appeared on your DARS Report, have PDFs of unofficial transcripts ready to upload with your application.

Apply to the CEE Upper Division for Fall 2025 Admission

Deadlines
Application	Deadline to Apply	Helpful information	Apply now!
Apply to PSU	Winter Qtr	We recommend applying earlier if you plan to complete the FAFSA and apply for PSU Scholarships.	PSU Application
FAFSA	Winter Qtr	Some tuition programs and scholarships will be automatically awarded based on information from your FAFSA.	FAFSA Application
PSU Scholarship	Winter Qtr	There are multiple scholarships available in the PSU Scholarship Universe. Scholarships open in Februrary for the 2025-2026 Academic Year.	Scholarship Application
CECOP Internship	April 7th	CECOP internships are five-year undergraduate programs that include two six-month paid internships.	CECOP Application
CEE Upper Division	April 15th	Priority admission is given to students who apply by the April 15th deadline. Late applications will be accepted but may take longer to review.	CEE Upper Division Application

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: I declared my major on myPSU - does this mean I'm admitted to the Upper Division?

A: No. You may declare Civil Engineering or Environmental Engineering as your major at any time after enrolling at Portland State University - however, all students must additionally apply and be formally admitted to the BSCE or BSENVE program before they will be allowed to enroll in restricted 300-400 level (Upper Division) courses.

Q: Can I still apply for a Fall start if I'm finishing some lower division courses in Spring / Summer term, after the Upper Division application is due?

A: Yes! As part of your application, you will be asked to detail your plan to complete any remaining lower division courses. Even if you're unsure if all of your lower division coursework will be completed by the fall, we encourage you to apply anyway. We will work with you on a course plan and next steps.

If you are currently in progress at another institution, you should submit unofficial transcripts in .PDF form as part of your application. Once you have completed your coursework, you must send copies of official transcripts to PSU as soon as possible - if there is no official record of your transfer course completion, you may experience registration issues that could delay access to courses and graduation.

Q: I'm so excited to start! Can I apply to the Upper Division early?

A: No - but we appreciate your enthusiasm! If you apply to the Upper Division with more than a year of lower division coursework still remaining, the application will be denied due to ineligibility. Applicants should apply for the Upper Division in the Winter/Spring immediately preceding the Fall term in which they intend to start.

Q: Oh no, I missed the April 15 deadline! Can I apply to the Upper Division late?

A: Yes - though there is no guarantee that applications submitted after April 15 will be reviewed or accepted, the CEE Department is occasionally able to accommodate late applications. If this is your situation, please contact us directly at [email protected] for assistance.

Q: Can I defer my admission to the Upper Division?

A: No. Due to the selective admission process and space limitations, the CEE Department cannot hold spots in future years for deferring students. Admitted students who can no longer attend during their admission term will need to alert the CEE Department as soon as possible; students who wish to defer from Fall term admission to Winter or Spring of the same year must meet with a CEE Department advisor to discuss their options. We encourage those interested in attending in a future year to wait and apply when the application for that year opens.

Q: Does CEE have an Honors Program?

A: Yes! Our Honors Program is open to Upper Division students, and gives highly motivated future engineers the chance to develop their undergraduate degree program to reflect their particular interests. Honors Program students choose a research area and complete an Honors thesis during their senior year, and many of these students go on to graduate school. Learn more and apply on our CEE Honors Program page.