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Business administration

Oregon State Ecampus liberal studies alumna Janine Romero stands on a balcony speaking to her husband, Lee. Janine is one of several Ecampus alumni who shared about the process of building a network and communication skills while earning an Oregon State degree online.

Despite distance, online learners build lasting connections

2 minute read Oregon State University’s online learners do what many say can’t be done: form genuine connections in the digital classroom. Ecampus alumni from the Class of 2018 shared how their interactions with peers and instructors went far beyond the computer screen, providing the opportunity to polish their communication skills and collaborate with others in their fields.

Todd Van Hess, Oregon State Ecampus business administration graduate

Leading by example: Going back to college as a parent

3 minute read Like all good dads, Todd Van Hess wants the best for his three children. He knows that their best chance to lead successful lives is for them to earn college degrees when the time comes. And like all good dads, Todd knows that if he’s going to hold his kids to a certain standard, he needs to lead by example. Last June, he supplied the best example possible when he walked across a stage at Oregon State University’s annual commencement ceremony and accepted his diploma after earning his degree online through Oregon State Ecampus.

Lisa Frasieur, OSU Ecampus business administration graduate, holds a black tablet in an office-like setting.

Your seat at the table is out there. To claim it, you have to stand up.

3 minute read Twenty years into her career as an accountant, Lisa Frasieur felt like she was a peg below her peers. Truth be told, she was. “The first time I sat with our auditors, they asked me where I went to school,” she says now. “I didn’t have a degree, and it was embarrassing.”

Hannah Thelen is seated outdoors with her husband to her right. The two are holding a puppy with brown fur, which lays on its back in their arms and looks playful with its mouth open and one front paw in the air.

Up in the air, but laying a strong foundation

3 minute read Ask most college students and they’ll tell you their future career plans are up in the air. But for Hannah Thelen, her current career is – literally. Hannah is an airborne cryptologic linguist in the United States Air Force. By pairing the extensive skills she gains through her business administration degree with the steadfast determination of serving in the Air Force, she has big plans to work in marketing or accounting for a large Pacific Northwest company that aligns with her passion for the outdoors.

An artist's rendering of the lobby of the OSU Portland Center in the historic Meier & Frank Building. There is a welcome desk and a large open area with various tables and seating options. People are sitting and standing throughout.

Growing services – online and in Portland

4 minute read As an increasing number of Portland-area professionals are doing, Maria Sar turned to Oregon State University Ecampus for the opportunity to maintain career stability while pursuing a degree that would yield upward mobility. Even before completing OSU’s hybrid (online/in-person) MBA in Organizational Leadership program, she accepted an offer from Nike to be a global procurement analyst.

Oregon State Ecampus graduate Patric Papabathini walks forward with a smile on his face and a laptop carried under his left arm. He is wearing a half-sleeve, light blue button-up shirt under a dark blue Nehru collar vest with a handkerchief in the breast pocket.

To climb the ladder, sometimes you zigzag the globe first

3 minute read The corporate ladder quickly runs out of rungs for many people like Patric Papabathini who haven’t graduated from college. His lack of a degree prevented him from applying for management jobs that he was confident – after four years of working at Microsoft – he could thrive in if only given the chance. The message, however, was loud and clear. “Without a degree, I had no chance,” he says.

Students at their graduation commencement ceremony wear black caps and gowns. In the center of the crowd, one student with long blonde hair wears a cap with orange cutout letters that read "I did it!"

Oregon State’s online graduating class tops 1,000 for the first time

3 minute read The map arrived in Lindsay Caplan’s mailbox, having traversed nearly 3,000 miles from Oregon State University to her home in Maryland. It was part of a wilderness excursion for a class in Oregon State’s fisheries and wildlife sciences online degree program – a hands-on learning activity that helped Caplan develop a strong connection to the university despite living on the opposite side of the country. Now, several years later and without ever setting foot on campus, she’s among a record-setting 1,065 students who will graduate Saturday, June 16, after completing degree requirements online through OSU Ecampus.

Nikki Brown, business and marketing instructor, Oregon State University

Behind the scenes with Nikki Brown, business and marketing instructor

5 minute read There should have been no doubt that Nikki Brown’s career would revolve around business. Her childhood was marked by one clever business venture after another. From lemonade stands to selling lottery tickets (seriously), she was a one-kid start-up machine. Now she is an expert on marketing and consumer behavior who teaches courses online for Oregon State Ecampus on those very topics.

Todd Van Hess pushes his daughter on a swing that hangs from a tree in their yard.

Full-time everything? No problem.

4 minute read Ecampus business administration student Todd Van Hess says what he’s learning in class is already making him a better employee – and in turn, a better prospective leader in the future. “I learn something new every term. I thought I knew all of the answers, but the course work definitely sheds a lot of light on some of the bigger picture items.”