The College of
LIBERAL ARTS
SPS Accolades
Oregon State University's online bachelor's degree in psychology has been ranked No. 1 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report
This incredible honor is based on the high-quality online learning experiences developed by the CLA's world-class faculty, as well as the CLA advisors and staff who provide unmatched support resources for students around the world. read more about the ranking >
Student Spotlight
How Mackenzie Ruff learned to lead through music
Ruff, ‘25, an alumna of the music technology and production program in the School of Visual, Performing, and Design Arts, now interns at Electric Lady Studios in New York City.
When Mackenzie Ruff, '25, arrived at OSU five years ago, she believed music would remain a private part of her life; something done in notebooks and bedrooms, not in studios or on stages. She had always been the kid who sang constantly and wrote songs, asking older cousins how to turn thoughts into lyrics. But she didn’t picture music as a career.
The Launchpad Scholars Program invites all First Gen, first-term, first-year Liberal Arts students to a training session for writing successful scholarship applications.
Distinguished Alumni
CLA to CEO: Maggie Gauger's trip from first-generation student to the top of Athleta
While a student at the College of Liberal Arts, Gauger, '97, learned independence, resilience, grit, accountability, as well as statistics, to help navigate the apparel design world.
CLA by the Numbers
5,026
The right size for your education
The College of Liberal Arts is the proud academic home of 5,026 students. With 1 faculty member for every 15 undergraduate students, you'll receive a personalized education paired with a robust liberal arts college experience.
World Class Instruction
Our dynamic, intellectual community of 336 expert faculty tackle the world’s biggest issues from social justice to food insecurity. They conduct symphonies and design in virtual reality. They study the past to forge solutions for the future.
336
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4-Year Graduation Guarantee
CLA is the only college at Oregon State that guarantees you'll graduate in 4 years. Our graduates go on to successful careers in medicine, technology, the arts, media, law, policy, education, business and more. Your path is wide open.
Research Highlights
How class still affects access and outcomes in academic careers
Sociologist Allison Hurst leads a series of studies looking at working-class inequalities in academia
In 2022, the American Sociological Association surveyed the experiences, challenges, and opportunities of sociologists from first-generation and working-class backgrounds. Drawing on nearly 2,000 responses, Hurst, professor of sociology at the School of Public Policy, co-authored a new study that revealed clear gaps in representations, as well as identified ways in which cultural, social, and economic access influence perspectives in sociology.
Faculty Focus
One woman's evolution: From evangelical homeschooling to researching religious differences within families
Toni Maisano, professor of teaching in the School of Communication, researches family communication and identity among young adults
Maisano grew up as the oldest of eight in a tight-knit Texas household where higher education wasn’t an expectation, especially not for girls. She was homeschooled from kindergarten through high school, shaped by once adhered to conservative evangelical values that she now recognizes as central to both who she is and the work she does.
“Even though I’ve changed a lot and evolved,” she said, “I’m still very rooted in my family life.” That rootedness is the foundation of a research career built on understanding how families communicate, support, and sometimes struggle to accept one another..
donation innovation
Visionary Donations Funding our Future: PRAx
“The Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts will serve as a unique and dynamic education and performance center and will be a showcase destination for the visual, musical, theater and cultural arts for students, faculty, campus visitors and Oregonians,” said Larry Rodgers, dean of OSU’s College of Liberal Arts.
A lead gift of $25 million for the complex has been provided by Patricia Reser. Additional gifts include a $2 million commitment from the family of the late Lynne Detrick of West Linn to build a new 500-seat concert hall to offer a high-caliber venue for both listeners and performers, Rodgers said. The OSU Foundation continues to seek philanthropic support for the center, and OSU will also seek state bonding from the 2020 Oregon Legislature to help support the project.
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