The OSU MBA

Oregon State University (OSU)’s College of Business is in Southwest Corvallis, Oregon. Its acceptance rates are 65.1% and as it’s less expensive than many other MBA programs; this can translate into a substantial return on investment.

The OSU College of Business is recognized as an Emerging Center of Excellence for Innovation and Entrepreneurship through its InnovationX platform, an expansion of the Austin Entrepreneurship Program. This includes Launch-U sessions, aimed at helping students find inspiration for their ‘next big idea’; the Launch Academy, which helps students develop ideas for start-ups; and the Launch Corps, which offers customized start-up support to OSU MBA students enrolled on the Innovation Track.

The OSU MBA is geared to enable students to engage in experiential and collaborative learning, where they will be expected to jump in on projects, collaborate with peers, and put real-world projects into motion. OSU MBA students partner with industry to find solutions to real-world problems that companies face in managing or growing their businesses. The projects are defined by industry and solved by student teams, together with faculty and partner member support.

OSU College of Business offers the possibility of an accelerated completion of its MBA. A dual-degree MBA/PharmD is now offered at the Portland campus. Only full-time MBA students who have completed an undergraduate business degree as minored in business as an undergraduate at an accredited institution are accepted onto the accelerated nine-month program; those who have not are required to do a preliminary Core-1 program focusing on essentials of business. All Core-1 coursework is available online.

Multiple tracks are designed in response to feedback from alumni and industry partners, and are a direct response to market needs. This translates into an MBA that meets students’ needs, positioning them effectively for their future careers. Tracks available include: business analytics, innovation management, corporate finance, supply chain and logistics management, and a research thesis. Additional areas of concentration include accounting, business analytics, finance, information systems, international business, and marketing.

OSU MBA students also have options for overseas study. These include exchange options with students from other international institutions (with tuition fees still paid to OSU), study abroad options (with tuition fees paid to the host institution), or OSU faculty-led tuition abroad, the location of which depends on the subject and individual study program (with fees paid to OSU).

In 2016, 135 students were enrolled in the business school, with a 43.7% female and 28% international/ethnically diverse student body (including Native American, Hispanic, African-American, and other ethnic groups).

OSU offers additional ‘Fridays in Austin’ leadership development workshops and seminars, open to all enrolled at the Business College, where students have additional opportunities for personal growth and professional development. These also involve learning valuable, employer-friendly soft skills of collaboration through various teamwork exercises.

At graduation, 38% of full-time students are employed. Companies in the region that employed OSU MBA graduates include KPMG, Intel, Nike, Oracle, Adidas, PwC, Daimler, Boeing, Target, Deloitte, and Samaritan Health Services, among others.