How to Apply to Engineering at Portland State: Civil, Environmental, Electrical, Computer and Mechanical Engineering BS Degrees in the Maseeh College, Admitted to the University First and Then Approved for Upper-Division Courses, with Requirements for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

Portland State University (PSU) is in downtown Portland, Oregon. Undergraduate engineering is taught in the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science, and PSU runs on quarters (fall, winter and spring). Computer science is also in the college but is not covered here. Below is what the university’s website says, for domestic students, international students (with a separate section for applicants from China) and transfer students.

1. The undergraduate engineering majors

• Majors: the college’s undergraduate page lists five engineering majors: computer, electrical, environmental, civil and mechanical engineering. All lead to a Bachelor of Science (BS), and each has a minor, an honors option and a combined bachelor’s-plus-master’s route (the site calls it “4+1”). The college also says its undergraduate engineering and computer science programs are ABET-accredited.
• ABET: the accreditation page lists the BS in civil, environmental, electrical, computer and mechanical engineering as accredited by ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission; computer science is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission.
• Credits: the program pages list total quarter credits of 185 for mechanical, 180 for civil and 180 for electrical engineering. The mechanical page lists a fall start; civil and electrical list “any” term. Total credits for environmental and computer engineering were not checked here; see the program pages.
• Departments: Civil & Environmental Engineering; Electrical & Computer Engineering; Mechanical & Materials Engineering.

2. How admission works: the university first, then upper-division approval

• No separate college application: the pages read describe the university application, and do not mention an additional engineering essay or recommendation letters. After enrolling you can declare an engineering major at any time, but 300- and 400-level courses require separate approval (Upper Division Approval). PSU’s dates page also lists civil, computer, electrical, environmental and mechanical engineering among programs needing an additional application for restricted upper-division coursework.
• Civil and Environmental Engineering: approval happens once a year in spring, for a fall start. Requirements: admitted to PSU; required lower-division courses (or a plan to finish them) with a C or higher; a cumulative GPA of 2.33 or higher; and a selective GPA (required major courses only) of 3.0 or higher. The department says students who meet the requirements and submit on time are guaranteed approval, remaining spots go by selective GPA, and students below the selective GPA or missing credits may have to take more courses first. The form opens January 4, closes April 15, and decisions come by email in May.
• Electrical and Computer Engineering: once a year for fall, with the form submitted in winter or spring. Requirements: admitted to PSU and lower-division courses with a C or higher; a selective GPA of 3.0 or higher is guaranteed approval, and 2.25 to 2.99 is reviewed by the department. The form opens January 2 and closes April 15, with notification in spring; late forms need an explanation and are not guaranteed. Required courses include Calculus I to III (MTH 251, 252, 253), Linear Algebra, General Physics I with lab, and ECE 101, 102, 103, 171 and 221.
• Mechanical Engineering: admitted to PSU, within 6 courses of finishing all required lower-division courses, and a GPA above 2.25 in them; those between 2.0 and 2.24 may be approved with a customized plan. Deadline April 15, with notice before fall registration opens; late requests may not be decided before courses fill. All lower-division courses (C or higher) must be done before the first day of upper-division classes. They include General Chemistry I and II, Statics, Strength of Materials, Dynamics, Calculus I, II and IV, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, and Physics I to III with labs.
• Changing into engineering: the website says you can declare these majors at any time after enrolling; apart from the upper-division approval above, other conditions for changing majors are not published on the pages read, so ask the academic advisor.

3. Preparation

• General first-year requirements: high school graduation with 15 college-preparatory units (C- or better): English 4, science 3, social studies 3; Oregon high school graduates also need 2 units of a second language, which does not apply to graduates from outside Oregon. At least three years of math are recommended.
• For engineering: the first-year page strongly encourages students planning a STEM or calculus-based major to take pre-calculus and, if possible, calculus in high school. The pages read do not set separate high school physics or chemistry requirements for the college; this is not published, so ask admissions.
• Math placement and AP/IB credit: the pages read do not describe a math placement test for engineering or AP/IB credit rules; this is not published. Ask admissions and an advisor. IB has a separate use for English (below).
• Courses to take at PSU: see the calculus, physics, chemistry and engineering lists in each department’s approval page; each program has a degree planner with a four-year sequence.

4. Dates and materials (fall 2027)

• First years: the application opens August 1, 2026, closes August 1, 2027, documents are due August 5, and the term begins September 27. For winter 2028 the deadline is December 6, 2027. Decisions take about four to six weeks once documents arrive. The dates page says these apply to both domestic and international undergraduate applicants.
• Transfers: the fall 2027 deadline is September 1, 2027, with documents due September 5.
• Application: the PSU application, Common Application or Coalition Application, with a USD 60 fee (a fee waiver may be available to undergraduates); submit transcripts from all schools attended; unofficial transcripts can be used for a decision.
• Testing: SAT/ACT are optional and not required for a decision; applicants below a 3.0 GPA go through holistic review.
• Essays and recommendations: the pages read do not mention them; this is not published, so check the application page.

5. Domestic students

• Tuition: the 2026-2027 estimate for an average of 16 credits a term (fees included, summer excluded) is USD 13,593 for Oregon residents, 14,745 with the Washington Border Discount, 19,353 for the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) and 36,249 for nonresidents. The page also says students in the Maseeh College pay a higher per-credit differential rate but does not list the amount (not published); use the cost estimator. There is also a one-time USD 475 matriculation fee.
• Aid: file the FAFSA (available October 1); Oregon residents with certain statuses file the ORSAA. PSU’s scholarship application for 2027-28 opens November 2, 2026, with most deadlines March 1, while the college’s funding page says the window is typically October 1 to April; the two differ, so rely on PSU Scholarship Universe. March 1 is also the priority deadline to apply and complete the FAFSA for the Tuition Free Degree, and August 1 is the deadline for many free and discounted tuition programs.
• Resident preference or guarantee: the pages read do not mention one; not published.

6. International students

• Admission: secondary school equivalent to a US high school and a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 on the US 4.0 scale, with documents accepted per PSU’s country table. Unofficial transcripts from non-US schools can be used for a decision; official ones are needed to enroll.
• English (undergraduates on non-immigrant visas submit one, taken within two years): TOEFL iBT taken before January 21, 2026: 71 overall, 15 in reading and writing; on or after January 21, 2026: 4.0 overall, 3.5 in reading and writing; Academic IELTS 6.0 overall with 6.0 in reading and writing (no One Skill Retake); Academic PTE 53; SAT evidence-based reading and writing 560; Duolingo 110.
• Other ways: a bachelor’s or higher from a university in Australia, English-speaking Canada, Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, the UK, the US or Zimbabwe; a passport from the listed countries (other than the US) plus an entire academic history in English from those countries; an IB diploma with 30 or more points; a US associate degree with a 2.50 GPA and the listed writing courses; or a request for an “ESL review”.
• Financial documents: PSU cannot issue an I-20 without proof of funds for at least one year. The 2026-2027 undergraduate estimate (12 credits a quarter, three quarters, base tuition of USD 712 a credit) is tuition USD 25,632, fees and health insurance USD 5,775, living costs USD 20,406, total USD 51,813. Extra credits cost USD 712 to 782.60 by department, and PSU says the Maseeh College and others may charge different tuition levels, so actual costs may be higher.
• Scholarships: admitted international undergraduates are automatically considered for the International Achievement Scholarship of USD 3,000 to 10,000 a year, with no separate application; recipients typically enter with at least a 3.25 GPA. It lasts up to 12 terms for first years and 6 for transfers, requires 12 credits a quarter and covers tuition only; students sponsored by state entities or outside organizations may be ineligible. The University Honors Laurels Scholarship (up to USD 3,000 a year) is only for students admitted to the Honors College. The college page says undergraduate engineering students can search and apply for scholarships in PSU Scholarship Universe; whether all international students can apply is not published, so ask the college.

7. Applicants from China

• Grades: PSU’s country table lists China’s Secondary School Graduation Certificate with an overall average above 80%.
• Gaokao: the pages read do not say how Gaokao results are used. This is not published; ask International Admissions (intladm@pdx.edu).
• Transcripts and verification: send complete high school records with the graduation certificate (or exam results). The pages read do not list Chinese-specific interview, credential-evaluation or exam-certificate requirements; confirm with International Admissions.
• IB: the English page accepts an IB diploma with 30 or more points as proof of English. Requirements for A-Level and AP are not on the pages read.

8. Engineering experience and internships

• MECOP: the Multiple Engineering Cooperative Program is open to civil, computer science, computer, electrical, environmental and mechanical engineering students, applying in the sophomore year (usually mid-February to early April), and is highly competitive. It needs a cumulative 2.50 GPA, readiness to start upper-division courses by the next fall, and a curriculum that fits two six-month internships (pilot disciplines need one). The MECOP page does not say whether the internships are paid or what they pay; the program pages call MECOP and EWX (Engineering Work Experience) paid internships, and the program website has details.
• Bachelor’s plus master’s: the college says students can earn both in as little as five years, with some courses counting toward both and graduate classes charged at undergraduate tuition.
• Honors: civil and environmental engineering honors requires a PSU GPA of 3.5 and an honors thesis; electrical and computer engineering has its own honors track.

9. Transfer students

• International transfers: 30 transferable quarter credits (20 semester credits) with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.25 on the US scale; those transferring from a US institution also need Writing 121 or equivalent with a C- or better; the English requirement also applies. The fall 2027 deadline is September 1, 2027.
• Domestic transfers: 30 transferable quarter credits, a 2.25 GPA (2.00 with a transferable associate degree or an Oregon Transfer Module), and WR 121 or equivalent with a C- or better. Applicants below the minimum are reviewed holistically.
• Calculus, physics and chemistry: the college’s transfer guide (updated April 2026) maps courses at Portland Community College, Clackamas, Chemeketa, Clark and Mt. Hood to PSU’s civil and environmental lower-division courses: Calculus I, II and IV, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, General Chemistry I and II with labs, Physics I to III, Statics, Strength of Materials, Dynamics, and writing and speech. Electrical and computer and mechanical engineering have their own tables.
• After transfer you still need upper-division approval; the civil and environmental page notes that transfers who have not finished Dynamics, Calculus IV or Differential Equations should contact the department.

Checklist

Domestic students:

• Apply for fall by August 1, 2027; take pre-calculus and, if possible, calculus in high school
• File the FAFSA and watch the March 1 scholarship and Tuition Free Degree priority date
• Finish lower-division courses, then submit the upper-division approval form by April 15

International students (including those from China):

• An average above 80% for China, converted GPA of at least 2.5; apply by August 1
• TOEFL 4.0 (71 on the old scale) or IELTS 6.0 with reading and writing minimums, or an exemption
• Ask International Admissions whether Gaokao results are used; prepare funds for an I-20

Transfer students:

• 30 quarter credits and a 2.25 GPA; take calculus, physics, chemistry and engineering fundamentals from the transfer guide; the fall deadline is September 1

Sources: Portland State University, Maseeh College future undergraduates; Departments and programs; Mechanical Engineering BS; Civil Engineering BS; Electrical Engineering BS; CEE upper division approval; ECE upper division approval; ME upper division approval; ABET accreditation; MECOP; Funding your engineering education; Transfer guides; First-year admission; International first years; Minimum academic requirements by country; English language proficiency; International transfer; Transfer admission; Dates and deadlines; International cost estimate; International scholarships; Undergraduate tuition. Dates are for fall 2027 entry and costs are for 2026-2027. Check Portland State’s website for the latest.