All programs of study offered by OSU-Okmulgee are offered with the approval of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. College graduates at all levels, but especially those earning Associate degrees in advanced technological education, must possess capacities for connecting their education experiences with an exploding information-based work place. Some have said, "To do this best, a major ought to have a beginning, a middle and an end." It is this clear progress of learning that prompts the Cornerstone to Capstone experience.

OSU-Okmulgee is committed to the success of its students academically and professionally. For this reason we have instituted a unique, full-spectrum process called the Cornerstone to Capstone Experience designed to enable students to see from their very first semester the "light at the end of the tunnel". This approach encourages students to explore career options, to integrate technology into learning and to synthesize theory and practice.

Step one in the process is College Cornerstone. In this course students learn to use the leading edge technology available on campus, to become savvy, self motivated learners and to assess their strengths as learners and technical high performers.

Using a number of nationally normed assessment tools, the guidance of Cornerstone facilitators and their technical advisors, students evaluate where they are, where employers expect them to be upon graduation and how they can begin the journey to reaching their goals.

Like College Cornerstone, Career Cornerstone continues building on students' awareness and strengths, emphasizing current trends and expected competencies in their field of study.

Designed as an integrated, competency-based approach to learning, Career Cornerstone is woven into core courses within each program of study. Students become familiar with real-world expectations as they build competencies in communications, teamwork and career options.

OSU-Okmulgee's close alliance with industry leaders through the advisory board process informs students of the expectations of today's and tomorrow's employers.

Employer-based internship experiences at OSU-Okmulgee formally integrate academic study with authentic work experience. Internships are sponsored by a large number of Oklahoma employers as well as employers throughout the region.

During the internship period, the student is visited periodically by OSU-Okmulgee faculty. In addition, the employer provides the student with a mentor who will be available for advice and support throughout the internship experience.

Students earn college credit during the internship period and nearly all student interns are paid. Internship sites are pre-approved by OSU-Okmulgee in order to assure a quality educational experience. The number and structure of those internships varies with each program of study. Students must contact the appropriate departmental office for details on program-specific internships.

The Capstone Experience is the culmination of student success at OSU-Okmulgee. Here is where students apply the knowledge from their internships, classes, labs and life experiences to real-world problems and concerns. Students work in teams on projects designed to integrate all they have learned and who they have become during their education.

Through the Cornerstone to Capstone Experience, OSU-Okmulgee students build layer upon layer of knowledge, skill and technology awareness. They become the self-directed and self-motivated learners and workers that employers hire and keep.

All programs require that students complete the OSU-Okmulgee admissions application and meet other institutional requirements. Some programs have additional entry requirements, which are listed at the beginning of each program of study outline.