Oregon Health & Science University

What is the history of Oregon Health & Science University?

Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) traces its origins to the University of Oregon's medical department, established in Portland in 1887. It developed into a university focused on health professions education, research and patient care rather than a conventional four-year college.

The medical school became part of the University of Oregon Health Sciences Center in the 1970s. The institution later took the name Oregon Health Sciences University and became a public corporation separate from the state university system in 1995. Its current name followed a 2001 merger with the Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology. That history helps explain why OHSU combines clinical training with biomedical research and why many students arrive after completing college coursework elsewhere.

What are the faculties and departments at Oregon Health & Science University?

OHSU organizes its academic programs around the health sciences. Its principal schools are the School of Medicine, School of Nursing and School of Dentistry. It also participates in the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health with Portland State University and the OHSU-OSU College of Pharmacy with Oregon State University.

Programs include undergraduate nursing pathways; medical, dental and pharmacy professional degrees; public health degrees; and graduate study in biomedical and related fields. The School of Medicine encompasses departments and programs in clinical medicine, basic science and health-related research. Because some schools and degrees are jointly operated, applicants should check which institution grants the credential and which campus provides instruction or clinical training.

OHSU is not organized around a broad selection of traditional freshman majors. A prospective undergraduate interested in nursing, for example, needs to examine that program's prerequisite coursework and entry route rather than assume admission to OHSU works like admission to a general liberal arts university.

What is the location of Oregon Health & Science University?

OHSU is based in Portland, Oregon. Its Marquam Hill campus houses major academic and clinical facilities, while the South Waterfront area contains additional education, research and health care facilities. The Portland Aerial Tram connects the two areas.

This is an urban, multi-site setting: a class, clinical assignment or job may be somewhere other than a student's primary teaching location. Portland-area buses, light rail and streetcars can help with commuting, but routes and travel times depend on the destination. Portland International Airport serves the region. Students in programs taught at partner locations elsewhere in Oregon should plan around their assigned program site, not assume all instruction takes place in Portland.

What is the mission and vision of Oregon Health & Science University?

OHSU describes its purpose in terms of improving health through education, research, clinical care and community service. Its stated priorities connect the training of health professionals with scientific discovery and care for patients and communities.

For applicants, that mission has practical consequences: curricula may involve laboratories, clinical placements, interprofessional work or community-based experiences, depending on the degree. These are institutional aims, not a promise that every student will have the same research or clinical opportunity. OHSU is a public institution, not a religiously affiliated university.