Student Living
Academic Life
Ph.D. students will spend the first two years in the program completing the required didactic coursework while taking research credits to round out their schedule. At the end of their second year or beginning of the third year, students complete a comprehensive preliminary oral exam to gauge their understanding of their research area. The remaining three years are devoted to taking elective courses, conducting research, skill development, and completion of the thesis.
On campus Master's students completing a non-thesis degree can typically complete the program in one year, or three terms, which includes a culminating capstone project. Thesis based Master's students typically spend 2 years completing the degree program with much of the second year devoted to research and thesis completion.
Campus Life
Corvallis
Oregon State University offers a friendly, welcoming community in a classic college town. Students can participate in the more than 300 student organizations at Oregon State and attend campus lectures, concerts, festivals, and cultural programs. The campus houses several cultural centers, the Women's Center, and the Pride Center. Oregon State is consistently rated as one of the top LGBT-friendly campuses in the United States. College of Pharmacy students enjoy full access to Recreational Sports facilities, including Dixon Recreation Center. The Memorial Union offers arts, dining, and entertainment, as does downtown Corvallis. The Oregon State Beavers offer exciting Pac-12 athletics.
Corvallis sits at the heart of the Willamette Valley, among wonderful farmer's markets, vineyards, and craft breweries. The Oregon Coast is only forty miles to the west and the Cascade Mountains (and ski slopes) are to the east. Oregon State has its own forests which are ideal for hiking and mountain biking.
Click here for a photo tour of campus!
Portland
For students based in Portland at the OHSU Robertson Life Sciences Building, you'll have access to OHSU student resources. Students can participate in clubs and Student Interest Groups, stay active at OHSU's recreation facility, March Wellness & Fitness Center, use the largest health sciences library in Oregon, play intramural sports with other health professions students, and attend campus events.
Portland is known for culture, fine dining, coffee houses, food carts, cycling, and microbreweries. Year after year, Portland tops lists of America's most livable cities. Portland is 35 minutes from Oregon's wine country, 35 minutes from the scenic Columbia River Gorge, an hour from the hiking trails and ski slopes around Mt. Hood, and 90 minutes from the Oregon Coast.