Portland State UniversityStudent Guide

Academic dates, campus language, housing, and student-life references for Portland State University. Free for students.

Public Research University in Portland, OR. Operating on a semester system.

Looking for dorms? Scroll for the dorm and housing breakdown below.

Free for all Portland State University students. No credit card required.

20K+

Total Enrollment

Research University

Institution Type

22

Housing Buildings

Student guide · Summer Quarter 2026

The semester, explained for Portland State University

Dates from the active academic calendar, plus the campus language and local details students actually need. Every entry comes from DormWay's approved campus reference library.

Relevant term
Summer Quarter 2026
Campus terms
26
Local details
12

Academic calendar

Summer Quarter 2026 runs Jun 22, 2026 – Sep 19, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.

12 entries
  1. Summer 8-Week Session 2026
  2. Summer 2026 8-Week Session
  3. Summer 2026 10-Week Session
  4. Summer 11-Week Session 2026
  5. Summer Quarter 2026Relevant now
  6. Fall Quarter 2026
  7. Winter Quarter 2027
  8. Spring Quarter 2027
  9. Summer 2027 4-Week Session
  10. Summer 2027 8-Week Session
  11. Summer 2027 10-Week Session
  12. Summer Quarter 2027

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Campus language

Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.

26 terms

A

ASPSU
Associated Students of Portland State University, the student government body.

B

Blumel
Shorthand for Blumel Hall, an apartment-style residence hall.
Branford's
The coffee shop located within the Millar Library.
Broadway
The Broadway Residence Hall, known for housing the campus bookstore on its ground floor.

D

DMSS
Diversity and Multicultural Student Services.

E

Epler
Shorthand for Stephen Epler Hall.

K

KPSU
The student-run radio station at Portland State.

M

Millar
The Branford Price Millar Library.
Montgomery
The historic Montgomery Residence Hall.

O

OIT
Office of Information Technology, the campus tech support desk.
Ondine
The Ondine Residence Hall, which houses the primary campus dining hall.

S

SALP
Student Activities and Leadership Programs, the hub for student clubs and organizations.
SHAC
Student Health and Counseling Center, providing medical and mental health services.
Smith
Refers to the various food vendors and the food court located in the Smith Memorial Student Union.
Smith's Place
The food court and market area located on the first floor of the Smith Memorial Student Union.

T

The Broadway
Broadway Residence Hall, a prominent student housing building on the north end of campus.
The Food Carts
The various independent food vendors located on the edges of the Park Blocks, a staple of PSU dining culture.
The Lib
The Branford Price Millar Library.
The Market
The University Market located in Smith, used for snacks and quick grab-and-go items.
The Monty
Colloquial shorthand for Montgomery Residence Hall.
The Ondine
Ondine Residence Hall, which also houses the main campus dining hall.
The Park Blocks
The South Park Blocks, the linear park that runs through the heart of the campus.
The Rec
The Academic and Student Recreation Center (ASRC), the campus gym.
The Urban Plaza
The open area near the Urban Center where the MAX light rail stops.

V

Victor's
The primary all-you-care-to-eat dining hall located in the Ondine building.
Viks
Short for Vikings, the university's mascot and the collective name for the student body.

Places and practicalities

Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.

12 details
Banweb
The online portal used by students to register for classes, check grades, and manage financial aid.
Canvas
The learning management system where professors post course materials and assignments.
CH
Cramer Hall, a large academic building known for its complex and confusing floor plan.
EB
The Engineering Building.
FMH
Fariborz Maseeh Hall, a major academic building formerly known as Neuberger Hall.
Hop Card
The transit card used for TriMet buses and MAX light rail; students often get a subsidized pass.
KMC
Karl Miller Center, the building housing the School of Business.
LH
Lincoln Hall, the primary building for performing arts and music.
SMSU
Smith Memorial Student Union, the central hub for student life and services.
The MAX
The Metropolitan Area Express light rail system that has several stops directly on the PSU campus.
The Streetcar
The Portland Streetcar, which circles the campus and is often used by students to move between buildings.
Viking Card
The official PSU student ID card used for building access, printing, and meal plans.

Quick answers

Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.

What academic term is relevant now?
Summer Quarter 2026 runs Jun 22, 2026 – Sep 19, 2026.
How much campus context is included?
26 approved campus terms and 12 local details are included in full.
Are all approved campus terms included?
Yes. The complete approved glossary is available in the scrollable, searchable campus-language section.
Where does this guide come from?
Calendar dates, campus terms, and local details come from DormWay's approved campus reference library.

Class of 2030 · Portland State University

You just committed to Portland State University.

The four months ahead don’t need to be one giant open tab. Sign up and we’ll only email you when Portland State University actually needs you to do something this summer — orientation, housing, course registration, immunization. That’s the whole product.

What we’ll email you about

  • Jun 15

    Housing Room Selection Window Opens

    Recommended · source

  • Aug 1

    Final High School Transcripts Due

    Required · source

  • Sep 1

    Immunization Records Submission

    Required · source

  • Sep 15

    Final New Student Orientation Deadline

    Required · source

One email per real deadline. Source link cited every time. We re-check 7 days before each one fires.

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Get to know your university

Assisted

Find a few communities to try at Portland State University

These are things we discovered from public campus sources. We are constantly looking for more.

Tell us what we missed

17 mapped items from 10 public sources

Interest filters
  • Major-aligned clubs, pre-professional groups, and research communities.
  • Performing arts, visual arts, student publications, film, and music.
  • Cultural orgs, identity communities, and faith-based groups.
  • Volunteer groups, civic engagement, mutual aid, and student government.
  • Outdoor clubs, intramural sports, club sports, and rec center programs.
  • Entrepreneurship, hackathon teams, makerspaces, and engineering project teams.
  • Casual hangouts, interest groups, and open events without applications.

Worth a look

Alpha Chi Omega

A social sorority focused on friendship, leadership, learning, and service. Their national philanthropy is domestic violence awareness.

Regular commitment

Source: pdx.campusgroups.com · Verified 11 days ago

Learn More

KPSU

Portland State's student-run college radio station, broadcasting a wide variety of music and talk shows online.

Pathos Literary Magazine

PSU's student-run literary magazine, publishing student poetry, prose, and visual art.

PSU Vanguard

Portland State University's primary student-run newspaper, covering campus news, arts, culture, and sports.

Source: psuvanguard.com · Verified 11 days ago

Read Online

Sub-Basement Studios

Portland State's student-run production house, providing students with hands-on experience in all stages of film and video production.

Open to all

Swim Club

A recreational and competitive swim club for students of all abilities to practice and compete.

Open to all

Source: pdx.edu · Verified 3 months ago

The Pacific Sentinel

A monthly student-run magazine at PSU that focuses on politics, culture, and art with a progressive lens.

Source: pacificsentinel.com · Verified 11 days ago

Read Online

Easy to try first

Viking Days

A series of events and activities at the beginning of the fall term to welcome new and returning students to campus.

Drop in any time

Campus rituals

Party in the Park

PSU's annual fall quarter student engagement fair where students can learn about student organizations, leadership opportunities, jobs, and events.

Drop in any time

Recent Portland State University Syllabus Analyses

Browse syllabus breakdowns from Portland State University courses

Using DormWay at Portland State University

What the product handles for students.

Syllabus to schedule

Upload any Portland State University syllabus and get a complete semester breakdown in seconds

Workload planning

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Free student access

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Portland State University on DormWay

Current DormWay activity for this campus

5

Active Students

1

Syllabi Analyzed

1

Courses on DormWay

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Popular Courses

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BA 336U

DormWay integrates with Portland State University's LMS

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Canvas

Supported

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Life in Portland for Portland State University Students

Everything you need to know about living and studying in Portland.

Timezone

Pacific Time (PT)

Median Rent

$1,495

Cost of Living Index

133

Student Population

90,000

City Transportation

Walkability

67

Bikeability

72

Public Transit

TriMet buses, MAX Light Rail, Portland Streetcar

Nearest Airports

Portland International Airport

Climate Averages

Climate

Warm-summer Mediterranean

Avg Annual Temp

55°F

Avg Snowfall

4.3 in

Campus Operations Snapshot

Parking and Transit

Parking Structure 3

garage • 1,100 spaces

Garage clearance 6'4"; features EV charging.

Blumel Hall (Upper Level)

surface_lot

No cash; self-service pay station only.

University Center Building

garage

Harrison St. entrance clearance 6'10".

Campus News

Latest updates from Portland State University

Oregon universities brace for international enrollment drop following visa delays, Trump policies

Public universities in Oregon, including PSU, are expecting a decline in international student enrollment due to federal policy changes and visa processing delays.

Sep 1, 2026

Read More

Aztec football looks to start strong in week one matchup with Portland State

San Diego State prepares for its season opener against the Portland State Vikings, following PSU's week zero loss to UC Davis.

Sep 2, 2026

Read More

REPORTED OFFENSE: A shooting was reported at 3:27 p.m. on Aug. 10, 2026, at the intersection of SW 4th Ave. and SW Market St. There is no ongoing threat to campus.

REPORTED OFFENSE: A shooting was reported at 3:27 p.m. on Aug. 10, 2026, at the intersection of SW 4th Ave. and SW Market St. There is no ongoing threat to campus.

Read More

Upcoming Events

What's happening at Portland State University

Storytime at the PSU Farmers Market

September 5, 2026

PSU Farmers Market

A free children's storytime event hosted at the PSU Farmers Market.

Movie Madness University: Stop Motion Animation in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Cinema

September 14, 2026

Portland State University

A presentation on stop motion animation featuring classics from King Kong to The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.

OMEGA X: 2026 No Limit Tour

September 16, 2026

Portland State University

Korean boy group OMEGA X returns to the United States on their 2026 tour.

Exhibition Tour

September 19, 2026

Portland State University

A free guided tour of current campus exhibitions.

Convocation & Employee Resource Fair

September 23, 2026

South Park Blocks across from Smith Memorial Student Union

The official kickoff for the 2026–27 academic year for PSU employees, featuring a resource fair and a message from the president.

Viking Days 2026

September 24, 2026

Various Campus Locations

A series of events and activities welcoming new and returning students to the fall 2026 academic year.

SHAC Block Party

September 25, 2026

Portland State University

A welcome event featuring free pizza, games, and information about health and wellness services.

Dorms & On-Campus Housing at Portland State University

Various dorm and housing options are available for students.

17 known dorm and housing options. Every known option is shown below.

Blackstone Residence Hall

Room types: Not specified in search results

Blumel Residence Hall

Capacity: 200

Room types: 1-bedroom

Broadway Residence Hall

Capacity: 600

Room types: studio

Dwell At 8th

Room types: studio, one-bedroom

Epler Hall

Fifth Avenue (various small halls/units)

King Albert Residence Hall

Montgomery Court Residence Hall

Montgomery Hall

Capacity: 143

Room types: single

Ondine Residence Hall

Room types: studio

Parkway Residence Hall

Room types: Not specified in search results

Saint Helens Residence Hall

Capacity: 350

Room types: 1-bedroom, studio, double

Stephen Epler Residence Hall

Capacity: 130

Room types: studio, one-bedroom

St. Helens Court Residence Hall

Capacity: 300

Room types: double, suite

Stratford Residence Hall

University Pointe

Room types: apartment

West Hall

Room types: studio, one-bedroom

Campus Details

Academic System

Semester

Control

Public

Email Domain

@pdx.edu

Official Website

Visit Website →

Plan your semester at Portland State University

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