Oregon State University (OSU) is an international, public research university in the northwest United States, located in Corvallis, Oregon. The university offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It is also the largest university in the state, with a total enrollment exceeding 28,000.
The university's roots date back to 1856, when it was established as the area's first community school for primary and preparatory education. Throughout the university's history, the name changed eleven times. Like other early established land-grant colleges and universities, the majority of name changes occurred through the 1920s. Generally, name changes were made to better align a school with the largest available federal grants in agriculture research.
The Oregon Unification Bill was passed in 1929 by the Legislative Assembly, which placed the school under the oversight of the newly formed Oregon State Board of Higher Education. A doctoral in education was first offered in the early 1930s, with the conferral of four Doctor of Philosophy degrees in 1935. This year also saw the creation of the first summer session. The growing diversity in degree programs led to another name change in 1937, when the college became Oregon State College.
The university's current title, Oregon State University, was adopted on March 6, 1961, by a legislative act signed into law by Governor Mark Hatfield.
