Oklahoma State University

About the University

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY The History

The Mission Proud of its land-grant heritage, Oklahoma State University advances knowledge, enriches lives and stimulates economic development through instruction, research, outreach and creative activities. Student Profile Oklahoma State University has a diverse student body. Students come not only from Oklahoma, but also across the nation and world. Of OSU's more than 34,500 students, approximately 73 percent are on the Stillwater campus, including students at the Center for Veterinary Health Sciences. The remaining student population is spread over the OSU system's four other campuses: OSU-Oklahoma City, OSU Institute of Technology in Okmulgee, OSU-Tulsa and the OSU Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa. Seventy percent of the undergraduates enrolled are Oklahoma residents; 26 percent are out-of-state residents; and four percent from 98 foreign countries. Of the undergraduate population, 51 percent are men and 49 percent are women. Domestic minorities make up approximately 29 percent of the undergraduate student body. The six- year graduation rate of full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate students is 62.8 percent. There are more than 5,500 graduate students throughout the OSU system. Over 4,200 of those students are on the Stillwater campus. Of those, 49 percent are Oklahoma residents; 27 percent are out-of- state residents; and 24 percent from foreign countries. Fifty percent of graduate students are men and 50 percent are women. Domestic minorities make up 23 percent of the graduate student body. An annual report regarding gender equity in OSU's athletic programs is available upon request from the Athletic Department. Research Research has been one of the three essential components of the OSU mission since the University’s inception. Research adds richness, depth and broader impact to the other mission components of teaching and outreach. In the sciences and engineering, basic research advances the frontiers of disciplinary knowledge; whereas, applied research improves quality of life and economic prosperity by bringing new products, processes and medicines to the marketplace. Research and creative innovations within the arts and humanities enhance how human beings view and understand the world we live in. OSU’s faculty and students are engaged in research across the full spectrum of human endeavor and inquiry, including areas of state and national priority. In addition to disciplinary research in virtually all academic units on campus, OSU is strong in several areas of interdisciplinary research. Researchers in the food-energy-water nexus span agricultural innovation, nutrition, engineering, toxicology, geosciences, economics and the social/behavioral sciences. OneHealth is an interdisciplinary framework that recognizes the interconnections between human health, animal health and a healthy planet. OSU OneHealth includes research as diverse as veterinary medicine, ecology, psychology, exercise science and bioengineering—as well as basic research in the bench sciences. Unmanned systems research (including unmanned aircraft) brings researchers from several engineering disciplines together with experts in production agriculture, computer science, information systems and aviation education to create platforms, sensors, data management tools and new applications for this burgeoning field. Such interdisciplinary research strengths are enhanced

Oklahoma State University was founded on December 25, 1890, as Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, just 20 months after the Land Run of 1889. When the first students assembled for class on December 14, 1891, no buildings, books or curriculum existed. Since its beginning as a land-grant institution, OSU has held true to the land-grant mission of instruction, extension and research. In 1894, two and one-half years after classes began in local churches, 144 students moved into the first academic building, later named Old Central, which is still located on the southeast corner of campus and today houses the Honors College. In 1896, Oklahoma A&M held its first commencement with six male graduates. On July 1, 1957, Oklahoma A&M College became Oklahoma State University. Technical branches were established in Okmulgee in 1946 and in Oklahoma City in 1961. In 1990, these two technical branches were renamed OSU-Okmulgee and OSU-Oklahoma City; and in 2008, OSU- Okmulgee was renamed OSU Institute of Technology. OSU-Tulsa was formed in 1999 from a consortium of universities that were originally established in 1982. In July of 1988, the Oklahoma College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery (in Tulsa) became the College of Osteopathic Medicine of OSU. In 2001, it became part of the OSU Center for Health Sciences, which also has an affiliation with its primary teaching hospital —the OSU Medical Center. OSU is located in Stillwater, a north-central Oklahoma community with a population of around 50,000. Stillwater is approximately 60 miles from the Tulsa and Oklahoma City metropolitan areas and is readily accessible from other major population centers by interstate highway and air. Stillwater added non-stop daily air service to Dallas in 2016. The University has an enrollment of more than 34,500 students on five campuses. It offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in a large number of fields, as well as the professional Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees. Specialist in Education degrees are also offered in selected fields. Although OSU is a large, comprehensive university, its size does not minimize the personal attention given to each student. The individual is more than just a number at this university. OSU encourages all students— when they first enroll—to identify the college in which they wish to major. Once a student has identified their major department, they become a very important individual to the faculty and advisers of that department. Because the average number of students majoring in any one department is less than 150, the student can count on personal attention in a friendly environment. As a comprehensive land-grant institution, OSU offers students many distinct advantages. It has nearly four million volumes in the library’s collection; modern research laboratories and equipment; excellent physical education, recreation and student union facilities; more than 500 student organizations; nationally-recognized residence hall programs; outstanding cultural and athletic events; and nearly 50 nationally- affiliated fraternities and sororities that provide a stimulating educational and social environment.