Oregon State University

Oregon State University Admissions and General School Information

Oregon State University is one of Oregon's largest public universities, with over 100 graduate degree study areas and thousands of undergraduate majors in 11 academic colleges. Located in Corvallis, Oregon, the university was founded as a private academy in 1858, and commenced college courses in 1865.

General Information about Oregon State University

Enrolling over 20,000 students each year, Oregon State University is the state's fourth-largest public university. More than a dozen of Oregon State's programs are highly rated by magazines like Conservation Biology and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Oregon State University is also a federally designated land, sea, space and sun grant institution.

Unique research and laboratory facilities at Oregon State University include the Hatfield Marine Science Center, the Center for Gene Research and Biotechnology, the Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory and the Environmental Health Sciences Center.

Admissions and Enrollment Information for Oregon State University

Prospective freshman must submit standardized test scores, an 'insight resume' detailing the student's extracurricular activities and other personal accomplishments and a completed application with fee. Oregon State University maintains a minimum 3.0 GPA cutoff for first-time incoming freshmen.

Academic Colleges of Oregon State University

College of Agricultural Sciences

The College of Agricultural Sciences hearkens back to Oregon State University's foundations as a land-grant college and is principally responsible for much of the innovative agricultural and food science knowledge in the state. Programs include agricultural education, animal sciences, ecological engineering, plant pathology, soil science, entomology, horticulture and rangeland management.

College of Business

Oregon State University's Master of Business Administration (MBA) program is one of the most competitive at the college, and the business minor also ranks as one of the most popular undergraduate minors. Other degree programs in the college include undergraduate concentrations in accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, international business and marketing. An Executive MBA degree is also available through the graduate studies division.

College of Education

While undergraduate degree offerings are limited mainly to early childhood education and elementary education, master's and doctoral candidates can choose among disciplines including organizational and human resource education, student services administration, college leadership and teacher leadership. Early childhood and elementary education degrees are also available at the master's and Ph.D. levels.

College of Engineering

One of Oregon State University's oldest departments, the College of Engineering claims roughly 3,100 undergraduates and 500 graduate students. Programs include concentrations in biological and ecological systems, chemical and environmental, civil, electrical and computer, mechanical and industrial, and nuclear and radiation health physics engineering.

College of Forestry

Oregon State University was named by Conservation Biology magazine as the No. 1 school for conservation programs, in part due to the College of Forestry's curricula. The college offers undergraduate degrees in areas including tourism and outdoor leadership, forest engineering, forest management, natural resources and wood science. A huge array of master's and doctoral programs in forest engineering, forest science, forest resources and wood science are also available.

College of Health and Human Sciences

The College of Health and Human Sciences includes some programs with unique curricula. For example, the Department of Design and Human Environment offers bachelor's and master's degrees in apparel design, merchandising management and housing studies; a separate department focuses solely on exercise science and nutrition. Undergraduate and graduate degrees are also available in public health.

College of Liberal Arts

As the name implies, Oregon State University's College of Liberal Arts houses 17 liberal arts study areas, including anthropology, art, ethnic studies, foreign language, music, philosophy, theatre and women's studies. In total, these departments offer more than 3,000 separate majors.

College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences

Primarily concerned with graduate education, the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences does offer undergraduate research opportunities and a minor in oceanography. Graduate areas of study include biological and chemical oceanography, marine geology and resources, marine resource management and atmospheric science.

College of Pharmacy

Since the entry-level degree for the career field is the Doctor of Pharmacy, this is the only degree the College of Pharmacy confers. However, the college also runs graduate research projects in pharmacology, pharmaceutics, medicinal chemistry and natural products.

College of Science

The counterpart to the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Science houses 12 math and science departments, pre-health and natural resources focus areas and interdisciplinary graduate programs in ecology, genetics, environmental science and cellular biology. The college also boasts top rankings by the Chronicle of Higher Education for programs in zoology, plant pathology and science education.

College of Veterinary Medicine

The College of Veterinary Medicine is divided into two departments. The Department of Biomedical Sciences runs courses and programs in anatomy, physiology, pathology, infectious disease and public health. The Department of Clinical Sciences is responsible for training prospective veterinaries in internal medicine, surgery, oncology, diagnostic imaging and rural veterinary practice.

Contact Information

  • Address: Corvallis, Oregon 97331-4501
  • Phone Number: (541) 737-1000