With a buzz in the air, the University of Oklahoma Polytechnic Institute (OUPI) recently welcomed its inaugural class on the OU-Tulsa campus.
“My first day of class was very exciting. I applied to OUPI because I wanted the hands-on experience of a technical program, but I also wanted the academic setting of a prestigious university,” said William Freeman, a cybersecurity student and Tulsa native. “Cybersecurity presents an ample opportunity to enter a professional career utilizing both computer hardware and software.”
Between classes, students were greeted with personalized OUPI boxes and the Path of Pioneers, a channel of OUPI supporters ready to cheer on students as they walked into their next class. The line comprised of staff and faculty from across the OU-Tulsa campus, Tulsa Community College partners, and representatives from major donors including the George Kaiser Family Foundation.
As a degree-completion program, OUPI is committed to preparing students for work as soon as they graduate, a mission that is made possible through OUPI’s faculty, which boasts over 135 years of combined technology industry experience.
“I'm looking forward to the students being engaged in classroom discussion, creative in their problem solving, and committed to a brighter future,” said Christopher Freeze, Ph.D., an OUPI assistant professor of cybersecurity.
Freeze’s class, Foundations of Cybersecurity, has an exciting semester ahead, with curriculum including a site visit to OUPI industry partner Bank of Oklahoma, where students will learn how cybersecurity is utilized daily in their local community.
OUPI is currently taking applications for Fall 2025 and offers bachelor’s degree completion programs in critical STEM fields like cybersecurity, applied artificial intelligences, and software development and integration.
Application information, including important dates and scholarship details, can be found at ou.edu/polytechnic.
