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Undergraduate Pathways into OSU

Why Undergraduate Pathways?
Pathways are for students who want to study an undergraduate degree in the U.S., but might have slightly lower GPA results, English language results, or desire additional academic and language support in order to succeed during their first year at a university Students who wish to pursue an academic. INTO Oregon State University’s Undergraduate Pathways combine intensive language study, academic skills development and academic coursework in a carefully constructed program designed to move students successfully through the first year of a four-year degree program. Undergraduate Pathways programs are available in:

  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Science
  • General.

Entry to a second year of your degree
Upon successful completion of the Undergraduate Pathways program, students progress to a second year of study in an undergraduate degree program. Business and engineering students enter a second year of the pre-business and pre-engineering programs. At the end of the second year of study, qualified students in these programs may compete for admission to the upper division of business and engineering undergraduate degree programs.

Seamless integration with degree programs

Core academic courses
The academic courses included in the first year Undergraduate Pathways programs are carefully chosen to integrate undergraduate core courses in math, science, writing and other academic subjects required of all U.S. and international students in the first year of an undergraduate program with intensive English language instruction and academic skills development. Upon successful completion of this first year of studies, students will be on schedule to join other OSU students in the second year of a university degree program.

Academic English
As a critical part of the program, academic English and academic skills take up approximately one-third of lessons. This covers reading, writing, listening and speaking. The English language component is internally assessed for appropriate achievement levels to progress to the second year of undergraduate studies.

Academic skills
An essential preparation for university life, this part of the course helps students to work in groups, present ideas, manage their time, conduct research, take lecture notes, organize the content of essays and understand how to evaluate their own work.

Key features

Program structure
Taught over three terms, Business and General pathways commence in either September or January. Engineering and Science pathways commence in September and are taught over four terms.

Assured progression
Successful completion of a relevant Undergraduate Pathways program assures you a place in a second year of a relevant undergraduate degree program. Business and engineering students progress to the second year of the pre-business and pre-engineering curriculum. At the end of a second year, all pre-business and pre-engineering students may compete for admission to the upper division of the business and engineering undergraduate degree programs. They will also qualify to apply to other universities if they choose to do so.

Further advantages

  • Full access to all university facilities and amenities.
  • Quality assured university program at a leading U.S. institution.
  • Located at the heart of the OSU campus.
  • Guaranteed admission to the second year of an OSU undergraduate program subject to successful completion.
  • Highest levels of personal care and support.

Program assessment
The final grade for each course is based on a mixture of coursework and end of course examinations. Successful students will receive grades (A, B, C or D) for each of their courses.

Assessment is both formal and informal and the purpose of the assessment process is not simply to pass or fail students but to help them understand how to improve, building on success.

Students are assessed by a combination of examinations and coursework which might include essays, reports, field notebooks, creative writing, practical and laboratory activities, group and individual research projects, portfolios, bibliographical searches, oral and video presentations, subject quizzes, seminar skills, class tests and problem solving exercises.

Upon successful completion of the pathway program, business and engineering students are admitted to a second year of the pre-business or pre-engineering undergraduate curriculum. At the end of the second year, they may apply for admission to the professional programs in business or engineering (the standard process for all OSU students in business and engineering majors). Current eligibility requirements can be found at:

Progression from pre-business and pre-engineering into business and engineering upper division degree programs (third year) currently requires a minimum of 2.5 GPA in all OSU academic work over years 1 and 2. All OSU students must meet these criteria and must apply for admission to the third year of study in the Colleges of Business and Engineering.

Entry to the third year of study is competitive with a limited number of places available in each program.

Engineering pathway
Most U.S. students find it difficult to complete all requirements for an undergraduate degree in Engineering in just four years of study (attending only three terms per year). Engineering students in particular should enroll in two summer courses to stay on track to graduate in four years (see table opposite). Due to the number and sequencing of courses in science and engineering, students enrolling in these Undergraduate Pathways programs must begin their program in September and enroll in the fourth term (summer) of eight credits in order to progress to a second year of undergraduate studies on schedule. Students can choose to take more than eight credits, but will be assessed additional tuition costs.

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