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
Alternate reproductive care models: Mady Gibbs bridges anthropology and public health
Gibbs' research is focused on outcomes of women who give birth in community-based birthing centers
As graduate student in both the College of Health and the School of Language, Culture, and Society, Gibbs' mixed-methods thesis documents health outcomes of patients who give birth with the help of midwives in freestanding birth centers.
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
The psychology of outer space: Morgan Stosic’s research on teamwork beyond Earth
An alumna of the School of Psychological Science, Stosic researches nonverbal communication by astronauts
As a research psychologist for NASA, Morgan Stosic, '19, works with human spaceflight and how small, tightly knit teams function under extreme conditions.
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
Regulations and climate top list of challenges for West Coast shellfish farmers
Interviews with growers in Oregon and California show that complex permitting processes often hinder rapid adaptation to ocean stressors like acidification, hypoxia, and marine heat waves
Researchers from the School of Public Policy and College of Earth, Oceanic, and Atmospheric Sciences, published a new qualitative study in Ecology & Society, which revealed how shellfish farmers in California and Oregon are adapting to and coping with a fast‑changing climatic and socioeconomic environment, including what helps them stay resilient in the face of growing challenges.
Faculty Focus
The radical connection between 19th-century literature and today
Monique McDade, assistant professor in the School of Writing, Literature, and Film, explores women writers of the American West and their impact on modern literature and society
McDade’s classes are less about transmitting knowledge than about building a community of readers that dissolves the distance between text and life. Her students don’t just study 18th- and 19th-century women’s writing; they bring those voices into the world through partnerships with public libraries, literacy organizations, and local archives.
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.
Explore PRAx