OpportunityPLUS is an exciting, new academic program that offers Oregon State University engineering students a fast-track to graduate school and a jump-start toward successful careers. It’s also a key part of building a top-25 engineering program here at OSU. OpportunityPLUS students participate in the enriched academic life of OSU’s renowned University Honors College while completing research and coursework that leads to the Honors Baccalaureate degree and advanced degrees in engineering at OSU.
Features
Scholars
Fellows
Internships
Apply
Selection & Criteria
Contacts
The Honors Baccalaureate of Science punctuates an undergraduate experience featuring access to OSU’s top research and teaching faculty in an experiential learning community of small classes and dedicated student peers. Early exposure to cutting-edge research connects discovery and dissemination of knowledge. Partnerships with faculty mentors begin no later than the junior year and initiate a research agenda that supports the required Honors thesis and the Master’s thesis in Engineering.
Qualified OSU Honors students become OpportunityPLUS Scholars, gaining early admission to an OSU Engineering graduate program, selection for participation in an Engineering research laboratory, and OpportunityPLUS scholarship support for the final year of undergraduate study. Honors OpportunityPLUS Scholars may enroll in graduate-level courses prior to completion of the undergraduate degree. This develops expertise in the identification, articulation, and investigation of original research projects, including oral and written communication skills. OpportunityPLUS graduates also develop credentials that make them attractive candidates for placement in industry or participation in funded research opportunities leading to a Master’s or PhD. Students may opt to participate in exchange programs with universities in the U.S. and abroad before pursuing a graduate degree at OSU. OpportunityPLUS Scholars participate in leadership experiences that include teaching and/or research assistantships that hone their abilities to synthesize and communicate in both disciplinary and multi-disciplinary settings. They also participate in collaborative research clusters that foster leadership in innovation and creativity. OpportunityPLUS Scholars are positioned to become OpportunityPLUS Fellows and complete a Master’s degree within 12 months of graduate study and a PhD within three years.
Upon completing the HBS and entering a graduate engineering program at OSU, students become OpportunityPLUS Fellows, receiving a one-year OpportunityPLUS Fellowship to facilitate further development of their Honors thesis as the basis of a Master’s thesis.
Up to 80 percent of all engineering majors participate in paid industry internships during their undergraduate studies at OSU. Internships involve 12 months of employment in two six-month segments that pay an average of $35,000. These internships provide valuable and practical experiences that often lead directly to Honors thesis development as well as career placement opportunities. Students participating in internships can complete the HBS comfortably in five years.
OpportunityPLUS Applications are accepted each spring term from students approaching their final year of undergraduate study. A completed Opportunity PLUS application includes the following components:
Applications for admission to the University Honors College are accepted in parallel with applications for first-year or transfer admission to Oregon State University. Honors admission requires a high school GPA of at least 3.75 and either 1820 SAT or 27 ACT for first-year applicants. OSU students may apply for admission to the UHC by the annual Feb. 1 deadline. Transfer applicants must have a minimum OSU or college transfer GPA of 3.25. Applicants must also complete Honors-specific essay questions.
During the junior year, Honors undergraduates complete a 1-credit seminar entitled Introduction to Thesis. The seminar culminates in an Honors Thesis Proposal signed by the faculty mentor. Students (and mentors) seeking OpportunityPLUS Scholar status develop a thesis proposal sufficient to merit consideration as a Master’s thesis project. Prospective mentors cultivate projects and students showing potential for participation in the OpportunityPLUS program.
With support from faculty mentors, all Honors Engineering undergraduates are eligible to apply for two years of attractive financial support. Eligibility requirements include:
Criteria for OpportunityPLUS Scholar selection include:
The OpportunityPLUS Selection Committee, comprised of faculty from the College of Engineering and the University Honors College, will review applications and communicate results to applicants no later than the second week of Spring Term prior to commencement of the OpportunityPLUS Scholar year of study and thesis completion.
For additional program & application information, contact Assoc. Dean Chris Bell in the College of Engineering (541-737-1598) or Assoc. Dean Bill Bogley in the Honors College (541-737-6400).
