The Oregon State Ecampus class of 2017 consists of 960 graduates from 49 states and more than a half-dozen countries.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University’s expertise reaches every part of the world. For some of the best proof yet, look no further than the graduating class of 2017.
Nearly 1,000 Oregon State distance students, hailing from 49 states and more than a half-dozen countries, will graduate Saturday after completing degree requirements online through OSU Ecampus. The commencement ceremony begins at 10:30 a.m. PT at Reser Stadium in Corvallis.
The 960 Ecampus students earning their diplomas this year far surpasses the previous high of 692 set last June.
The graduates live abroad in such places as Vietnam, Germany, Japan, Sri Lanka and England.
“Our mission is to provide learners with increased access to education no matter where they live, and the Ecampus class of 2017 is proof that Oregon State meets the unique needs of students on nearly every continent,” said Lisa L. Templeton, associate provost for OSU’s Division of Extended Campus.
Majken Weggerson is a stay-at-home mother in Trondheim, Norway, who struggled to find viable options to earn a bachelor’s degree in her Scandinavian home. After thorough research, she decided to enroll in Oregon State’s online psychology program.
“I chose Oregon State because it was a well-respected school, and this was the perfect solution for my situation,” Weggerson said. “I was thrilled with the outcome of studying online. … I would love to work as a counselor in an educational setting, or clinical setting, with children.”
While there is a large amount of international representation in this year’s Ecampus graduating class, the impact in Oregon is as notable as ever.
Victoria Yokoi of Portland is graduating with a Master of Engineering in Engineering Management. Her Ecampus coursework proved beneficial in her job at Boeing even before she completed the program.
“This degree helps me see my workplace from a larger perspective than I had as purely a technical worker. I’m able to apply engineering management skills to my job,” said Yokoi, who earned an engineering bachelor’s degree on campus at OSU in 2012. “I have since been promoted as lead engineer of my team, so the classes have been especially applicable.”
More than 4,000 learners have earned an Oregon State degree online since 2002, when Ecampus began delivering programs in its current format. During the 2016-17 academic year, more than 21,400 students – nearly 70 percent of the OSU student body – took at least one class online.
Ecampus delivers over 50 undergraduate and graduate programs and more than 1,100 classes online to learners in 50-plus countries.
