jmcomicÂþ»­

My time at Oregon State University went beyond my initial expectations. The classes were diverse in topic and the professors were all professionals in the career they were teaching about, which gave them the ability to provide us with not only knowledge about field data and experiences. All of my professors were available when I needed them and offered encouragement when I was struggling. My advisor was especially great, ensuring that I took the right classes and graduated on time. The internship... Read More my school provided me with eventually led to my current job, which is in my field of study (natural resources) and has given me opportunities to work first hand with endangered species in the field, lead educational talks and hikes, and assist in the overall operations of a park with its managers. My lab-based courses gave me experience and knowledge that I have been able to put into play within my job while researching and working in the field, and has allowed me to contribute to state and nation-wide studies on bat populations in Minnesota. I go to work each day carrying the knowledge that OSU gave me, and am able to pass it on to visitors, family, and friends.

OSU is a great school with a beautiful campus and great community amongst students. I felt the professors were always willing to help and taught the classes in an interesting manner. There are a lot of resources on campus especially if you are in a science or engineering based major. I will say that you need to figure out your requirements for graduation yourself and have a very clear plan of your path; at least in my experience the advisors were not very helpful and even caused me to need an extra... Read More semester.

I want to start by saying this is for the online education aspect of this University. I signed up to take a few courses to fill in gaps in my undergraduate education. I think the Module setup is pretty good, but the "discussion board" aspect of the course is frustrating and irrelevant. All materials are self taught, which is nice to fit in around your work schedule. However, there is limited direction and feedback with labs and homework so it's hard to know if what you are teaching yourself is correct.... Read More Discussion boards are required with other students, but there is no input from the instructor to know if the information being discussed is scientifically accurate. Read the textbook material and you get about the same outcome. You get what you pay for here. The 10 week course was affordable, and if your employer will pay for it than by all means it's worth it.

Attended the online CS (yeah it's not business) program while working (I can reiterate what other people have said but I won't; this is about the on-campus grad program) and then near the end of the pandemic decided to pursue a graduate degree. After arriving on campus I found it to be refreshing to be in person at a university, but once I began attending classes found that the in person material is about as slapdash as the online material with a lot more ego attached. Maybe I'm just expecting too... Read More much of the professors here but I've had various problems with professors making a stink about asking for visual lecture assistance through DAS and most of them don't seem like they care or want to be teaching. I suppose that is what you get when you hire researchers to be teachers, you get a lukewarm attempt at teaching while they try to make a name for themselves in academia.

Online CS student, repeating what other 3-or-lower reviews have said here. Instruction is very inconsistent, relies heavily on underpaid foreign adjuncts, and I have had several run-ins with characters that would be canceled immediately if their opinions were only public. The usual department politics are present, and an extremely helpful professor of 20-30 years in one department (say, biochemistry) will be paid a pittance while truly worthless professors from another (say, electrical engineering/computer... Read More science) will be paid six figures. The result is that some people are not paid enough to care, the actually helpful people had better just retire or get an industry job and many very annoying people are rewarded for their failure. Financially, it's the same scheme you see at pretty much any state school: everything is priced like they expect people to be paying from loans, scholarships, the GI bill or trust fund and most of this bloated figure goes toward administration and sports programs rather than quality instruction or support. I shudder to imagine doing military service to afford this standard of education, much less being wounded in the process. In many cases, classes are nearly unpassable only to be revamped to something much easier a couple of years later, as they are desperate for tuition dollars. In other cases, classes are laughably trivial busy work. In most cases, you don't know what you're going to get until it's too late to get a refund. I am currently, right now, in an upper-level engineering class where it's already been decided who will and won't get above a B+, but no one actually knows their grade nor has anyone actually received direct feedback on how to correct any mistakes in a way that could have afforded them higher than a B+. The deadline to get a single dollar of tuition back from dropping the class is in four days, so hopefully some human somewhere grades at least one assignment before then, because it's starting to look really suspicious! I started out on-campus, where I was forced to stay in a dorm for my first year. I chose West Hall, which happened to have a mouse infestation. I actually caught one and showed it to the Housing & Dining Services and their response was basically, "oh well." I was paying $1000 a month for one shared room. Later on, I worked for the Student Union, where many students go to eat - big surprise, it had a rat infestation. As for careers, these are mainly done via job listings and mailing lists, plus the occasional job fair. Attending these fairs, you will quickly realize that your diploma that you paid for like it was a Corvette is only the minimum you could have possibly done, so already the "favor" the institution has done for you by putting you in the same race as the rich, able-bodied or untraumatized is out the window. You discover that you were actually supposed to select more well-connected or wealthier parents at birth, that you were supposed to be doing extracurriculars planned by someone else since you were 14, and that you need dozens of other feathers in your cap as well as being superficial clones of the people the companies bring in. Truly, whether you were in a traumatic combat situation, grew up a subject of prejudice or injustice, or can only pay for school with generational wealth, you will be sure to find your tuition dollars utterly wasted here at Oregon State. The only thing that makes it anywhere near worthwhile is credential inflation which now dictates a certain amount of collateral psychological torture (via your peers you've displaced) by throwing yourself through this gauntlet so that you can get... $49,000 per year 6 years after graduation, according to this page. Less than national median wage. Stay tuned for the sequel: Oregon State University 2026 - Where Are All the Kids Born During the Great Recession?

Coming to this college was the worst decision I have made in my adult life. A little background, I have an associates in Horticulture with several certificates in sustainable landscape design, and hydro organic crop production. This was after attending a veteran sustainable agriculture training put on by San Luis Obispo. I have maintained a 3.8 gpa during the majority of my education. This is while I am dealing with severe PTSD and physical injuries sustained while in Afghanistan. When I was enrolled... Read More at OSU, I was admitted as a junior who was told I could complete the degree within two years. I am rounding on year three. This is because the admissions and academic counselor intentionally misinformed me. As a veteran who served and was injured from combat service, I have literally bled for my ability to get an education. The only way out of poverty was through military service, and that service allowed me to earn the GI bill. OSU has taken those benefits and given me nothing in return. As a Horticulture major I have had to take 3 chemistry courses, 3 biology courses, 3 math courses, music theory, and other courses that are completely useless for my goal. I have taken zero irrigation courses, I have taken no organic farming courses, and the few horticulture courses that I have taken have given me little to no applicable knowledge. I took my hard earned benefits and have given them over to thieves that are more concerned with gathering their money than offering legitimate relevant education. This education has no substance, provides quantity over quality, with academic advisors will ensure that you fail, and smile in your face as you make legitimate complaints. If there is any recourse to this false education, I am currently trying to seek our legal assistance, and letting the VA know there is a severe enough deficiency here that they should put OSU on a college list that is predatory towards Veterans.

This review is specifically about the Education Double Degree program at OSU. I was enrolled in this program to complete my student teaching and to earn a degree in Education in addition to my primary degree. Pros: Most of the professors that I had in the College of Education were good. I did have one professor whose teaching experience was only in elementary school, but for some reason was teaching future secondary teachers. I liked my student teaching supervisor as well. Generally, the faculty... Read More were experienced teachers who were passionate about preparing new teachers for the profession. There was a decent amount of support for completing the edTPA, which is required for initial licensure in Oregon. Cons: If you're wanting to teach English, social studies, health, or Family/Consumer Sciences, you won't get as much instruction in the pedagogy of your subject area compared to the future math and science teachers. There was very little instruction on how to teach special education students. The ESOL endorsement coordinator here has a hard time finding placements for student teachers that meet the requirements of the endorsement. If you want the ESOL endorsement, there's no guarantee you'll earn it at OSU. The communication that came from the professors/program coordinator (in terms of program requirements, deadlines, etc.) was hit or miss. I can't comment on the elementary program, since I was in the secondary teaching program. If you're already going to OSU for undergrad and want to become a teacher, I would recommend looking into master's programs at other schools such as Western Oregon University or Portland State University. WOU in particular is very well known for its education programs. I took a 5th year of undergrad to complete OSU's education program, but in hindsight I could have finished my primary major in 4 years and then taken 1 year to complete a master's with student teaching at WOU or somewhere else. Also, having a master's degree makes you more marketable.

Obtaining a Bachelor's degree from OSU's EECS department is not easy. 10-week terms mandate a fast-paced learning environment. Asking professors and TAs for help can be a coin flip because many of them have research projects with both limited grant funding and limited time. The quality of instruction is very inconsistent from teacher to teacher, usually because those teachers drew straws to teach certain classes. Use ratemyprofessor or other instructor review sites to avoid the bad apples, and make... Read More sure you have both food and rent security while studying. The pressure to adapt and succeed is immense. Unless you are driven, confident, mentally healthy (or at least receiving treatment), and can make friends in class, it can and will break you. Getting a degree from OSU is not the same as going to a code camp, as it is a research and academic university first. Papers and theory are the primary focus. 90% of my classes focused on instilling the higher-level information, such as what certain algorithms or components are and how they work with each other, rather than how to use a specific language. I did not learn .NET, C#, Java, or any JS framework libraries while studying at OSU for my Bachelor's. This is a shame since so many entry-level job postings on LinkedIn and Indeed ask for one of the above. Having Oregon State's name on your resume won't guarantee you an internship or an interview. There are career fairs and outreach programs the university participates in that draw a lot of outside attention, but you need to make the initiative first and make a good impression. Even still, unless you have multiple advanced projects on your resume, the stars happen to align, or you know someone who knows someone, your chances of getting a work opportunity are slim. I would recommend it for getting a degree in higher education only if you live in Oregon, or have your finances completely covered. Paying out of state tuition for a name on your resume is not worth it.

Don't be fooled by these 4-5 star reviews left for Oregon State University. These are from small-town farmers who know and have seen nothing better that could be offered from a University. If you are unfortunate enough to be living in Oregon when you are graduating high school, opt for a community college, or an east coast school. At least at these schools, they dedicate your tuition to the growth of the school, and to further your education. In Oregon, they like to give your money to the failing... Read More sports programs, and the incredible amount of student employees getting paid to stand and miss class. OSU's student body culture boasts a pretentious urge to be accepting of minorities, yet pushes them to the outskirts of campus at all costs, while having little to no actual minority involvement. Most of the student life is dominated by exclusive and chauvinistic fratboys and sorority girls, who have simply chosen OSU to get their Mr. and Mrs. degrees, promptly drop out after a failed year at business school, and then stay around the heart of the valley in Oregon. These people are easy to find when they drop out, as they are often sporting "Oregun" stickers on their enormous vehicles, waving giant American flags, and attending republican rallies ornamented in Oregon State University clothing. If the culture alone didn't keep change your mind about wasting your money at this school, consider the extreme bureaucratic systems OSU has set up, that make what used to be simple tasks for students, an absolute nightmare. For example, if you would like to change your password to your student account, it is going to take you no less than 2 hours, speaking to various students(paid with your tuition) and jumping through hoops, just so that you can find out what your schedule looks like. OSU makes it SO hard to put on any sort of event, and really challenges people that want to get involved, into figuring out how they can do so with their strict policies. OSU is constantly changing their curriculum and programs. The education alumni got 5 years ago is drastically different than the one people get nowadays. I have taken many classes at OSU where we were expected, and set up for failure, with class averages on exams being in the 30% range, and that translating to an A with a curve. This is an awful way to teach and is frequented at OSU. Twice now, has OSU decided to change their curriculum, and force me to take a class, that when I first enrolled at this school, they did not think was necessary to take. This tacks on thousands of dollars in debt for students, and forces them to change their plans and schedules without any warning. Ultimately, I feel as though I have made a huge mistake going to this school, and if I could have put my money and time somewhere else, I would have done that immediately. This school is a giant gold-encrusted turd, and has forced me now to spend the next 5-10 years of my life paying for OSU's failure of a football team/coach and repulsing greek life.

Oregon State is a fantastic research university that provides incredible opportunities to all of their students. With its world-renowned STEM programs (in Engineering, Marine Biology, and Agricultural Science, to name a few), many would believe that the humanities programs are lackluster. This couldn't be farther from the truth. My experience at OSU in the College of Liberal Arts was nothing but positive, innovative, and mentally challenging. Through taking writing classes from some of the nation's... Read More best authors, to participating in Shakespeare research, to presenting in undergraduate conferences, I grew in ways that I didn't know were possible. If it were not for the faculty and staff in the College of Liberal Arts and, more specifically, The School of Writing, Literature, and Film, I would not be the person I am today.

I started OSU as a freshman studying Mechanical Engineering and just never really connected with the material, just just seemed a bit flat and dull to me. Spring of my sophomore year I found Ecological Engineering and switched, and am so happy that I did. I loved the courses and material, it really just connected with me, and there were some terrific instructors that taught with so much enthusiasm and passion that I will never forget them. The Ecological Engineering program it had only recently gained... Read More its accreditation and I was in one of the first graduating classes, so there was still a little bit of shifting in the program itself, but it was a great experience overall. And the OSU campus is gorgeous, if I could continue my Masters on campus I would in a heartbeat.

I started OSU as a freshman studying Mechanical Engineering and just never really connected with the material, just just seemed a bit flat and dull to me. Spring of my sophomore year I found Ecological Engineering and switched, and am so happy that I did. I loved the courses and material, it really just connected with me, and there were some terrific instructors that taught with so much enthusiasm and passion that I will never forget them. The Ecological Engineering program it had only recently gained... Read More its accreditation and I was in one of the first graduating classes, so there was still a little bit of shifting in the program itself, but it was a great experience overall. And the OSU campus is gorgeous, if I could continue my Masters on campus I would in a heartbeat.

This school will not properly articulate transcripts leading to never ending registration issues. Advising is a waste of time, because they will not follow through with tasks that need to be accomplished for a student to determine exactly what course work is required of them. If you ask any status update questions, no one at the university will even respond to your emails. If you file a complaint, the resolution you receive is only a "status" update on the original problems and never an actual resolution.... Read More As a distance educational institution, the university has an obligation to respond to students in a timely manner, which they could care less about. Not even the Vice Provost would offer any assistance. Four business days have gone by since I should have been able to register for classes I need to graduate, and still nothing. PLEASE do not give this institution any of your time or money, seek a legitimate institution that is in the business of providing education, not deceiving distance students out of their money.