You may access the OSU Graduate School application directly through the Office of Graduate Education. The online application process is self-guided.

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Prospective graduate students apply through the Oregon State University Graduate School and will be required to submit the following:

1. Statement of purpose.
2. Three letters of reference.
   1. University-level academic references are preferred.
3. An official transcript from every institution attended. 

Applicants must meet the minimum academic requirements. International applicants must meet the minimum requirements for international applicants. GRE scores are currently being waived for Fall 2025 admission cycle.

Admission decisions are based on many factors, such as the quality of the applicant’s prior academic degree and record of accomplishment, statement of purpose, letters of recommendation from professors or others familiar with the applicant’s academic work, performance in aptitude and achievement tests, relevant work experience, preparation in the proposed field of study, and the suitability of the applicant’s academic goals with the faculty’s research interests.

Particularly at the graduate level, a critical consideration in the decision is whether your academic objectives can be satisfactorily fulfilled by the graduate programs at Oregon State. Admission to Oregon State is competitive and meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission. Following approval of the School, the Office of Admissions will determine whether the general university admission requirements have been met.

The four-year undergraduate program example plans provide an indication of the level of math and science required of our undergrads in preparation for our graduate programs. 

Each applicant is judged on their entire application and a decision is made on the strength of each application in relation to the pool of applicants in any given year.  Meeting the minimum application requirements does not guarantee admission.

Questions regarding applications and the program should be directed to Amy K Thomson, NSE Graduate Program Coordinator for NSE's on-campus graduate programs.

Priority Deadline for M.S. and Ph.D. Applications

Dec. 31, 2025

The School of Nuclear Science and Engineering offers a limited number of graduate teaching assistantships (GTA) and graduate research assistantships (GRA). There is no separate application process. Students whose applications are complete by the priority funding deadline are automatically considered for available GTA/GRA positions.

Graduate teaching assistants and research assistants are appointed on a term-by-term basis. They receive tuition remission, and a monthly stipend starting at $2,150. 

Fellowships are also available to incoming graduate students. Stipends range starts out at $2,200 per month for the nine-month academic year. There are typically four to six fellowships awarded per academic year. There is no separate application process for fellowships, qualified graduate applicants to the department are automatically considered for available fellowships.

*Award offers and amounts are subject to change at the discretion of department administrators.

A thesis in the major area is required for the M.S. degree, and the thesis format is bound by the rules of the Office of Graduate Education and the policies of the School of Nuclear Science and Engineering. Visit the Office of Graduate Education website for details.

The MEng degree option provides students the opportunity to pursue advanced-level study without the requirement of completing thesis research. These degrees are intended as terminal degrees, not as preparation for a doctorate, and will emphasize job-related knowledge and skills. Although not required, students wishing to pursue a Ph.D. in the future are advised to pursue an M.S. degree, not the MEng.

Ph.D. degrees are typically completed within four years subsequent to the completion of the M.S. degree. Students admitted into the Ph.D. program must pass a qualifying exam and must demonstrate a capability to undertake independent research in order to advance to candidacy as a full Ph.D. student.

A nuclear engineering minor can add additional technical skills to a graduate degree. The flexibility of requirements allow students to tailor the interests to the skills they feel are necessary and complementary to their current graduate degree.