Distinguished Programs and Faculty
Many of Portland State’s disciplinary programs are highly ranked in the United States, and the Princeton Review lists PSU among its Best Colleges. With more than 200 programs and an embedded ethos of community-engaged learning and interdisciplinary study, PSU offers programs for every interest.
The OHSU-PSU School of Public Health is Oregon’s only accredited public health school and offers career-focused undergraduate and graduate programs in everything from health care administration to biostatistics. The PSU School of Social Work has educated more than half of Oregon’s licensed social workers and offers flexible online programming as well as programs based in Bend and Southern Oregon.
PSU’s Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science integrates high-impact research into the classroom through faculty expertise in infrastructure and resilience; power and energy; artificial intelligence; cybersecurity; semiconductors and microelectronics; mechanical systems and robotics; and sustainability and healthy environments.
The Portland State School of Business is ranked in the top 3% nationally, proudly holding dual AACSB accreditation for both its business and accounting programs. With eight undergraduate concentrations and nine graduate degrees, Business programs are flexible and career focused, combining impactful research, community partnerships, and real-world learning led by globally recognized faculty and deep connections to Portland’s business ecosystem.
The University Honors College is the only urban-focused honors college in the country. Here, a small, dedicated community of highly motivated students and engaged professors explore an academically intense curriculum through the lens of the culturally rich, ever-evolving city of Portland.
Through its powerhouse College of the Arts, its regionally revered College of Urban and Public Affairs, its influential College of Education and the humanities and STEM heartbeat of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, PSU serves students from all backgrounds, ensuring a clear pathway to graduation and the supports necessary for success.
Portland State professors are prized for their knowledge, research and service. Faculty come to Portland State from colleges and universities around the world. Though diverse in culture, background, language, and ethnicity, they come to Portland unified in their commitment to the University’s exceptional approach to learning and engagement.
PSU’s motto, “Let Knowledge Serve the City,” along with its designation as Oregon's Research University, inspire our faculty. PSU professors research some of society’s greatest challenges—providing students with firsthand knowledge and opportunities for involvement and collaboration in their communities. Faculty use their expertise to serve the region through their work with businesses, nonprofits, and governmental agencies and by holding key posts in professional, cultural, and civic groups.