Oregon State University

Oregon State is another school that has recently revamped its MBA program to meet the modern demands of students and employers.  OSU has a reputation for adapting to the times.  It was the first major university in the Northwest to offer a one year MBA program for qualified students.  One year MBAs may be in vogue in America now, but OSU was ahead of its time and many professionals in the region took a year off to study in Corvallis.  The new MBA program continues to distinguish OSU from other business schools in our review with some innovative concentrations for students to pursue.
  One example is the Commercialization track, which blends coursework in entrepreneurship and emerging technologies.  Another concentration option that is very unique to OSU is Wealth Management, which is specifically created for students seeking to become Chartered Financial Analysts.  A special Accounting MBA (A-MBA) program exists for students with baccalaureate degrees in accounting who are rounding out their CPA education requirements, but want to earn an MBA in the process.  If those options don’t appeal to you, don’t worry, because OSU has half a dozen additional concentration areas to choose from and all within an intensive nine month, full-time format.  This kind of cafeteria-style MBA program is popular at some other large universities in America, but OSU is the only college offering so many flavors of MBA in the Northwest.  That’s a lot of educational value for the $20,000 cost of the degree.  Non-residents will pay around $30,000 for their nine month business immersion in Corvallis.  

The Life:  Corvallis is another place to go for the total college town experience, though its not as much of a retreat from the world as Pullman.  Eugene and Pac-12 rivals, the Oregon Ducks, are about 40 miles to the south.  Portland is a good 90 minute drive to the north.  Tucked near the eastern foothills of the Coastal Mountains, the shores of the Pacific Ocean are only an hour away by car.

The Drawbacks:  OSU does not offer doctoral degrees in business, unlike UW, WSU, and UO.  This may be a negative for students hoping to get involved with research in business disciplines.