Oregon State University provides diverse educational opportunities through the undergraduate and graduate programs of its 11 academic colleges. Academic choices include studies in scientific, technological, interdisciplinary and professional as well as liberal arts fields. A land grant, sea grant, space grant and sun grant university with beginnings in the 1850s, OSU is now home to more than 34,000 undergraduate, graduate and first professional students, representing more than 100 countries, every state in the nation and every county in Oregon.

In addition to its regular educational programs, the university is responsible for Oregon’s land grant mission of research, education and outreach. The OSU Extension Service delivers educational programs in all of Oregon’s 36 counties, reaching out to communities with programs as diverse as Master Gardeners, 4-H, and community leadership. Working in collaboration with Extension Service faculty, the researchers in Oregon’s Agricultural Experiment Station conduct scientific, social and economic research at 11 branch stations at 15 locations across the state, including one of the nation’s only urban experiment stations, the Food Innovation Center in Portland.

Top-ranked in the national by multiple organizations over the last 10 years, Ecampus features courses that are developed and taught by OSU faculty and provides a rigorous and excellent Oregon State University education online to more than 12,000 learners worldwide. Ecampus partners with Oregon State colleges and faculty to offer more than 90 undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs.

The Degree Partnership Program (DPP) promotes educational attainment and bachelor's degree completion by allowing students to be jointly admitted and concurrently enrolled at Oregon State University and Oregon or Hawaii community colleges. Oregon University System (OUS) institutions collectively offer over 50 partnerships with community colleges, as well as similar agreements among its own institutions and with Oregon Health and Science University.

OSU’s educational partners include all Oregon community colleges, Eastern Oregon University, the Oregon Center for Advanced Technology Education, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland State University, Southern Oregon University, University of Idaho, University of Oregon and Washington State University.

OSU-Cascades — the first branch campus in the state — brings Oregon State's academic excellence and research innovation to Central Oregon, one of the fastest-growing regions in the nation. OSU-Cascades offers more than 40 degrees, minors, and program options with an average class size of 18 students. Currently serving over 1,200 undergraduate and graduate students on its 128-acre campus near downtown Bend, OR, OSU-Cascades will serve up to 3,000 to 5,000 students over the coming decades.

Oregon State University's administration is organized to effectively sustain all functions of the university, including its teaching, research, and outreach and engagement missions.

Leadership

OSU Board of Trustees

The Oregon State University Board of Trustees is vested by law with the power and authority to govern the university, and the composition of the board is set out in state statute. The Oregon State University Board of Trustees governs Oregon’s only university with a statewide presence and helps guide OSU’s mission to serve the state and the needs of its citizens in a growing global economy.

Rebecca Johnson, Interim President

Dr. Rebecca Johnson became Interim President of Oregon State University on May 1, 2021. The president is the chief executive officer of the university and is appointed by the Oregon State Board of Trustees. Subject to the Board, the president is responsible for the overall leadership and direction of the university.

Edward Feser, Provost and Executive Vice President

As provost and executive vice president, Edward Feser is the chief academic and operating officer of Oregon State University, charged by the president to oversee progress on the university’s strategic goals in student success, faculty excellence, outreach and engagement, internationalization and institutional reputation.

More information about OSU Board of Trustees, Office of the President, and Office of the Provost can be found on the Leadership webpage.

Equal Opportunity

Oregon State University, in compliance with state and federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status in any of its policies, procedures, or practices. This nondiscrimination policy covers admission and access to, and treatment and employment in, university programs and activities, including but not limited to academic admissions, financial aid, educational services, and employment. Inquiries regarding the university's equal opportunity policies may be directed to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access on 541-737-3556.

Oregon State University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). The university is authorized to offer baccalaureate, master’s, doctorate, and first professional degrees, as well as undergraduate-, postbaccalaureate-, and graduate-level certificates. In July 2019, the Board of Commissioners of the NWCCU reaffirmed OSU’s institutional accreditation through 2026.

In the College of Agricultural Sciences, the Rangeland Sciences program is accredited by the Society for Range Management (SRM). The Department of Food Science and Technology’s undergraduate curricula are approved by the Higher Education Review Board (HERB) of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). The Agricultural Education major is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC).

In the College of Business, the Business Administration programs (undergraduate and graduate) are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB–International).

The College of Education programs are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC) for the preparation of elementary and secondary teachers. The graduate programs in Counseling are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

In the College of Engineering, the Bachelor of Science and Honors Bachelor of Science degrees in Bioengineering, Chemical, Civil, Ecological, Electrical and Computer, Energy Systems, Environmental, Industrial, Manufacturing, Mechanical, and Nuclear Engineering baccalaureate programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org. The Construction Engineering Management program is accredited by the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE). The Bachelor of Science and Honors Bachelor of Science degrees in Computer Science-Computer Systems Option is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org. The Bachelor of Science and Honors Bachelor of Science degrees in Radiation Health Physics is accredited by the Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.

In the College of Forestry, the Bachelor of Science degrees in Forest Engineering and the double-degree in Forest Engineering-Civil Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org, and the Society of American Foresters (SAF).  The Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry is accredited by SAF.  The Forest Restoration and Fire Option within the BS Forestry degree is certified by the Association for Fire Ecology (AFE). The Bachelor of Science degree in Renewable Materials is accredited by the Society of Wood Science and Technology (SWST).

In the College of Liberal Arts, the Music Education Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree program in the School of Arts and Communication is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and by the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC); in the School of Public Policy the Master of Public Policy (MPP) is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA).

The College of Pharmacy's PharmD program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). The College also offers PGY1 and PGY2 community pharmacy residency programs. The PGY1 program is jointly accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). The PGY2 programs are accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).

The College of Public Health and Human Sciences is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). The Athletic Training major is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). The Dietetic option in the Nutrition major is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, as is the transcript-visible post-baccalaureate Dietetic Internship. The graduate Physical Education Teacher Education licensure program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC). In Human Development and Family Sciences, the OSU Child Development Center in Bates Hall is accredited with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). HDFS participates in a double degree program in Early Childhood/Elementary Education that is accredited through the College of Education’s teacher education programs. The Double Degree pathway includes all the course work and field experiences necessary to qualify for an Oregon Initial Teaching License granted by the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC). The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at OSU-Cascades has been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).

In the College of Science, the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry Track One is approved by the American Chemical Society (ACS) and has two options: advanced biochemistry and advanced chemistry. Also, the Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Biophysics, and the Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology are both accredited by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB).

The Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine's DVM program is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association, Council on Education (COE). In addition to the DVM degree, the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory is accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD), and the Lois Bates Acheson Veterinary Teaching Hospital is accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).

Student Health Services is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) and is a member of the American College Health Association (ACHA). The Student Health Services Laboratory is accredited by the Commission on Office Laboratory Accreditation (COLA).

The university’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) office is accredited by the International Association of Counseling Services, Inc. (IACS), and the pre-doctoral training program at CAPS is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA).

The Oregon State University Institutional Animal Care and Use Program is fully accredited by AAALAC International. OSU’s participation in the rigorous AAALAC International accreditation process demonstrates a campus-wide commitment to humane and responsible animal use in research, instruction, production and testing and a dedication to excellent science. This institutional accreditation encompasses the entire campus animal research enterprise and all OSU sites where university-owned animals are housed or maintained. All colleges and research programs are included, with the largest programs being in Agricultural Sciences, Pharmacy, Public Health and Human Sciences, Science, the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, the Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Centers, the Hatfield Marine Science Center, the Oregon Hatchery Research Center, and the Laboratory Animal Resources Center (LARC).

The Academic English program at INTO OSU is accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA). INTO OSU agrees to uphold the CEA Standards for English Language Programs and Institutions. CEA is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a national accrediting agency.

For further information about OSU's accredited programs, please visit the University Accreditation webpage.

Innovation, Leadership and  Excellence for Oregon and the World

Oregon State University is a community of students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters who aspire to make the world a better place. It is a community defined by innovation, leadership and excellence in academics, research and outreach to serve Oregon, the nation and the world.

With more than 31,000 students, including more than 5,600 students earning their degrees entirely online, Oregon State is the state’s largest university, welcoming a diverse student body from all 36 counties across Oregon, all 50 states and more than 100 countries.

Oregon State is the state’s land grant university and is one of only two universities in the U.S. to have land, sea, space and sun grant designations. As a premier international research university, with a record $336 million in external research funding in 2016, Oregon State’s impact reaches across the state and beyond.

Oregon State’s 2015 strategic plan reaffirms the university’s commitment to the three Signature Areas that draw from disciplines across the university and integrate research, engagement and teaching at both graduate and undergraduate levels:

• Advancing the Science of Sustainable Earth Ecosystems
• Improving Human Health and Wellness
• Promoting Economic Growth and Social Progress

Students Come First

• Oregon State is committed to diversity. Our students come from all walks of life and from all over the world. These students are extraordinarily bright and high-achieving contributors in the classroom and in their communities. Over the past five years, more of Oregon’s high school valedictorians and salutatorians have enrolled at Oregon State than at Oregon’s other public research universities.
• Oregon State offers a full range of strong scholarships, grants, work-study and loans from federal, state and university sources to help students get the best possible financial aid package.
• OSU Welcome Week begins at fall move-in and includes the first day of classes. This week is filled with events and activities for everyone, including Welcome Week Kick-off and Rec Night, new student convocation, student club events and many other educational and social activities geared toward connecting new students and welcoming returning students back to the university and Corvallis.
• Our First-Year Experience program helps new students transition into university life. A variety of small-group experiences is offered — including U-ENGAGE and first-year experience courses — to connect first-year students to faculty, current Oregon State students and other new students.
• The University Exploratory Studies Program allows students to explore a variety of disciplines before choosing an academic major.
• Our Diversity and Cultural Engagement office, cultural centers and Educational Opportunities Program work with African American, Asian American, Native American and Latino students to ensure that their Oregon State experience is positive.
• Oregon State is the only college or university in the state that offers ROTC programs for all four branches of the military — Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy.
• With more than 400 student organizations, plus club, intramural and Pac-12 Conference sports, students find it easy to keep busy at Oregon State.

Oregon Is Our Campus

• OSU Ecampus, with more than 45 undergraduate and graduate programs and over 1,000 courses, is consistently ranked in the top 10 among online bachelor’s degrees nationwide by U.S. News & World Report and is ranked number one in value by valuecolleges.com.
• The OSU Extension Service has programs, staff and volunteers providing essential services in all 36 Oregon counties.
• Consistently ranked among the top college towns in the nation, Corvallis is a welcoming, vibrant city of 55,000 people, offering a wide range of community, recreation, dining, shopping and cultural opportunities. And the city is just an hour or more from the Oregon Coast, the snow-capped Cascade Range and Portland — Oregon’s largest city.

Mission

Preamble

Oregon State University is a comprehensive, public, internationally recognized research university. As one of only two land, sea, space and sun grant universities in the country (Penn State being the second), OSU offers programs and employs faculty and staff in every county of the state. OSU views the state of Oregon as its campus and works in partnership with all of Oregon’s community colleges and the state’s public and private colleges and universities to serve Oregonians’ educational needs.

Mission

As a land grant institution committed to teaching, research, and outreach and engagement, Oregon State University promotes economic, social, cultural and environmental progress for the people of Oregon, the nation and the world. This mission is achieved by producing graduates competitive in the global economy, supporting a continuous search for new knowledge and solutions and maintaining a rigorous focus on academic excellence, particularly in the three Signature Areas: Advancing the Science of Sustainable Earth Ecosystems; Improving Human Health and Wellness; and Promoting Economic Growth and Social Progress.

Vision

To best serve the people of Oregon, Oregon State University will be among the Top 10 land grant institutions in America.

Goals

1. Provide outstanding academic programs that further strengthen performance and pre-eminence in the three Signature Areas of Distinction: Advancing the Science of Sustainable Earth Ecosystems; Improving Human Health and Wellness; and Promoting Economic Growth and Social Progress.
2. Provide an excellent teaching and learning environment and achieve student access, persistence and success through graduation and beyond that match the best land grant universities in the country.
3. Substantially increase revenues from private fundraising, partnerships, research grants and technology transfers while strengthening our ability to more effectively invest and allocate resources to achieve success.

Core Values

Accountability. We are committed stewards of the human, fiscal and physical resources entrusted to us. We are also stewards of the loyalty and good will of the people of Oregon; the university’s students, faculty, staff, alumni, and donors; and the communities in which we live and work.

Diversity. We recognize that diversity and excellence go hand-in-hand, enhancing our teaching, scholarship, and service as well as our ability to welcome, respect, and interact with other people.

Integrity. We value responsible, accountable and ethical behavior in order to maintain an atmosphere of honest, open communication and mutual respect throughout the Oregon State community.

Respect. We treat each other with civility, dignity and respect.

Social responsibility. We contribute to society’s intellectual, cultural, spiritual and economic progress and well-being to the maximum possible extent.

Core Themes

The core themes and their objectives were selected to align with the OSU Strategic Plan, the university’s mission and its three fundamental goals. The following core themes were chosen in early 2010:

• Undergraduate education
• Graduate education and research
• Outreach and engagement

Beginning in the fall of 2010, the university has introduced a Core Theme Planning process that will be conducted on an annual cycle and use continuous improvement principles to inform the campus community of how we are fulfilling our mission.

Source: OSU Strategic Plan

Founded in 1858 as a small, private academy called Corvallis College, Oregon State University has developed into an internationally recognized public research university.

College-level courses were introduced into the curriculum about 1865, and two men and one woman fulfilled the requirements for baccalaureate degrees in 1870, becoming the first graduates of a state-assisted college in the western United States.

Signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on July 2, 1862, the Morrill Act provided grants of land to be used by states for the sole purpose of endowing, supporting and maintaining public colleges. The Oregon Legislative Assembly designated Corvallis College as the state’s land grant institution on October 27, 1868. This was the first state support for higher education in Oregon. Permanent adoption as the state’s agricultural college came in 1870.

For many years, the institution was known as Oregon Agricultural College. The name was changed to Oregon State College in 1953 and to Oregon State University in 1961.

Following the designation of the college as a land grant institution, agriculture was added to the existing arts and science curriculum in 1869. The curriculum continued to expand, with professorships in commerce (1880), agriculture (1883), household economy (1889) and engineering (1889) resulting in the establishment in 1908 of the professional schools of commerce, agriculture, engineering and mechanic arts and domestic science and arts. The first summer session was also held in 1908.

Curricular growth continued with the schools of forestry (1913), mines (1913), pharmacy (1917), education (1918), basic arts and sciences (1922) and health and physical education (1931).

In 1932, the Oregon State Board of Higher Education established the School of Science for the state system at Corvallis, eliminated the School of Mines, and reduced the School of Health and Physical Education to a division. Major work in business administration was discontinued but was reinstated when the College of Business was established (first as a division) in 1943. The College of Liberal Arts was established (as the School of Humanities and Social Sciences) in 1959. The Department of Oceanography was established in 1959, became the School of Oceanography in 1972 and the College of Oceanography in 1983. In 1992, the Department of Atmospheric Sciences in the College of Science was merged with the College of Oceanography and renamed the following year as the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences. In 2011, the Department of Geosciences in the College of Science was merged with COAS, and the college renamed the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences. The College of Health and Physical Education (now the College of Public Health and Human Sciences) was reinstated (as a school) in 1974, and the College of Veterinary Medicine was established (as a school) the following year. In 1983, all schools of the university, except the School of Education, were re-designated as colleges. In 1989, the School of Education became a college. In 1991, the College of Education merged with the College of Home Economics, and within the College of Home Economics and Education, was renamed the School of Education. In 1995, the University Honors College was established. In 2002, the College of Health and Human Performance and the College of Home Economics and Education were merged into the College of Health and Human Sciences. As part of this restructuring, the new School of Education became an independent academic unit. In 2005, the School of Education was renamed the College of Education. The College of Health and Human Sciences was renamed the College of Public Health and Human Sciences in 2011.

Following the approval of legislation adopted by the 2013 Oregon Legislature, Oregon State University made the decision to have its own institutional board of trustees. That board was appointed by Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber in the fall of 2013 and assumed all of its official duties on July 1, 2014.

Presidents of the institution since its founding:

William A. Finley, 1865–72;
Benjamin L. Arnold, 1872–92;
John M. Bloss, 1892–96;
Henry B. Miller, 1896–97;
Thomas M. Gatch, 1897–1907;
William Jasper Kerr, 1907–32;
George Wilcox Peavy, 1934–40;
Frank Llewellyn Ballard, 1940–41;
August Leroy Strand, 1942–61;
James Herbert Jensen, 1961–69;
Robert William MacVicar, 1970–84;
John V. Byrne, 1984–95;
Paul G. Risser, 1996–2002;
Edward J. Ray, 2003–20;
F. King Alexander, July 2020–April 2021;

Rebecca Johnson, Interim President, May 2021 - 

Acting presidents of the institution since its founding:

Joseph Emery, 1872
John D. Letcher, 1892
George Wilcox Peavy, 1932–34
Francois Archibald Gilfillan, 1941–42
Roy Alton Young, 1969–70
Timothy P. White, 2003