Portland State University ( commonly referred to as Portland State or simply as PSU) is a public, coeducational research university located in Portland, Oregon. Portland State was originally founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution with the purpose of educating returning World War II veterans. Over the following two decades after the school’s founding, PSU evolved into a four-year college and, in the year of 1969, was granted university status. Portland State is comprised of seven different constituent colleges. Across these seven colleges, PSU offers undergraduate degree-granting programs in one hundred twenty-three disciplines and postgraduate degree-granting programs in one hundred seventeen disciplines.
We Ranked Portland State University:
#22 in Top 25 Most Political Universities,
#5 in Top 10 Online Bachelors Degrees in Criminal Justice; and
#15 in Top 20 Greenest Colleges
Portland State University is well-known for its unique University Studies curriculum, which culminates in a community-based senior capstone project (also known as a final year project or dissertation) of which all undergraduates are required to complete for graduation. This capstone course fully integrates class work with community-based work and is completed with the assistance of local community organizations. The capstone project covers a wide-range of issues, such as social justice, sustainability, youth education and much more. The project is designed to blend a student’s education with a sense of responsibility to the community and themselves.
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Portland State has numerous student-run organizations, including the Greek Life organizations Alpha Kappa Alpha, Alpha Kappa Psi, Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Chi Omega, Kappa Sigma, Omega Delta Phi and Phi Delta Theta and other agencies such as a Women’s Resources Center, a Disability Resources Center, a Resource Center for Students with Children and a Queer Resource Center for the school’s identifying LGBT+ students. Many other organizations and groups are available, ensuring that there is a little something for everyone at Portland State University.
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Local Flavor: Portland, Oregon
In addition to the student organizations and groups available, the surrounding area of Portland, Oregon also has numerous activities and sights to see, including:
- Portland Art Museum: Portland Art Museum is the oldest museum of art on the West Coast–and the seventh oldest in the United States–and houses more than 42,000 permanent pieces of art and art exhibits and various rotating art exhibits yearly. Many styles and eras of art are represented throughout the Museum, such as Modern and Post-World War II exhibits.
- Tom McCall Waterfront Park: Opened in 1978, Tom McCall Waterfront Park is a park located in Portland that is most commonly utilized for jogging, walking, biking, skateboarding, fountain playing, luncheoning, basketball, fireworks viewing, Segwaying and boat watching and various other typical park activities.
- Oregon Museum of Science and Industry: The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry contains three auditoriums which include a large-screen theater, a planetarium and various exhibition halls with a large variety of permanent hands-on exhibits focused on natural sciences, industry, and technology. Exhibits include the USS Blueback, the submarine that was featured in the 1990 film The Hunt for Red October and the Science Playground, an educational area designed for small children.
- Portland Opera: Portland Opera is the local opera house. Portland Opera was one of the very first opera companies to introduce subtitles into its productions and has presented several world and US premieres.
Portland has an active nightlife scene with numerous bars, clubs, and late-night shopping.
There are also many highly-rated restaurants, boutiques, breweries, art galleries, parks and countless other things to keep the students of Portland State University (and the residents of Portland, Oregon) busy day-to-day.
Degrees and Programs at Portland State University
Portland State University has a massive selection of undergraduate, graduate and professional certification programs available to students. The lists below outline the various coursework students can pursue:
Portland State University Undergraduate Programs (Partial List)
Advanced Proficiency in Russian
Business Technology and Analytics
Campaigning to Win a U.S. Political Campaign
Communication Sciences and Disorders
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Food, Beverage and Goods Leadership
Indigenous Nations and Native American Studies
Intercultural Competence for the Workplace
Music: Musicology/Ethnomusicology
Pre-Medical Laboratory Science
Public Health Studies: Community Health Promotion
Public Health Studies: Health Services Administration
Real Estate Property Management
Sexuality, Gender, and Queer Studies
Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship
Sonic Arts and Music Production
Supply and Logistics Management
Portland State University Graduate Programs
Applied Data Science for Business
Business Intelligence and Analytics
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Computer Modeling and Simulation
Computer Science
Contemporary Art Practice: Art and Social Practice
Contemporary Art Practice: Studio Practice
Counseling: Clinical Mental Health
Counseling: Clinical Rehabilitation
Counseling: Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Early Childhood: Inclusive Education and Curriculum and Instruction
Early Intervention Special Education
Earth, Environment and Society
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Emergency Management and Community Resilience
Emergency Management and Community Resilience
Engineering Management: Technology Management
Engineering Project Management
Engineering and Technology Management
Environmental Science and Management
Environmental Science and Management PSM
Environmental Systems and Human Health
Environmental and Resource Economics
Geographic Information Systems
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Service-Learning and Community-Based Learning in Postsecondary Education
Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship
Social Work and Social Research
Strategic Management of Technology
Student Affairs in Higher Education
Sustainability Graduate Certificate
Systems Engineering Fundamentals Certificate
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
Technological Entrepreneurship
World Languages and Literature
Portland State University’s Online and Flexible Undergraduate Degree Programs
Advertising Management Minor for Communication Majors
Advertising Management Minor for Graphic Design Majors
Business Technology and Analytics
Child, Youth, and Family Studies
Communication Sciences and Disorders
Consumer Retail Pre-Baccalaureate
Criminology and Criminal Justice Online
Criminology and Criminal Justice Postbac Online
Geographic Information Systems Minor
Intercultural Competence for the Workplace
International Development Studies
International and Global Studies
Public Health Studies: Community Health Promotion
Public Health Studies: Health Services Administration
Public Health Studies: Healthy Aging
Public Health Studies: Human Lactation
Public Health Studies: Pre-Clinical Health Sciences
Public Health Studies: School Health Education
Real Estate Property Management Minor
Sexuality, Gender, and Queer Studies
Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship
Space and Planetary Science Minor
Supply and Logistics Management
Portland State University’s Online Online and Flexible Graduate Programs
Applied Data Science for Business
Business Intelligence and Analytics
Contemporary Art Practice: Art and Social Practice
Early Childhood: Inclusive Education and Curriculum and Instruction
Early Intervention Special Education
Geographic Information Systems
Global Supply Chain Management
Global Supply Chain Management Certificate
Graduate Teacher Education Program (GTEP)
Postsecondary Adult and Continuing Education (PACE)
Professional and Technical Writing
Service-Learning and Community-Based Learning in Postsecondary Education
Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship
Student Affairs in Higher Education
What Makes Portland State University Unique: Tuition Costs
Portland State University has very appealing and affordable tuition costs, ranging from $193 per credit hour to $676 per credit hour. Prices depend on whether you are a resident or a non-resident attending graduate or undergraduate courses. Courses taken entirely online have an additional fee of $35 a credit The school also offers numerous scholarship and grant opportunities, along with a very helpful and dedicated Financial Services team and payment option plans to assist with covering the costs of attending.
Because of the relatively low-cost of attendance, students will be able to get a bigger Return on Investment (ROI) for their time, which is always a plus. The ROI is further increased when a student obtains a scholarship or grant from the school.
The school’s cost of attendance, financial services team, payment plans, scholarships, and grants combine to make Portland State University a relatively unique specimen in the educational world.
Notable Portland State University Alumni include:
- Barbara Roberts; the 34th Governor of the state of Oregon
- Anna J. Brown; a well-respected United States Federal Judge
- Betty Roberts; the first woman to serve on the Oregon Supreme Court
- D. Scott Davis; the current United States Postal Service CEO
- Mike Richardson; publisher and founder of Dark Horse Comics, a highly popular comic book producer
- Freeman Williams; holder of the second-highest NCAA score in NBA history, among many others.
Portland State University’s Website: https://www.pdx.edu/
PSU’s Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
PSU’s Values and Mission Statement: https://www.pdx.edu/portland-state-university-mission
Portland State University’s Motto: Doctrina urbi serviat – “Let Knowledge Serve the City”
PSU’s Mascot: Victor E. Viking
PSU’s School Colors: Green and White
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