What's the difference between a focus area and an option?
You’ve probably heard them referred to as concentrations, focus areas, pathways, specializations, or options. Regardless of the term, what do they actually mean? In essence, these are structured sets of courses within engineering programs that allow you to focus on a specific area of study. Pursuing one can help you build deeper expertise and stand out in the job market.
Read on to learn how we refer to these pathways at Oregon State, and which of our programs let you choose an area of focus.
Degree option: The official, transcript-visible path
A degree option – or option, for short – is a formal pathway with dedicated coursework in a specific area. You can think about it like a built-in minor that gives you exactly what you need related to a subset of your major. When you look at your transcript, you’ll see the option listed there with your major.
Choosing an option means committing to a specific set of courses — often, these are easy to incorporate into your degree plan. In some majors, selecting an option is required, which often results in a smaller set of core courses to make room for your chosen focus.
If you want to stand out when applying for jobs or graduate programs in your field, a degree option can help you do it. It’ll be right there on your transcript, and you’ll benefit from courses tailored for the field.
Engineering degrees with options at Oregon State
Computer Science Options
Cybersecurity Option
Preparing you for in-demand careers in cybersecurity, information assurance, and digital forensics.
Explore the cybersecurity option
Computer Systems Option
Get ready for careers in systems software development, embedded computing, and high-performance systems — as well as for graduate study in computer science and related disciplines.
Explore the computer systems option
Applied Computer Science Option
Choose your own adventure! There are several focus areas within the applied computer science option. With the focus areas as a guide, applied CS students complete a plan of study with their academic advisor.
Explore the applied computer science option
Engineering Science Options
Energy Systems Engineering Option
Focus on the design, processes, and systems used to convert, distribute, and store energy.
Explore the energy systems engineering option
Engineering Computing Option
Apply computer science techniques for processing, analyzing and extracting meaning from collections of data.
Explore the engineering computing option
Industrial Engineering Options
Business Engineering Option
Bridge the gap between engineering and management, and be ready to lead projects and processes that drive innovation across industries.
Explore the business engineering option
Healthcare Systems Engineering Option
Prepare for a career in one of the world’s most dynamic and impactful industries — where engineering meets human well-being.
Explore the healthcare systems engineering option
Industrial Automation Engineering Option
Get ready to lead the digital transformation of modern industries — building efficient, adaptive, and automated systems for the next generation of production.
Explore the industrial automation engineering option
Mechanical Engineering Options
Aerospace Engineering Option
Learn to understand and apply principles of aerospace engineering to solve problems in air transportation and space exploration.
Explore the aerospace engineering option
Computational Engineering Option
Prepare for a career at the intersection of engineering and computing, where innovation depends on the ability to turn digital models into real-world solutions.
Explore the computational engineering option
Energy and Fluid Systems Option
Gain the skills to create efficient, sustainable systems that power the world, meeting growing industry demand for expertise in energy conversion and management.
Explore the energy and fluid systems option
Energy Systems Engineering Option
Help industries, communities, and governments transition toward more sustainable energy futures.
Explore the energy systems engineering option
Materials Design and Manufacturing Option
Prepare to develop safer, more efficient, and sustainable materials for a wide range of applications.
Explore the materials design and manufacturing option
Mechanical Engineering Science Option
Gain a strong foundation across all areas of mechanical engineering — from design and dynamics to energy and materials.
Explore the mechanical engineering science option
Product Design and Manufacturing Option
Lead in product development and advanced manufacturing, bringing ideas to life in industries that shape everyday experiences.
Explore the product design and manufacturing option
Robotic Control Option
Develop robotic systems for manufacturing, healthcare, and beyond — shaping the future of automation and intelligent technology.
Explore the robotic control option
Nuclear Science and Engineering Options
Reactor Engineering Option
Prepare to advance next-generation reactor technologies — from sustainable energy solutions to innovations that shape the global nuclear industry.
Explore the reactor engineering option
Health Physics Option
Get ready for a career that combines engineering expertise with public health and safety, making radiation work for humanity in responsible and innovative ways.
Explore the health physics option
Nuclear Materials Option
Solve critical challenges in nuclear energy, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing by engineering materials built for performance, safety, and longevity.
Focus area: Not on your transcript, but a great way to skill up.
Sometimes you want to keep things flexible. At Oregon State, a couple of our engineering programs have what we call focus areas, which can help you when selecting courses that align with your interests.
These aren’t official degree pathways, meaning you are not required to take every single course on the list, and you won’t see the focus listed on your transcript. However, faculty have curated these suggestions based on popular pathways within these majors.
Think of focus areas as your suggestions when streaming: “People who took this course also took…” Two of our engineering programs offer focus areas — computer science and electrical and computer engineering. Explore them both below:
Engineering degrees with focus areas at Oregon State
Computer Science - Applied Option Focus Areas
Using the focus areas below as a guide, computer science students in the applied option work with their academic advisor to create a custom plan of study.
Artificial Intelligence focus area
The latest and greatest on AI, machine learning, and its many applications.
Explore the artificial intelligence focus area
Bioinformatics focus area
Model and analyze biological data that can help scientists speed up their research or discover new insights into the secrets of life.
Explore the bio-informatics focus area
Business focus area
Add management and communication skills to your technological CS degree.
Explore the business focus area
Business Information Systems focus area
Develop a career skill set in information and data that is highly complementary to computer science careers.
Explore the business information systems focus area
Custom Focus Area
The sky is the limit! Pick 32 credits of electives to develop a cohesive focus area and shape your degree to your interests or needs.
Data Science focus area
Learn how to mine, analyze and visualize data to unlock all kinds of high-impact knowledge for any industry.
Explore the data science focus area
Human-Computer Interaction focus area
Understand both sides of the coin: the computer through programming, information visualization, and core computer science courses; and the human through cognition and psychology courses.
Explore the human-computer interaction focus area
Innovation and Entrepreneurship focus area
Learn how to recognize business opportunities, gain the skills needed to secure funding, and understand how to manage the business commercialization process.
Explore the innovation and entrepreneurship focus area
Robot Intelligence focus area
Gain the skills to program the intelligent robotic systems of the future.
Explore the robotic intelligence focus area
Simulation and Game Programming focus area
Take a multidisciplinary approach to the field with courses in computer graphics programming, math, physics, and new media.
Explore the simulation and game programming focus area
Software Engineering focus area
Learn how to build maintainable, scalable, real-world software systems, with additional courses in software development, machine learning, and web/mobile software.
Explore the software engineering focus area
Software Entrepreneurship focus area
Gain the skills you need to start your own software business or join a software startup.
Explore the software entrepreneurship focus area
Web and Mobile Application Development focus area
Take courses in design, systems, and security to prepare to develop cloud applications with web/mobile interfaces.
Explore the web and mobile application development focus area
Electrical and Computer Engineering Focus Areas
Computer Systems and Networking Focus Areas
Learn the computing power and networking skills you need to drive the revolution in mobile technology, video streaming and wireless networks.
Explore the computer systems and networking focus area
Electronic Materials and Devices focus area
Focus on how semiconductor devices (transistors, diodes, LEDs, solar cells and sensors) work and how they are built.
Explore the electronic materials and devices focus area
Energy Systems focus area
Be the answer to the growing demand for more energy and the ever-present need for more sustainable energy.
Explore the energy systems focus area
Integrated Circuits focus area
Prepare to build new circuits and architectures for next-generation computing platforms, including consumer electronics and computers.
Explore the integrated circuits focus area
RF, Microwaves, and Optoelectronics focus area
Get the skills needed to create the key components of wireless and wireline communication and radar systems.
Explore the RF, microwaves, and optoelectronics focus area
Robotics focus area
Prepare for the multidisciplinary world of robotics, learning from experts in computer vision, artificial intelligence, robotic dynamics, and human-robot interaction.
Explore the robotics focus area
Signals, Systems, and Communication focus area
Gain the fundamentals of analog and digital signals and systems for use in speech recognition, video streaming, cellular networks and medical scans such as MRI.