Do you have a passion for supporting children and adolescents? Are you committed to providing equitable services for all youth? Do you believe that promotion and prevention are critical to improving behavioral health and wellness? Are you excited by the opportunity to study and learn in Portland? 

Application Deadlines 

Are you an incoming first-year or transfer student? Beginning in Fall 2024, turn in your UO application by the deadline for the term you want to start. Don’t forget to declare pre-child behavioral health as your major.  

UO Deadlines 

Can’t find the child behavioral health major on the application? No worries, just contact us directly at ballmerinstitute@uoregon.edu and we will help you! 

How to Apply

Step 1: Declare a child behavioral health pre-major. 

All students will begin their journey as a child behavioral health pre-major.

• Incoming first-year and transfer students: On your UO application declare that you want to major in pre-child behavioral health. 

• Current UO students: If you are interested in the child behavioral health major, you can declare a pre-major using the CBH Pre-major Declaration Form  or make an appointment with our advising team. 

Step 2: Meet our core requirements.

You’ll need to complete core education requirements, bachelor's degree requirements, and the following pre-major core curriculum with a 3.0 GPA. All courses must be taken graded and passed with a C- or better. Meeting these requirements usually takes two years.

If you have taken a similar course at a transfer institution and have questions about whether it would meet one of these requirements, please reach out to our advising team.  

Step 3: Apply to full major status.

The final two years of the child behavioral major will be completed at the University of Oregon’s NE Portland campus. Since the program is a cohort model, all students will begin their final two years in the fall term. Every fall, the application for full major status opens (you can find the link on this page when it is available!). There will be a few short answer questions included so we can learn more about you and your experience. 

Students may apply for full major status when they have met the following requirements: 

• Completed at least two of the pre-major core curriculum courses (3.0 GPA or better) 

• Are within one year of their transition to the Ballmer Institute at UO Portland 

We encourage students to apply for full major status as soon as they meet these requirements!

The Fall 2024 Portland Cohort application is now open: Fall 2024 CBH Application. The priority deadline is December 1, 2023.

Step 4: Transition to the NE Portland Campus 

When you are ready to take the next step and transition to the Ballmer Institute, you will complete the CBH Checkpoint to certify that you have met the following requirements:  

• Have a 3.00 GPA (both for cumulative and pre-major core curriculum)  

• Complete core education requirements, bachelor's degree requirements, and pre-major core curriculum 

• Clear the background check requirements 

All students are required to complete the CBH Checkpoint the spring term prior to transitioning to the Ballmer Institute at UO Portland. Students who do not meet the academic requirements may still be eligible to advance to the Ballmer Institute. Please request a petition from our advising team.