Oregon State University Ecampus is the online education unit of Oregon State University. In partnership with the institution's faculty and staff, OSU Ecampus develops and delivers courses, degree programs and certificate programs online and at a distance to students worldwide. Ecampus courses and programs are delivered fully online or in a hybrid (blended) format that combines virtual learning with face-to-face instruction. In January 2017, the Ecampus bachelor's degree programs were ranked top 10 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for the third straight year.
Oregon State Ecampus is a unit within OSU's Division of Extended Campus.
History
Oregon State University first's foray into distance education was in the 1930s, when it delivered pioneering programs in Portland, Oregon, and on the Oregon Coast. OSU's first complete distance degree program was offered in liberal studies via correspondence and video in the 1980s. In 1982, liberal studies courses were offered at Central Oregon Community College in Bend, Oregon, which paved the way for OSU’s first distance degree program in liberal studies.
In 2002, OSU converted its Distance and Continuing Education program into OSU Ecampus â€" as the unit exists today â€" and began building full-fledged online degree programs. Ecampus is now under the leadership of Lisa L. Templeton, who assumed the role of executive director in November 2009. In 2017, she was appointed associate provost of the Division of Extended Campus.
Academics
Oregon State Ecampus partners with more than 600 OSU faculty members annually to develop and deliver programs and courses online. Ecampus delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs, graduate certificates and more than 1,000 courses online.
Students who pursue an education online with Oregon State earn the same diploma and transcript as OSU's on-campus students. OSU's online courses have the same learning objectives and student learning outcomes as the university's on-campus courses.
Oregon State courses online
Oregon State offers more than 1,000 classes online each year in nearly 100 academic subjects. Working with Ecampus instructional designers to build an online course, OSU faculty use animations, readings, videos, conferences and other interactive materials for students online. OSU employs a separate effort to measure quality of its existing online courses. Quality Matters, a Maryland-based nonprofit group, offers a means to evaluate and certify the design of online courses.
Ecampus delivers complete chemistry course sequences and labs online, as well as course sequences in eight foreign languages.
Oregon State degrees online
Ecampus delivers more than 50 undergraduate and graduate programs online, with some hybrid programs that feature face-to-face components. Oregon State is regarded as a leader in delivering science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs online to learners seeking careers in these high-demand fields.
Undergraduate degree programs
Students can earn a bachelor's degree online from Oregon State in the following disciplines:
- Agricultural sciences
- Anthropology
- Business administration
- Computer science (post-baccalaureate)
- Economics
- Environmental economics and policy
- Environmental sciences
- Fisheries and wildlife sciences
- German
- History
- Horticulture
- Human development and family sciences
- Liberal studies
- Natural resources
- Political science
- Psychology
- Rangeland science
- Sociology
- Spanish
- Sustainability (double-degree program)
- Women, gender and sexuality studies
Graduate degree programs
Oregon State also offers graduate programs online and at a distance, some of which can be completed fully online while others include a face-to-face component.
- MBA in Business Analytics
- MBA in Innovation Management
- MBA in Organizational Leadership
- MBA in Supply Chain and Logistics Management
- Master of Natural Resources
- Professional Science Master’s in Environmental Sciences
- Professional Science Master’s in Fisheries and Wildlife Administration
- M.Eng. in Industrial Engineering (focused on engineering management)
- M.S./M.H.P. in Radiation Health Physics
- M.S. in Data Analytics
- Master of Public Policy
- Ed.M. in Adult and Higher Education
- Ed.D./Ph.D. in Adult and Higher Education (options in community college leadership and leadership in higher education)
- Master of Education (K-12 and informal teachers)
- Master of Arts in Teaching (option in clinically based elementary)
- M.Coun. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- M.Coun. in School Counseling
- Ph.D. in Counseling
Graduate certificates and endorsements
- Business analytics
- College and university teaching
- Data analytics
- Financial planning
- Fisheries management
- Forests and climate change
- Geographic information science (GIS)
- Public health
- Sustainable natural resources
- Urban forestry
- Water conflict management
- Wildlife management
- English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) endorsement
People
Students
Ecampus serves students in all 50 states and more than 40 countries. OSU's distance learners include full- and part-time students, working and retired professionals, community college students, active-duty and retired military, high school students and lifelong learners.
In the 2015-16 academic year, 19,097 students enrolled in at least one Ecampus course.
Alumni
Each year hundreds of learners earn their OSU degrees after completing course work online through Ecampus. A record 692 distance students received their diplomas from OSU in June 2016.
Faculty
All OSU Ecampus courses are developed by Oregon State faculty members. Each year, OSU instructors share best practices in online teaching with features interactive discussions at the Ecampus Faculty Forum.
Awards and recognition
Oregon State Ecampus has earned numerous honors as a provider of online education in recent years. These distinctions are based on a variety of factors, including "academic quality, support for students, student satisfaction, market credibility and prestige."
In 2017, U.S. News & World Report ranked Oregon State No. 8 nationally in its annual Best Online Bachelor's Programs list. The criteria for the rankings were student engagement; faculty credentials and training; peer reputation; and student services and technology.
References
External links
- Lisa Templeton Oral History Interview