Office of Student Success

In the College of Public Health and Human Sciences we holistically address health across the lifespan and prepare students to be a globally minded public health and human sciences professional ready to take on our greatest challenges to health and well-being. We offer several major, minors, and certificates to help your student reach their personal, professional, and academic goals. Please take some time to explore what we have to offer.

Why do we encourage students to explore?

It's simple. Exploration allows students to confirm that their major is a good fit for them. It also allows them to consider other majors that might be an even better fit. And it lets students see the link between majors and careers.

In this section students are guided to gather solid information. About themselves. About the educational opportunities at OSU. And about the world of work.

Interests, values and skills

Students are asked to review "Interests, abilities and values" to take a deeper dive into what makes them tick.

Majors in our college

Then students explore all the undergraduate major and degree options in our college and associated careers.

Careers, occupations and industries

Finally, students review "What can I do with my major?" to understand the career possibilities in their major or another major.

Sometimes students come to our College knowing exactly what their career goals are, other times they have no idea. Either way OSU and the College have several resources available to assist your student to explore careers or plan the best route to land their dream job.

Students are directed to several resources for career information and direction: 

• Attend an OSU Career Development Center Career Fair on campus to speak with potential future employers. To prepare, students start with this visual guide about all things Career Development-related: Career Advising Visual Guide (pdf) and this guide: Getting the Most Out of a Career Fair (pdf).

Students are encouraged to:

• make an individual appointment with a career counselor from the OSU Career Development Center to discuss personality and interest inventories and other career search strategies. Appointments can be scheduled by contacting the main Career Development office at 541-737-4085 or career@oregonstate.edu.
• perform an informational interview with someone who works in their desired field or with a faculty member doing research in an area of interest. Here is how to get started: Informational Interviewing Guide/How-To (pdf).
• attend a company info. session to learn more about their company culture, job opportunities, what they look for in a candidate, as well as potential unexplored career paths. Upcoming info sessions are listed on Handshake under the “Events” tab.

During your student’s first year in our College, they will have many opportunities to explore what it really means to pursue a particular major or career path. It’s very important for each student to engage in at least one or two of these processes, even if they feel fairly certain about the choice they have made for their degree. Gathering knowledge and skills about their future decisions is a critical step to:

• Fulfill the values that employers in these fields want to see in graduates from Oregon State University.
• Make their path to graduation more clear and purposeful.

We know that countless students who start off in one major may determine their first or second year that they are a better fit for a different major. In fact, this is a very common and normal process that students can cycle through many times when in college and throughout their life. The most successful students are the ones who are proactive about reaching out to these resources to inform choices and decisions before making changes to their career/academic goals.

Students say one of the most intimidating aspects of college is talking one-on-one with professors. But developing that relationship can be key to college success. OSU professors/instructors have office hours specifically for the purposes of answering student questions, clarifying topics from class, and creating a more symbiotic, less transactional relationships.

We encourage students to develop a relationship with their professors/instructors. To do this we talk through the best way to initiate conversations and how to approach topics they may be nervous to approach with them.

We remind students that their professors/instructors are people too, that talking is part of their job, and they are not mind readers – they will not know your student is struggling if they don’t reach out.

Students often think that if there is a problem they have to suffer in silence, but that’s not true. Most professors will work with students to resolve problems quickly and easily.

Often students come to their advisor because there is something happening in their life that is affecting their performance in class. We recommend students communicate (share as much as they are comfortable with) with their professor/instructor about these situations. The professor will check and make sure you’re OK and perhaps refer them to a helpful organization or office on campus. More importantly from an academic perspective, the professor will understand why the student is off their game. This doesn’t mean they’ll get a higher grade, but a professor will be more likely to grant an extension or take into consideration their personal circumstances.

Experiential learning is core to our academic programs in the College. It is a process through which students develop knowledge, skills, and values from direct experiences outside of a traditional academic setting.

Experiential learning encompasses a variety of activities including internships, service learning, undergraduate research, study abroad, and other creative and professional work experiences. Many of our programs require some form of experiential learning in order to complete the degree.

Students are encouraged to start participating in experiential learning opportunities as soon as they get to campus. After learning about your student’s goals, advisors will help them to explore options for participating in experiential learning.

Learn more about experiential learning opportunities.

In advising appointments with students we often ask what co or extra-curricular activities they are participating in. We encourage students to get involved and explore the types of experiences that students might find interesting or that complement their goals.

There are several ways students can get involved:

• Attend a student organization meeting related to an academic interest. Find out what activities they are planning for the rest of the year. Sign up for their email list to be informed about future opportunities.
• Pursue information from an older student mentor: Set up a conversation with an upperclassman student (usually junior or senior level) or a recent graduate here at OSU about why and how they came to decide on their major and career path. Ask for advice. How did you find a mentor? Contact a friend/family network connection who is in a field of interest, ask a Teaching Assistant (TA) after class, ask an officer of a club after the meeting is over.
• Find a part-time job, an internship, an undergraduate research experience, or volunteer opportunity that is transferable to possible career interests.