Enhance your College of Science Experience in the Oregon State University Honors College
The honors degree is built around undergraduate research
Nearly 14% of College of Science students choose honors — double the university-wide percentage — because it opens more doors.
For science majors balancing heavy course loads, research ambitions and competitive postgraduate pathways, the Honors College offers structure, access and support that can elevate their experience.
At Oregon State, the Honors College offers a chance to take your College of Science journey even further. With classes exploring complicated issues, the opportunity to pursue an original reseach project and a prestigious degree, the Honors College helps you build skills, connections and confidence.
Here’s a few ways it can benefit you:
- Take honors courses on unique topics with opportunities to collaborate across disciplines.
- Complete an honors thesis that showcases your research, writing and presentation skills. Some theses can lead to publication in professional journals.
- Build your network through faculty mentorship and honors community events.
- Graduate with an Honors Baccalaureate Degree — Oregon State University’s highest undergraduate distinction.
The deadline to apply to the Honors College is Feb 1, but you can apply today! Visit your Beaver Basecamp portal and fill out the Honors College application form. You can also learn more about what the Honors College offers and send questions to [email protected].
The honors thesis is an opportunity to develop an original project in an area you are passionate about.
Recent thesis topics completed by College of Science Honors College graduates:
-
Maja Engler — Honors College and College of Science Class of 2021, thesis topic: Hibernation Strategies to Improve Organ Preservation and Storage
-
Oliver Graumann — Honors College and College of Science Class of 2021, thesis topic: The Effect of Protein Nitration on Cell Survival Pathways in Schwann Cells
-
Sara Rumbaugh — Class of 2023, thesis topic: A Systematic Literature Review of Food Desert Interventions
-
Briana Snisky — Class of 2024, thesis topic: Examining Early Gender Disparities in Academic Performance: A Pre-School Analysis of Gender Differences and Observations in Academic Assessments
-
Carrington Fastelin — Class of 2023, thesis topic: Finding Identity and Belonging as a Transracial Adoptee through the Creation of a Children’s Book about Identity, Belonging and Transracial Adoption
-
Jannah Moussaoui — Class of 2023, thesis topic: Self-Regulation Differences in Preschoolers with Speech/Language Delays Compared to Their Peers
-
Anna Laptova — Class of 2022, thesis topic: The Immune Raccoon: Creating a Children’s Book Aimed at Immunology Education
-
Maya Livni — Class of 2023, thesis topic: Impact of Feeding Selected Gut Metabolites in a Murine Model That Exhibits Core Symptoms of Autism
-
Emma McAbery — Class of 2023, thesis topic: The Effects of Marine Biodiversity on Coastal Economies
-
Christopher Guske — Class of 2022, thesis topic: Initial Mathematical Competency as a Determinant of Student Success in Algebra-Based Physics Courses
The thesis can be research in your field, a project or artistic work exploring another area, or interdisciplinary. Whatever your goals, the thesis will put you in a position to take them to the next level.
Alumni Highlight
James used his honors thesis as an opportunity to explore public health culture and safe sex practices on campus. This hands-on experience, laid the foundation for his future as a surgeon, researcher, and biotechnology innovator.
“I don’t have a research component to my job by way of contract, yet I’ve gone on to get NIH grants and write articles published in major medical journals. There’s no reason I must do it, but there is a passion to do it. Not only that passion, but the experience of how to formulate a question, write a journal article and defend your thoughts — it all began in the Honors College. And it has continued for 22 years, up to the point of creating a technology that hopefully will change the world."
James McCarthy, '03, Biology
