Oregon State University, also known as OSU by its students, can trace its roots back to the middle of the 19th century. Corvallis Academy, a school designed to teach high school and older students opened, in 1856 and later became Corvallis College. Later known as an agricultural school, many of its early programs emphasized farmer and botany courses that prepared students for running their own farms and working in rural areas. The college officially became Oregon State College in 1937 and then Oregon State University in 1961.

OSU is one of the more selective public school systems in the country. Of the more than 14,000 applications that it receives every year, less than 80% of those who apply are accepted. Though OSU doesn’t have a minimum SAT or ACT score requirement, most who receive acceptance score in the high 1500s or higher on the SAT and score above 24 on the ACT. Washington Monthly named OSU the 78th best college in the United States, and U.S. News & World Report placed the school at number 138 on its own list. Forbes also ranked the school on its own list of top public and private institutions in the United States.

Oregon State University Accreditation Details

The best colleges are those with some form of accreditation. Accreditation means that the campus meets the minimum requirements imposed by different organizations. Those organizations do routine checkups to ensure that the schools continue meeting or exceeding any requirements. The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, also known as the NWCCU granted accreditation to Oregon State University and continues granting accreditation to the campus. It also has state accreditation from the Oregon State Board of Education, which means that the university can grant bachelor, master and doctoral degrees to students. All online programs also have accreditation.

Oregon State University offers computer science degree programs that have accreditation from the Accreditation Board Engineering and Technology. Also known as ABET, the organization requires that schools give students a list of goals they must reach by the end of their studies. This accreditation also means that OSU has a high rate of former graduates who found work in the computer science field after leaving the campus and that all students possess the ability to adapt to any changes found in that field later.

Oregon State University Application Requirements

OSU offers several different paths for new students, including transfer students, graduate school students and those who need to take introductory courses before transferring to a dedicated degree program. Unlike other schools that offer a paper application form that students send through the mail, much of the OSU application process takes part online. Students must create an account and set up both a user name and a pin code or password that lets them log into their accounts later. The university has separate deadlines in place for those who want traditional acceptance or early acceptance. All students must submit all necessary documents by the deadline.

The two most important documents required are the student’s transcript and the student’s ACT or SAT score. Though OSU only requires a score from one of those tests, some students submit both as a way to show that they scored highly on both. The transcript should come directly from the high school the student attended, and if the student took any college classes, he or she will need to submit transcripts from those schools as well. OSU, like many other colleges, also asks that students submit a photograph and an insight resume. This resume should show the activities students took part in, any work they did and what sets them apart from other students. A computer science student might include information about his or her personal website, enrollment in a computer club and/or computer work he or she did in the past.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Oregon State University charges different tuition costs based on whether students live in or out of state. Those living in state pay around $10,000 for one year of schooling. The cost per year for out of state students taking classes on campus increases to more than $28,000 a year. These costs do not include the cost of textbooks, a dorm room, meal plan and any supplies students might need. Computer science students will typically need a state of the art computer and specific software, and some classes may also require that students have access to a tablet. All students applying for admission should fill out the FAFSA, which determines the amount of aid they will receive based on their or their parents’ finances.

OSU offers both federal student loans and federal grants. Federal grants are available for those who make less money and do not require paying back the money. Those with a strong credit history and a good credit score may also qualify for private or alternative student loans. OSU also has work study opportunities available. Work study programs give students a set wage that is usually higher than federal minimum wage for simply working on campus.

Why Study Computer Science at Oregon State University?

The Bachelor of Science in Computer Science is a degree program offered by OSU through its School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Courses that students in this program take include:

-Computer Science Orientation
-Introduction to Computer Science
-Digital Logic Design
-Discrete Structures in Computer Science
-Web Development

In the hopes of making each student more well rounded, OSU also asks that its CS students take courses in other disciplines, including math, English, science and social sciences.

OSU also offers a separate program called its Professional Computer Science program. These programs focuses more on teaching students the fundamental skills that they will need when working in CS fields right after graduation. Unlike the basic program that prepares students for advanced studies, this program focuses on advanced topics, including computer programming, computer networking and software engineering. Students in this program can also do an internship or complete an advanced project in their last year. Oregon State University also offers a minor in computer science and allows students to double major in computer science and a second subject.

See Oregon State University featured in our article, Ultimate Computer Science Degree Shootout:

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