Review Requirements

Before you apply, it's essential to review our program’s admission requirements 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 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.