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PhD Programs

The PhD programs at The Ohio State University build on a tradition of excellence in scholarship within Fisher College of Business - a tradition that provides you with perspective, expertise, and skills necessary to reshape the business world.

The greatest strength of the program is Fisher's top faculty, and their emphasis on research and teaching. The facilities and resources of The Ohio State University campus enhance the doctoral experience. Another strength is Fisher's proximity to the corporate headquarters of a variety of businesses within the technology, service, and manufacturing sectors. Our involvement with the business community in Columbus which offers extensive access to research sites and senior executives.

Fisher strategically manages the size of its PhD program through careful analysis of market and budgetary conditions and other factors. The result is a small and efficient, high quality program. If you seek to develop your talents and pursue academic inquiry of the highest quality, we invite you to explore doctoral study at Fisher College of Business.

Tuition & Funding

All admitted students into any of the Fisher PhD programs are fully funded, including a stipend and tuition costs. Funding is available for four to six years, at the discretion of each academic department.

Applicants to any of Fisher's PhD programs do not need to do anything to be considered for funding - if an applicant is admitted, s/he is funded. The funding may come in many different forms, such as fellowships, research assistantships, teaching assistantships, supplemental grants or a variety of other methods.

Funding is commonly made through teaching assistantships, Graduate Teaching Associates or research assistantships, Graduate Research Associates. These positions may involve teaching, assisting faculty in research, and/or administrative activities.

Do you have questions about Fisher's PhD programs?

Contact Administrative Manager, Amy Weisbach, at [email protected] or 614-688-2991.

Specializations for the PhD in Business Administration:

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• PhD in Finance
• PhD in Human Resources
• PhD in International Business
• PhD in Organizational Behavior
• PhD in Strategy/Entrepreneurship
• PhD in Operations Management
• PhD in Logistics
• PhD in Marketing
• PhD in Accounting & MIS
• PhD Careers & Alumni

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Doctor of Philosophy Program

.cls-1{fill:#a91e22;}.cls-2{fill:#c2c2c2;} double-arrow program for the doctor of philosophy degree in cse.

The Doctoral degree is awarded for superior academic and research performance. Consequently, only students who have demonstrated outstanding scholastic ability and research potential will be admitted to the academic and research program leading to the Doctorate. The program of study for the Ph.D. is to be developed by the student in close consultation with his/her academic advisor. Students are encouraged to work out their plan of study as soon as possible so that all requirements may be met.

• Program Requirements: PhD Major/Minor

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This brochure, together with the Graduate School Handbook, contains a complete description of requirements and procedures for the Ph.D. degree in Computer Science and Engineering (CSE). These requirements and the procedures for obtaining the degree are determined in part by the Graduate School, and in part by the Department. Petitions for exception to these requirements should be channeled through the departmental Graduate Studies Committee.

The material in this brochure is oriented primarily for students pursuing the Ph.D. program. Such students must be regular students, admitted to the CSE Department, and conform to Graduate School regulations; special students and students enrolled in Continuing Education must first remove any restrictions. Removal of restrictions is regulated by the Graduate School and the Departmental Graduate Studies Committee.

These procedures and requirements are subject to revision. Applicants should consult material periodically issued by the Graduate School and the Department, their advisor, or the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee for any changes or interpretation of policy. The Graduate School also maintains a counseling office for students enrolled in Ph.D. Programs.

Program for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in CSE

Each student entering the graduate program in Computer Science and Engineering is initially assigned a tentative academic advisor. Students' degree programs and all courses taken by students must be approved by their academic advisors. Students should consult their advisors as soon as possible after arriving on campus, and periodically thereafter until, upon developing a specific specialty interest, the student chooses a permanent advisor in that specialty area. This choice should be made as soon as practical.

The assignment of students to research advisors is performed by mutual agreement of the student and faculty member. The intent of this explicit agreement is to make students aware of the importance of early interactions with faculty in topic areas of mutual interest. Students are free to change their advisors when mutual research interests change. A "Change of Advisor" form is available through the Electronic Signature application called Docusign. The process begins by clicking on the following link which will send you an email and guide you in filling out the information needed: Change of Advisor Form .

The Graduate School rules require that advisors for students in the Ph.D. program be Category P Graduate Faculty members, but it is permissible to have a Category M Graduate Faculty member as a co-advisor. The co-advisor may be the functioning advisor. In such cases, a Category P person should be included as an integral member of the research team early in the student's research, so there is a meaningful collaboration involving the Category M functioning advisor and the Category P advisor. The Graduate School requires that the Category P advisor sign the examination and thesis approval forms.

The requirements for a Doctoral degree in Computer Science and Engineering are determined in part by general Graduate School requirements for a Ph.D. degree, and in part by specific requirements stipulated by the department. The student should refer to the Graduate School Handbook for residency requirements, regulations concerning transfer of credit from other institutions, and for credit-hour requirements stipulated by the Graduate School.

Prior to entering the first stage of study toward the Doctoral degree, a student has to successfully complete the Ph.D qualifying process (see  Section 3 ) as well as take CSE6891 (1 crhr S/U graded) during their first Autumn term.

During the first stage of Ph.D. study, the student is required to undertake a program of study in a major area and two minor areas, and to formulate a dissertation proposal. At least 10 cr-hrs of coursework in the major area and 6 cr-hrs in each of the minor areas are required. This coursework cannot include graduate core classes that were used for the qualifying process. All of the 10 credits towards the major and at least 5 credits for each minor need to be from graded graduate classes. The student's research advisor serves as the advisor for the program of study in the major area. The student, in consultation with the research advisor, chooses the two minor areas of study and the minor area advisors. The courses comprising the program of study for the minor areas must be approved by the minor area advisors.

The first stage of study toward a Doctoral degree is completed when the student has received credit for a total of 60 cr-hrs of graduate work in a program prescribed by the student's advisor and has passed the Candidacy Examination (see  Section 5 ) to be formally admitted to candidacy. At least three months prior to taking the Candidacy Examination, a proposed schedule of study should be submitted to the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee for consideration.

The second stage is devoted primarily to research and seminars, the preparation of the dissertation, and the Final Examination (see  Section 6 ). The Final Examination is oral and deals intensively with the portion of the candidate's field of specialization in which the dissertation falls, though it need not be confined exclusively to the subject matter of the dissertation.

Overall Requirements

The CSE Ph.D. Qualifying Process consists of two components: one is coursework, and the other is research. To pass the Qualifying Process, a student needs to demonstrate satisfactory performance on both components: (1) Be competent and knowledgeable on fundamental principles of computer science and engineering, and (2) show promise for conducting original research in the areas of computer science and engineering.

For the coursework component, a student needs to achieve the average GPA of 3.3 or above on four CSE courses that include a required Algorithms course (CSE 6331) and three other courses chosen by the student in consultation with the faculty advisor  [1] . The three courses can be chosen from the seven categories listed below with at most one course from a single category. Note that a student may count one Qualifying course in this new Qualifying Process towards the major/minor course requirements in the Candidacy Exam. For the research component, a student is required to work with their faculty advisor and demonstrate satisfactory research progress  [2] .

Course Categories

The seven categories of CSE courses include: (1) Artificial Intelligence and Data Mining (CSE 6521, CSE 5523, CSE 5526, CSE 5243, CSE 5245) (2) Graphics and Visualization (CSE 5542, CSE 5543, CSE 5544, CSE 5545, CSE 5546) (3) Computer Networking (CSE 5462, CSE 5463) (4) Security and Privacy (CSE 5471, CSE5472, CSE 5473, CSE 5474) (5) Computer Systems (CSE 6431, CSE 6421, CSE 6333, CSE 5242, CSE 5441) (6) Software Engineering and Programing Languages (CSE 6341, CSE 5343) (7) Computer Theory (CSE 6321, CSE 6332, CSE 5351)

Procedures and Timeline

A Qualifying Process has two checkpoints: the first is by the end of Year 1  [2]  and the second is by the end of Year 2 [3] . In the first checkpoint, a student reports the grades of the Qualifying courses that have been taken. The student will comment on their progress towards identifying a research advisor and making research progress.

Early in the program, a student should identify research advisor(s) for the Ph.D. study. This may be the same as the initial academic advisor assigned by the Department, or a different faculty member.  The research advisor must be a member of the graduate faculty with “P” advising status in CSE. A student should declare the research advisor,  even if she or he is the same as the initial academic advisor,  by filing a Change of Advisor Form. This form is available through the Electronic Signature application called Docusign. The process begins by clicking on the following link which will send you an email and guide you in filling out the information needed: Change of Advisor Form . The research advisor will provide academic and research advice once the change of advisor form is submitted.

In the second checkpoint, a student reports the grades of the Qualifying courses that have been taken. The student’s faculty advisor will be contacted subsequently to provide input on the student’s research progress. Based on the student’s course work performance and the advisor’s research assessment, the Grad Studies Committee will notify the student of the Qualifying Process result at the second checkpoint. Both checkpoint forms can be found at  the CSE Portal .

If a student does not achieve the GPA requirement with the first four courses, a student may (a) retake the same course (required for Algorithms), (b) take a different course in the same course category, or (c) take a course in another course category.  This should be done in consultation with the faculty advisor. 

Students may file the second checkpoint form once they have achieved satisfactory performance on both coursework and research components, which could be earlier than the end of Year 2. Students should consult with their research advisor before submitting the second checkpoint form.

To maintain the status of “Good Standing” in CSE [4] , a Ph.D. student is expected to pass the Qualifying Process by the end of Year 2. Otherwise, a student who is not in good standing will not have a guaranteed appointment as a graduate teaching associate. A student who continues to not return to good standing in a timely way (e.g., by the end of the third year) may be dismissed from the Ph.D. program in Computer Science and Engineering after a conversation among the student, advisor, and graduate studies committee.

Implementation

This new Ph.D. Qualifying Process will be effective starting from  Autumn 2022.  Specifically, a student who is enrolled in the Ph.D. program of CSE in Autumn 2022 or after can only take this new Ph.D. Qualifying Process. For a smooth transition, a student who was enrolled prior to Autumn 2022 may choose to take this new Qualifying Process or the old Qualifying Exam.

Definitions and Criteria

• Faculty advisor : A student’s initial academic advisor assigned by the Department, or the research advisor chosen by the student.
• The criteria of satisfactory research performance : The most common way of satisfying this requirement is for the student to be a leading or significant contributor on a paper published, accepted, submitted, or in preparation to submit to a venue in Computer Science. Faculty advisors may provide evidence that the student has satisfied this requirement in other ways, such as making a significant contribution in research artifacts such as released software packages.
• The end of Year x : Two weeks after the end of 2*x non-summer terms since a student’s initial enrollment in the Ph.D. program of Computer Science and Engineering at Ohio State University.
• Good Standing in CSE : In addition to  the requirements from the Grad School , a Ph.D. student in CSE is required to pass the Qualifying Process by the end of Year 2. Students must also demonstrate English proficiency through one of the approved mechanisms listed on  the “English as a Second Language” website  by the end of Year 1.

Additional Notes

• While there is no accelerated option in the new policy of the PhD Qualifying Process, the accelerated option is still applicable to a student who was enrolled prior to Autumn 2022 if the student chooses to take the Qualifying Exam in the old policy.
• A student cannot transfer the credits of a Qualifying course from their prior institutes. If a student took a Qualifying course in the undergraduate program at Ohio State, the course can be counted towards the requirement of the Qualifying Process. However, the course credits cannot be counted towards their Ph.D. degree requirement except for the situations (such as the BS/MS program) allowed by the Graduate School.

The Qualifying Examination is administered Autumn and Spring semesters. Satisfactory performance on this examination, or qualification through the acceleration option listed below, is necessary for admission to the first stage of study towards the Doctoral degree.

The Qualifying Examination is based on the material covered in the graduate core areas. Specifically, students need to take the exam in algorithms (CSE 6331), either computability and unsolvability (CSE 6321) or programming languages (CSE 6341), and either operating systems (CSE 6431) or computer architecture (CSE 6421). Students who have previously studied this material are not required to take the corresponding core courses(s) in the CSE Department; they need only demonstrate their competence in these areas by satisfactory performance on the Qualifying Examination.

At the time students take the examination, they must have been admitted to the CSE Department and not be on probation. A student whose enrollment eligibility has been deactivated by the Graduate School may, if subsequently reactivated, be required to re-take the Qualifying Examination.

A student who fails the qualifying examination for the first time must retake the examination the next semester that it is offered. Students must petition the Graduate Studies Committee to retake the examination in any other semester or to retake the examination more than once.

Acceleration Option for Qualifying Exams : Students who complete the three graduate core classes (algorithms, either computability and unsolvability or programming languages, and either operating systems or computer architecture) with a GPA of 3.6 or better will be automatically granted a "conditional pass" in the qualifying examination. These students will need to demonstrate substantial research progress during their second year spring evaluation to remove the condition. One clear mechanism for demonstrating such progress is to have an accepted or submitted paper as a significant contributor, working on a project with their advisor.

Fill out the online form in the CSE Portal to apply for the Accelerate option. Advisor must approve it online.

This section further specifies the procedure set forth for the Candidacy Examination in the Graduate School Handbook. That section must be read in conjunction with this document for a full understanding of the rules governing the Candidacy Examination. The Candidacy Examination is a very important means by which the faculty can ensure that the prospective student has the necessary breadth and depth in chosen areas within computer and information science and cognate areas. The student is expected to demonstrate superior knowledge in his or her chosen areas.

To be eligible for the Candidacy Examination, the student is required to select one major area and two minor areas. The student may choose any of the pre-defined major or minor areas specified in the "Guidelines for the Ph.D. Candidacy Exam Major/Minor Areas". To demonstrate mastery in the two minor areas, the student is required to obtain a GPA of 3.3 or higher in the letter-graded courses taken in each of two minor areas. To demonstrate mastery in the major area, the student is expected to prepare a dissertation proposal. The student and the student's major advisor may suggest two examiners who are competent in the student's major area. In the Candidacy Examination, the student will be examined in written and oral format over the major area and the dissertation proposal.

The student is required to submit to the Graduate Studies Committee a proposed schedule of study for the candidacy examination at least three months in advance of the examination. The schedule should include the choice of major and minor areas, counter-signed by the student's major and two minor advisors, and the student's preliminary dissertation proposal, counter-signed by the student's major advisor and two other faculty members who will serve on the Candidacy Examination Committee. The schedule must also indicate those courses and individual studies already accomplished in each of the major and minor areas, together with additional work planned at this time. The Graduate School must be notified before the written portion of the Candidacy Examination begins. The form of the schedule of study can be  downloaded here .

After the student's proposed schedule of study has been approved by the Graduate Studies Committee, the Candidacy Examination should be scheduled in consultation with the examination committee. At least 2 weeks prior to the scheduled oral examination date, the student should declare formally the intent to take the oral portion of the Candidacy Examination. This Declaration of Intent form must be signed by the student's major advisor and the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee before transmittal to the Dean of the Graduate School for approval.

The Examination Committee consists of at least four faculty members, including the student's major advisor, two other members of the Graduate Faculty approved by the Graduate Studies Committee for this function, and a departmental representative appointed by the Graduate Studies Committee.

The Candidacy Examination consists of two parts, namely, a written examination and an oral examination. The precise times and places of the administration of the Examination will be determined by the Examination Committee, but the entire Examination must be administered within a three-month period.

The written portion is administered and evaluated by the student's Advisory Committee. It is conducted in the following steps.

a. The student prepares a written dissertation proposal. The proposal should be concise and precise, and should include the following:

• Title and abstract
• Significance of the problem
• Scope and objectives of the research
• Methodology
• Expected results and conclusions

Students are encouraged to include in the written portion any preliminary results that support the dissertation proposal. The dissertation proposal must be submitted to all members of the Advisory Committee.

b. On receiving the dissertation proposal, the major advisor compiles a written examination for the student, taking into consideration questions posed by and comments received from the rest of the Advisory Committee.

The written examination consists of two parts. The first part asks questions related to the submitted dissertation proposal. The purpose of this part is to examine whether the dissertation proposal has substantial depth to lead to quality research and whether the student is well prepared to conduct the research outlined in the proposal. The student may be asked to revise the proposal in accordance with the suggestions received. The second part examines the student on his overall breadth and depth in his major area.

c. On receiving the written examination, the student submits written answers to the questions (and possibly a revised dissertation proposal, if so requested) to all members of the Advisory Committee.

d. The Advisory Committee evaluates the written portion including the dissertation proposal. If, based on the written portion, the Advisory Committee members see no possibility for a satisfactory overall performance on the Candidacy Examination, the Advisory Committee records an "unsatisfactory" on the Candidacy Examination report form and returns it to the Graduate School.

The oral candidacy examination shall last approximately two hours. In addition, a 30-45 minute presentation on the proposed research must be made prior to the oral examination, but after the candidate has made their written proposal available to the committee. As per Graduate School rules, the two hour oral examination is strictly an examination and may not include a formal oral presentation of the dissertation proposal. During this oral examination, the student should be prepared to defend his or her dissertation proposal and to answer questions on a range of topics including the area of specialization and general fundamentals of computer science. Examinees may use prepared slides in answering questions about their proposal. A passing grade requires a unanimous vote of the examination committee.

Notice of the time and place of both the oral portion of the Candidacy Examination and the presentation prior to that will be given to all faculty of the Department.

The student is considered to have passed the Candidacy Examination only when the decision of the Examination Committee is unanimous. The student's performance is evaluated and reported to the Graduate School as "satisfactory" (implying admission to candidacy) or "unsatisfactory" (implying failure and denial of admission to candidacy). When a failure is reported, the student may be permitted to take a second examination if recommended by the Candidacy Examination Committee. No student will be permitted to take the Candidacy Examination more than twice. The advisor is also reminded that a copy of the report to the Graduate School must be sent to the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee for the Departmental record and student file.

After a student has passed the Candidacy Examination, the advisor of the student will nominate a Dissertation Committee to consider the merit of the dissertation. The members of the Dissertation Committee should be kept informed of the progress of research, thus giving them opportunities to make constructive suggestions for improvement of the dissertation.

The Dissertation Committee will consist of the advisor and two other members of the Graduate Faculty approved by the Graduate Studies Committee for this function. Normally, the Dissertation Committee must be approved no later than in one semester in advance of the anticipated graduation date. It is suggested that the Dissertation Committee be chosen from the committee which administered the Candidacy Examination.

The Graduate School should be consulted on the various deadlines for submission of the dissertation as well as for regulations governing the mechanics of its preparation. The Graduate School is to be informed of the Dissertation Committee members and the subject of the dissertation in the semester of expected graduation.

The Final Oral Examination is held after the approval of the draft of the dissertation by the Dissertation Committee. Generally, the Dissertation Committee and a Graduate School representative will constitute the Final Oral Examination Committee. The examination will be oral and will deal intensively with the portion of the candidate's field of specialization, though it need not be confined exclusively to the subject matter of the student's dissertation. A unanimous vote of the Final Oral Examination Committee is required for the student to pass.

It is expected that the dissertation be made available, and an announcement of the examination be made, at least one week in advance of the Final Oral Examination. The examination is open to the general public. Non-committee members should be permitted to ask questions. It is expected that the Chair of the Committee will control the ordering and kind of questions asked to ensure fairness and reasonable progress of the examination and to ensure that members of the Examination Committee have sufficient opportunity to question the candidate.

Students intending to pursue study towards a Ph.D. may apply directly to the Direct Ph.D. track. In the Direct Ph.D. track, students focus on research and study in selected areas of concentration from the beginning of their graduate studies, thereby facilitating more rapid progress towards the degree.

n addition to the standard requirements of the Ph.D. program, as detailed earlier, Direct Ph.D. students are required to satisfy the following progress requirements:

• Complete all the core courses during the first year of study and either qualify through the acceleration option, or appear for the Qualifying Examination by the first semester of the second year in the program. Students unable to meet this requirement should petition in advance to the graduate studies chair, with support of their advisor.
• Take at least 3 research cr-hrs in the form of independent study, research seminars ("Advanced Topics in ..."), or thesis research every semester, commencing from their second semester.
• Identify their research advisor and the major/minor areas of study by the end of the Spring semester of their first year (or their second semester, if they enter the Direct Ph.D. track in a different term). Students may change research advisor or major/minor areas, with the approval of the Graduate Studies Committee.

Students in the Direct Ph.D. track can obtain a Masters automatically by passing the Ph.D. Candidacy Examination. A student in the Direct Ph.D. track is not eligible to take the Department's Masters Comprehensive Examination or to apply for a Masters by writing and defending a Masters thesis. However, a student who is unable to make adequate progress in the Direct Ph.D. track after two years in the program may petition the Graduate Studies Committee to transfer to the Research (Thesis) Track of the Masters program.

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The PhD in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at The Ohio State University aims to train independent scientific researchers who will make meaningful contributions to their field in research-focused careers in academia, government, or industry.

The HRS PhD Program has a mission to develop transformative leaders at the forefront of scientific discovery with a vision to be a global leader in advancing scholarship and leadership by developing excellent interdisciplinary scientists.

HRS PhD students will become stewards of their science by applying rigorous and ethical scientific methods, and cutting-edge analytical approaches in a focused domain of science that aligns with their professional goals. Our graduates will lead their disciplines by engaging in life-long research.

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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Join us in our pursuit of knowledge that will transform the nursing profession..

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We've all known the joy of helping a patient return to good health. It's a rewarding feeling. Now imagine the feeling of knowing the outcome of your work helped thousands of patients achieve their optimal health. That's the opportunity that exists for nurses who earn their PhD. 

It is estimated that of the nearly 2.7 million registered nurses in the United States today, fewer than 10 percent have an advanced degree and fewer than 1 percent have a PhD. With a PhD, you have the opportunity to contribute to the nursing and health care as a scientist and scholar. The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing program at The Ohio State University College of Nursing provides you with the opportunity to transform healthcare and the nursing profession while studying alongside expert scholars .

In The Ohio State University College of Nursing PhD program, mentorship of students focuses on the development of skills in original research and the completion of a dissertation. The PhD program in the College of Nursing prepares nurse scientists to advance knowledge on health determinants, which includes the array of personal, biology, social, economic, and environmental factors that affect health, through transdisciplinary research and team science. Our program emphasizes collegial relationships between expert and developing scholars with regard to research, grant writing, and publications. Over the past three years, our students have had a 65 percent funding rate on all grant submissions, providing support for their research and education. 

The PhD program at the College of Nursing is a campus-based program. A full-time plan of study is available for nurses who have completed a BSN. Full-time and part-time plans of study are available for nurses who have completed a master’s degree. Post-BSN PhD students have an option to earn a master’s degree in nursing while also studying for the PhD. You may pursue a master’s degree affiliated with one of our available graduate specialties or pursue a master’s degree specializing in nursing science. Students do not have to earn a master’s degree to be awarded a PhD at The Ohio State University.

As a graduate of the PhD program, you will be able to:

• synthesize knowledge from nursing and other disciplines to develop and test theory that affects health
• conduct research that builds nursing science and theory
• develop and implement collaborative research projects with nurses and scholars from other disciplines
• promote the delivery of quality healthcare through leadership in practice and education

Upon conclusion of your studies, you will have developed expertise in conceptualizing, conducting and translating research relevant to health and wellness of patients, their families and communities.

Message from the Director

The Ohio State University College of Nursing is home to outstanding scholars and researchers offering students the opportunity to work alongside faculty who are shaping the future of nursing science and healthcare. Our PhD students are carefully selected and mentored resulting in graduates whose scholarly work continues to contribute to the scientific basis for nursing practice and to the overall advancement of science. 

To learn more about careers in nursing research, watch this panel discussion hosted by the NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education (OITE).

Research Areas of Interest

The focus of the PhD program at the College of Nursing is the examination of the broad determinants of health and disease in individuals, families and communities, with the intent to develop and test interventions to improve health. Consistent with the biopsychosocial focus of our discipline and growing national emphasis on interdisciplinary research and translational health science, special attention is given to the interactions among mind, body and environments through interdisciplinary research studies. Individual student research is closely tied to faculty research , which encompasses the life span, supports health promotion in a variety of health care and community settings, includes wellness care and complex and critical illness care, risk reduction, and symptom management. Faculty integrate biological, psychological, behavioral, and social measures to study the dynamic processes underlying these phenomena and test innovative approaches to improve health and healthcare outcomes.

Research Centers of Excellence

In line with our research areas of interest, the College of Nursing Supports three Research Centers of Excellence, designed to support faculty and students in their research:

APPLICATION DEADLINES

Autumn 2025 Opens: Early August 2024 Deadline: December 1, 2024

Students interested in being considered for a  Fellowship  or other available funding opportunities should have their completed application submitted by October 1, 2024.

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“The PhD program has completely changed the way I think about my role in healthcare. I am gaining the tools, skills, and resources needed to generate new knowledge to improve outcomes for underserved communities.”

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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Program synopsis and training.

 The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in mathematics is the highest degree offered by our program. Graduates will have demonstrated their ability to conduct independent scientific research and contribute new mathematical knowledge and scholarship in their area of specialization. They will be well-supported and well prepared for research and faculty positions at academic institutions anywhere in the world. Owing to their independence, analytic abilities, and proven tenacity, our PhD graduates are also sought after by private and government employers.

Our PhD program offers two tracks, one for Theoretical Mathematics and one for Applied Mathematics . The tracks differ only in the course and  qualifying requirements during the first two years. Applicants are required to decide on one of the tracks and applications will be evaluated subject to respective criteria described below.

Once students have passed their Qualifying Requirements, the two tracks merge and there is no distinction in later examinations and research opportunities. In particular, the candidacy exam for both tracks consists of a research proposal, the graduate faculty available for advising is the same, and the final degree and thesis defense are independent of the initially chosen track.

Expected Preparations for Admission

Competitive applicants to the theoretical track are expected to have strong foundations in Real Analysis and Abstract Algebra, equivalent to our Math 5201 - 5202  and Math 5111 - 5112 sequences.

Expected preparations for the applied track include the equivalents of a rigorous Real Analysis course (such as Math 5201 ), a strong background in Linear Algebra, as well as an introductory course in Scientific Computing.

Besides these basic requirements, competitive applicants in either track submit evidence for a broad formation in mathematics at the upper-division or beginning graduate level. Relevant coursework in other mathematical or quantitative sciences may also be considered, especially for the applied track.

Prior research experiences are not required for either track, and we routinely admit students without significant research background. Nevertheless, applicants are encouraged to include accounts of research and independent project endeavors as well as letters of supervising mentors in order to be more competitive for fellowship considerations. The research component is likely to have greater weight in applications to the applied track.

These prepared documents serve to provide our admission committee with a narrative overview of the applicant's mathematical trajectory. Their primary focus should, therefore, be to enumerate and describe any evidence of mathematical ability and mathematical promise. The information included in the documents should be well-organized, comprehensive, informative, specific, and relevant. This will help our committee to properly and efficiently evaluate the high number of applications we receive each year.

Our Graduate Recruitment Committee will generally  not  consider GRE test scores for this Autumn 2024 admissions. If you have already taken the test, please do not self-report the scores to us. In exceptional circumstances students may have the option to report unofficially. 

International students whose native language is not English and are not exempt should score at least a 20 on the Speaking portion of the TOEFL or at least 6.5 on the IELTS Speaking portion.  We also recommend an overall score of at least 95 on TOEFL or at least 7.0 on IELTS.  For a list of exempt countries, please see  https://gpadmissions.osu.edu/intl/additional-requirements-to-apply.html

Qualifying Requirements by Track

The qualifying requirements for the theoretical track are fulfilled by passing our Abstract Algebra course sequence  ( Math 6111 , Math 6112 ) and  our Real Analysis course sequence ( Math 6211 , Math 6212 ), each with at least an A-, or  by passing a respective examination.

The qualifying requirements for the applied track combine a mandatory Scientific Computing course ( Math 6601 ), one of the algebra or analysis courses, and three additional courses chosen from  Math 6602 , Math 6411 ,  Math 6451 , and the courses comprising the algebra and analysis sequences.

The breadth requirements in the applied track are more flexible than in the theoretical track, but also include a mandatory graduate course in a non-math STEM department from an approved list. 

You can find more information about our PhD program requirement here .

Opportunities & Outcomes

The research opportunities and academic outcomes of our doctoral program are described in detail in the Graduate Program Prospectus  [pdf]. 

Our department has about 80 active graduate faculty on the Columbus and regional campuses. Virtually every area of mathematics is represented in our program, with a sampling displayed below.

• Commutative, Non-commutative, & Quantum Algebra
• Analytic, Algebraic, Computational Number Theory
• Algebraic Geometry, Tropical Geometry
• Applied Mathematics, Mathematical Physics
• Real and Complex Analysis
• Functional Analysis, Operator Algebras
• Combinatorics and Graph Theory
• Differential Geometry
• Dynamical Systems and Ergodic Theory
• Financial and Actuarial Mathematics
• Logic and Foundations
• Probability Theory, Statistical Mechanics
• Mathematical Biology
• Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations
• Representation theory
• Scientific Computing
• Topology, Topological Data Analysis

See also our  Applied Mathematics Topics List  [pdf].

Our program offers many support opportunities without teaching duties as well, to allow more time for scientific endeavors. These opportunities include university fellowships, external funding, and departmental fellowships and special assignments. See the  Financial Support  page for more details.

The median time to degree completion in our program is below six years but also varies significantly among our students, with as little as four years for students entering with substantial prior preparations. Funding is guaranteed for six years and can be extended to seven years with advisor support and the permission of the Graduate Studies Committee.  

Most of our graduates continue their careers in academia. Post-doctoral placements in the last two years include, for example, UCLA, Stanford, ETH-Zürich, Brown University, University of Michigan, Northwestern University, University of Vienna, EPF Lausanne, Free University at Berlin, Purdue University, and University of Utah. In recent years our graduates also went to Princeton University, IAS, University of Chicago, Yale University, University of Michigan, Cal-Tech, Northwestern University, University of Texas, Duke University, SUNY Stony Brook, Purdue University, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, and Indiana University. Recent non-academic placements include Google, Facebook, Amazon, NSA, and prestigious financial institutions.

Students also have access to training and networking opportunities that prepare them better for careers in private industry and teaching - for example, through the Erdős Institute  - and are regularly offered highly competitive positions in the industry. 

Nearly half of the graduate population consists of domestic students coming from both larger universities and smaller liberal arts colleges with a solid math curriculum. And as a program group member of the National Math Alliance , we are dedicated to enhancing diversity in our program and the scientific community. The International students in our program come from all parts of the world with a wide variety of educational backgrounds.

Prospective students:  [email protected]

Graduate Office Department of Mathematics The Ohio State University 231 W 18th Avenue ( MA 102 ) Columbus, Ohio 43210 United States of America                

Phone: (614) 292-6274 Fax: (614) 292-1479

[pdf] - Some links on this page are to .pdf files. If you need these files in a more accessible format, please email  [email protected] . PDF files require the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader software to open them. If you do not have Reader, you may use the following link to Adobe to download it for free at:  Adobe Acrobat Reader .

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Apply to the Chemistry and Biochemistry Ph.D Program

Application Instructions

Graduate Admissions Coordinator Nick Rodgers will be holding Zoom Office Hours every Thursday from 3-5 PM EDT to answer any questions about the program/application process. Please email [email protected] for the Zoom link.

Before beginning the application process, please note the following:

• The program only admits one time per year for the Autumn semester.
• The minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA requirement for applying is 3.0/4.0. The same requirement applies to the cumulative graduate GPA, if graduate-level courses have been completed.
• Students must have at least a 4-year Bachelor’s degree or a 5-year combined BS/MS degree in order to apply.
• The minimum total TOEFL score required in order to be eligible to apply is 79 on the Internet-based test and 550 on the paper-based test. Applicants who achieve a total score of 100 and a 20 or higher on the speaking section of the Internet-Based TOEFL will be most competitive. The minimum allowable score on the IELTS is a 7.0.
• The GRE is NOT required to be eligible to apply to the Graduate School or the Chemistry PhD Program.
• Without exception, TOEFL or scores must be officially reported to OSU by ETS. If you are submitting scores for the IELTS, those scores must be reported to OSU directly by IELTS.
• The application fee is $60 for Domestic applicants and $70 for International applicants. Application fee waivers may be granted to applicants who meet specific eligibility criteria as indicated on this web page:  http://gpadmissions.osu.edu/apply/waiver.html
• Answers to the most frequently asked questions can be found here .

December 1, 2024 is the deadline for submitting the online application and all required supplemental materials for Autumn 2025 admission. Before or on this date, all required application materials MUST be submitted ( submitted  is defined as available for committee review and not on order for or en route to OSU). Please SUBMIT the online application well in advance of the deadline so that your referees will receive their links in plenty of time to submit their letters before the December 1st deadline. Recommendation letter upload links do not get sent to referees until the application is submitted and the fee is paid. Please be certain to take the TOEFL early enough to ensure that your scores are reported to OSU by ETS before or on December 1st. Please follow the instructions below to complete your application and consult our timeline to help you navigate our application process.

You may upload scans of your transcripts on the "Academic Data" tab of the online application. Scans of original transcripts from every college or university you have ever attended are required to be submitted before your application can be reviewed. Transfer credit indicated on a transcript does not satisfy the transcript requirement for the school at which the credits were originally earned. Scans of original, official transcripts are required to be uploaded while completing the online application or submitted via the document uploader by or on the application deadline. Online advising reports or degree audits cannot be used to satisfy the transcript requirement for the application. 

The program requires submissions of your resume and personal statement on the "Final Steps/Submit" tab of the online application. If you would like to submit an updated personal statement or resume before the application deadline, please email that updated version to: [email protected]

You should address the following in your personal statement:

• Describe your research experience in some detail.  Describe research products, like oral presentations and papers related to your research experience.
• We are interested in learning about your independence, strengths and weaknesses, goals, and community involvement.  Tell us examples of times you have overcome challenges and where you got support to work through them.  Give us some examples of how you learn outside the classroom.
• Tell us about what you want to study and about your research interests.  Identify some faculty with whom you would like to work.
• Be sure to explain things in your history, academic career, or resume that might raise questions about your suitability for graduate study and research.  If you had some weaker grades or less successful terms, explain what was happening.  If you didn't have access to extensive research experiences at your institution, explain that, and what you've done to know that graduate school is right for you.

Our aim is to admit students who will be successful in our Ph.D. program.  We are obviously interested in admitting students with high academic ability and research aptitude. But it also takes self-motivation, perseverance, and teamwork to be successful in graduate school.  Don't worry about having a perfect record.  Show us how you know this is the right path for you, and why you are going to succeed.

We require the submission of three letters of recommendation. All letters of recommendation must be submitted through the online system. Applicants will enter their referees' contact information within the online application. It is only after the application is submitted that each referee will receive a link by e-mail indicating where they can submit their letter of recommendation for the applicant. For this reason, please submit the online application well in advance of the deadline so that your referees will receive their links and have ample time to submit their letters before the deadline.

The most useful letters of recommendation come from Ph.D. chemists and biochemists who can comment on your research and intellectual ability and potential. We typically want to hear from all your research advisors (such as, from capstone/thesis projects or summer/REU experiences).  Chemistry, biochemistry, or other science professors who can comment on your academic ability and potential are the next best choice.  Letters from professors in other areas, employers (unless they are for a science research position), coaches, graduate students, family, friends or peers are of more limited value to us, in general.  Be sure that at least one reference can specifically comment on your research potential, and we suggest that at least two references be scientists.

The most useful letters of recommendation will tell us about your research and academic ability and potential, as well as your independence, strengths and weaknesses, goals, community involvement, perseverance, and how you learn outside the classroom.  Your references can also help us understand anything in your record that could raise questions about your potential in graduate school.

You may check on the status of your letters and send reminders to your letter writers at: go.osu.edu/lor

If you are not an United States citizen, the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department requires the submission of official  TOEFL or IELTS scores directly to The Ohio State University before your application may be reviewed. The institution code for submission is: 1592 Only applicants who are citizens of, or who have received a bachelor’s degree or higher from, one of the following countries are exempt from the English proficiency requirement: Australia, Belize, the British Caribbean and British West Indies, Canada (except Quebec), England, Guyana, Ireland, Liberia, New Zealand, Scotland, the United States and Wales.

• Please make sure that you input your name on the online application exactly how it appears on your TOEFL score report. Doing so will ensure that your official scores can be electronically matched to your application. 
• If you are submitting scores for the IELTS, those scores must also be directly reported to OSU by IELTS.
• The Admissions Committee for the PhD Program in Chemistry does not offer conditional admission to students who either have not taken the TOEFL or IELTS or whose TOEFL or IELTS score does not meet the minimum requirement.
• If the Admissions Committee deems it necessary to further evaluate an applicant's spoken English proficiency, the applicant might be asked to participate in an oral proficiency assessment administered via Skype by a trained staff member from OSU's ESL program.

Applicants are solely responsible for ensuring the completion of their application before or on the December 1st deadline. Each applicant should review their  application status page  to ensure the receipt of required materials. Please allow several business days for submitted items to appear as completed on the application status page. If submitted items do not appear within 3 business days, please e-mail Nick Rodgers  at [email protected]. 

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Doctoral Programs

• PhD in Anatomy
• PhD in Biomedical Informatics
• PhD in Biomedical Sciences
• PhD in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
• PhD in Immunology and Immunotherapeutics
• PhD in Neuroscience
• Clinical Doctorate in Physical Therapy
• Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy

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PhD Program

We have what you need to discover your extraordinary potential at Ohio State

• Translational Research Curriculum
• Internationally Known Faculty and Supportive Doctoral Student Community
• Competitive Funding Support
• Vibrant City with a Reasonable Cost of Living

Doctoral faculty are studying:

• Child maltreatment and child well-being
• Children of immigrant families and social adjustment
• Community food security and community-based research
• Culturally competent policy, practice, and research
• Educational disparities
• Environmental Justice
• Geographic Information Systems
• Health Disparities
• Human trafficking
• Immigrant and refugee well-being and inclusion
• Implementation research in child welfare and evidence-based practices
• Integrated primary care and behavioral health services
• Integrative body-mind spirit practices
• Intimate partner violence among women and college students
• Information and communication technologies used in social work practice
• Intergenerational strategies on individual and community development
• LGBTQ+populations
• Mental health disparities and inequities among diverse populations
• Older adults and community-based interventions and services
• Grandparents raising grandchildren
• Policy research and advocacy
• Positive youth development and youth sport
• Poverty and anti-poverty policies and programs
• School mental health, school social work, school-family-community partnerships
• Social determinants of health and health equity
• Strengths-based integrative family and systems treatment for at-risk children and adolescents
• Substance abuse prevention, service access, and mutual-aid based interventions
• Trauma-informed care

For questions about the PhD Curriculum, please contact Dr. Mo Yee Lee, PhD Program Director, [email protected] .

For questions about the PhD and MSW+PhD applications or general questions, please contact Jennifer Nakayama, PhD Coordinator, at [email protected] or 614-292-6188 .

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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The Department offers the PhD degree with concentrations in Speech-Language Science or Hearing Science. The research experience is paramount to PhD training, and the opportunity to obtain this experience exists across a variety of laboratory and clinical settings, both within and outside the department. The other hallmark of the PhD program involves the tailoring of academic coursework to the specific research interests of the student. 

The academic program consists of coursework within the department, as well as in related areas such as psychology, linguistics, statistics, engineering, and/or education.  Accordingly, there are few specific requirements, other than coursework in research tools (a minimum of 9 semester credit hours) and coursework that forms a cohesive outside area (a minimum of 9 semester credit hours). This apparent lack of structure may be daunting to some prospective students, but the faculty is committed to requirements that permit the student and her or his advisor(s) to design coursework and research experiences that are best suited to the student's specific interest.  Students completing the PhD will be prepared for careers as laboratory/clinical researchers and university professors. 

Please click on the boxes below for more detailed information!

Still have questions? Contact Graduate Studies Chair and PhD Committee Chair, Dr. Christina Roup at [email protected]. 

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Sociology PhD Program

The graduate program is a rigorous yet flexible PhD curriculum that allows you to specialize in any number of sociology research areas.

Our graduate curriculum is rigorous while also supporting students in planning their own path.

Our curriculum ( program overview ) is laid out over 5-6 years, but can be adjusted to meet each student’s own time table.

Research Areas

We regularly offer graduate seminars and other training opportunities in a wide variety of substantive areas, such as:

• Community and Urban Studies
• Criminology/Criminal Justice
• Demography (Migration/Immigration, Fertility, Mortality)
• Education and Work/Labor Markets
• Family and Children/Youth
• Political/Social Movements
• Population Health/Medical Sociology
• (eg. Social Stratification, Race and Ethnicity, Gender)

Our many methods courses (quantitative and qualitative) provide you both basic understandings of sociological research methods, and in-depth training in more advanced methods.

Whatever your research interests or methodological orientation, we believe you will find the OSU Department of Sociology an invigorating and collegial place to call your intellectual home as you pursue your PhD. We invite you to become part of our vibrant community!

The department is home to a diverse group of more than 60 graduate students, who come from across the nation and the world to become the next generation of scholars and educators in the field.

At the core of our successful graduate program is our dedicated and supportive faculty; our faculty/student ratio of 2:1 enables us to continue a long tradition of research collaboration between faculty and students.

Students and faculty collaborate on research presented at regional, national and international conferences and published in the top sociology and specialty journals. 

Additionally, we are proud of the fact that many students coauthor research together , as this attests to the rich intellectual and collaborative culture of our department and the research talents of our graduate students.

Beyond research, most sociologists in academic environments are also dedicated teachers.

Our teacher training program involves coursework and apprenticeships as teaching assistants to faculty members; then advanced graduate students gain valuable experience by teaching their own courses as independent instructors.

In recent years several of our graduate students have won the prestigious Graduate Associate Teaching Award (GATA), Ohio State’s highest recognition for excellence in teaching provided by GTAs.

We also support students aiming for non-academic careers with our career workshops and connections with applied/policy research scholars and organizations.

The Ohio State University is one of the world’s best comprehensive, public research universities.

When you earn a graduate degree from Ohio State, you can be assured that your degree will be recognized nationally and internationally.

Our alumni are an amazing resource for our graduate students, sharing their time, experiences and connections.

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Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD)

PhD applicants:  We have two paths to the PhD degree

BS to PhD:  for applicants with a BS degree already complete or that will be completed by the admission semester.

MS to PhD:  for applicants with a completed MS degree already complete or that will be completed by the admission semester.

Go to Required ECE Materials  to apply.

Current or previously enrolled Ohio State ECE MS students apply to the ECE PhD program through an internal application which is explained in the ECE Handbook: MS to PhD .

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From quarks to the cosmos — US News and World Reports ranks our graduate program: #23 Physics Department #13 Cosmology #15 Elementary Particle Physics #20 Condensed Matter We are a leading institution in granting PhD Physics degrees.

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ISE Graduate Handbook 2024-2025: Doctoral Degree Programs

For general guidelines see  Graduate School Handbook

A. Admission Requirements

• Identical to the MS admission requirements; see Section VIII, A, parts 1 and 2 of this Handbook.
• Entrance preference is given to engineering, math and science graduates with a minimum undergraduate point hour ratio of 3.4 and MS with a minimum graduate point hour ratio of 3.5.
• Students who complete the MS program in ISE and wish to continue on to a Ph.D., will need to communicate their intention to ISE Graduate Coordinator and obtain approval via the transition form signed by their advisor.
• If the student is transferring within OSU, the credit transfer will be reviewed by the student’s advisor based on the relationship to the student’s intended program.
•  If the student is applying to the Ph.D. program from outside OSU, the credit transfer will be reviewed by the graduate studies committee

B. Program Requirements

• Minimum of 80 graduate semester credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree is required. 30 semester hours credit will be granted for an appropriate earned Master’s degree.
• Minimum of 30 semester credit hours of graduate level courses beyond the Master’s degree. The course work requirement consists of one primary area of concentration (15 hours), two secondary areas of concentration (12 hours: 6 hours for each secondary area), and Graduate Research Seminar (3 credits). To achieve the remaining 20 hours (minimum) of graduate credit hours required for the PhD degree (30 for MS + 30 ISE Ph.D. courses + 20 remaining = 80 total), students may enroll for any combination of research credit hours or additional graduate level course hours.
• The primary area of concentration consists of at least 15 semester credit hours of graduate level course work. The primary area of concentration is a coherent theme of inquiry and study in support of the student’s area of dissertation research.
• Each secondary area of concentration consists of at least 6 semester credit hours of graduate level course work. A secondary area is also a coherent theme of inquiry and study. At least one secondary area of concentration must consist of courses taken outside of ISE; however, both secondary areas of concentration may be outside of ISE.
• 3 semester credit hours of ISE Graduate Research Seminar (minimum).
• For students pursing a doctorate in Operations Research, a qualifying exam is required. The full description of this exam process can be found in Appendix B.
• The Doctoral Candidacy Examination is normally administered at the completion of the Ph.D. course work.
• Public presentation of the dissertation research proposal and work completed to-date. This is also commonly called the ISE Dissertation Proposal Colloquium.
• Dissertation and Final Oral Examination.

Note: Students entering the PhD program directly from the BS degree typically (although not necessarily) fulfill the requirements for, and acquire, an ISE MS degree while engaged in accumulating the 30 hours of course work to complete the Ph.D. course requirements.

C. Candidacy Committee:

Upon arrival, each student is assigned to a temporary advisor. The student and the advisor examine the student’s interests, background and goals in order to determine a primary area of concentration, and possible secondary areas of concentration. This effort will determine course work for the first semester. As soon as possible after arrival, the student should identify a faculty member whose teaching and research philosophy and interests coincide with those of the student. That faculty member will become the student’s program advisor.

Ph.D. students can be advised by any tenure or research track faculty members with a formal appointment or formal joint appointment in the Integrated Systems Engineering (ISE) Department that has P status within the department. Ph.D. students can also be co-advised by a tenure or research track faculty outside ISE, who has a courtesy appointment in ISE and category P status within the department, and by an ISE tenure or research track faculty member with P status.

During the student’s coursework, the student and the advisor will identify other potential faculty to serve on the student’s Candidacy Committee. As a minimum, the Advisory Committee should include the advisor (Committee Chair), one additional faculty member representing the student’s primary area of concentration, and one faculty member representing each secondary area of concentration. A minimum of four graduate faculty members are required for the Candidacy committee. A faculty member must have ISE Category P status in the graduate school to serve as the Candidacy Examination Committee Chair. A faculty member must have at least Category P status (any program) in the graduate school to serve as a member of the committee. Those without either of these two qualifications may participate on the committee only with permission of the GSC. At this point a final program plan, which is signed by each committee member, should be submitted to the graduate studies coordinator. The student and his/her advisor must assemble the Candidacy Committee at least one semester prior to that student’s Candidacy Exam.

The responsibilities of this Candidacy Committee are as follows:

• Make recommendations about courses to be taken and assure sufficient depth in the primary and secondary areas of concentration.
• Assist the faculty advisor in evaluating the student’s progress and make recommendations that result from that assessment. (Course work plans may be altered or the program terminated.)

D. Program Plan

The student, with their advisor’s assistance, should create an initial plan of study and complete the plan of study form that is available on the department’s website. This form must be submitted to the graduate coordinator at the end of the student’s second semester.

E. Monitoring of Progress

As the student progresses, the advisor will provide periodic evaluation and, if necessary, make program adjustments.

A Ph.D. student may be denied further registration if they have accumulated at least 100 semester hours of graduate credit and has not taken their Candidacy Examination, or 170 semester hours of graduate credit and has not completed their Final Oral Examination, and it is the judgment of the GSC in its annual evaluation of graduate students that the student is not making reasonable progress.

F. Candidacy Examination

Formal admission to Ph.D. candidacy is achieved through the successful completion of the Candidacy Examination, which is administered by the student’s Candidacy Committee, under the rules of the Graduate School. If at all possible, the Candidacy Examination will not be administered until the student has fulfilled the University’s residency requirements. When a student is ready to take their Candidacy Examination, they should obtain a Notification of Doctoral Candidacy Examination form through Grad Forms. The student should complete the Notification of Doctoral Candidacy Examination form via Grad Forms prior to commencing their Candidacy Examination. No time limit for the initiation of the Candidacy Examination is imposed, but it is recommended that it take place within one semester of the completion of program course work. Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree occurs at the end of the semester in which the Candidacy Examination is satisfactorily completed.

The Candidacy Examination is comprised of two parts: A written exam and an oral exam. Within ISE, the written exam entails the student receiving a set of questions from the committee members representing the major area and sets of questions covering topics pertaining to each of the secondary areas of concentration. Students have between two and four weeks to complete the written part of the exam, depending on their area within ISE. The two-hour oral component of the exam is scheduled approximately two weeks after the conclusion of the written exam. Attendance at the oral portion of the Candidacy Examination is limited to the student and members of the Candidacy Examination Committee.

Voting Procedures: The examination committee takes one or two secret ballot votes. The first ballot is a straw vote conducted immediately after the student leaves the room and before any discussion of his/her performance takes place. If the decision is not unanimous pass, a second and final ballot is taken after the student’s performance has been discussed. The student is considered to have successfully completed the candidacy examination when there is no vote of unsatisfactory on the second ballot by the examination committee members

Upon successful completion of the Candidacy Examination, the student’s Candidacy Committee is dissolved.

With reference to the Graduate School Handbook regarding Master’s Degree on the Basis of Candidacy Examination, ISE doctoral students not having a Master’s degree in ISE are not automatically granted a Master’s degree in ISE upon completion of the Candidacy Examination.

Upon completion of the Candidacy Examination, the approval of the Candidacy Examination Report is completed by the committee members via Grad Forms.

G. Dissertation Committee

A dissertation committee will be collectively identified by the advisor and the student. This committee is responsible for guiding the preparation of a research proposal, guiding the progress of the dissertation research and conducting the final oral defense of the research. The committee should be identified as soon as there is consensus on the dissertation topic. It will consist of at least three members (one of which is the advisor), at least two of whom should be faculty in the ISE Graduate Program . The committee must be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee. This is accomplished by submitting the dissertation committee approval form (available on the website) to the graduate studies chair. If at least two members of the committee are not from ISE, a request for an exception can made with a cover letter along the form explaining the reason for non-compliance. If at any time a change in dissertation committee membership occurs, including a new advisor, approval of the new dissertation committee needs to be obtained from the Graduate Studies Committee via re-submission of the above mentioned form.

H. Research Proposal

The student and the advisor should utilize the other committee members as resources while the student develops the dissertation research proposal. A final written version of the proposal must be presented to the student’s committee for approval. An accompanying oral presentation to the committee is required so there is discussion regarding any outstanding issues. On the basis of the proposal and any comments or concerns raised, the Dissertation Committee shall : a) approve the proposal, b) recommend revision or additional proposal work, or c) reject the proposal. When the proposal is approved, the committee members sign part “B” of the Dissertation Committee Approval/Research Proposal Colloquium form. The process should follow the general process outlined in figure 1.

I. Colloquium

The student will develop a two-page structured abstract describing their dissertation proposal per the template that accompanies the Proposal Colloquium form . This must be submitted electronically to the graduate studies committee chair along with a hardcopy of the Dissertation Research Proposal Colloquium form, signed by all members of the student’s Dissertation Committee certifying that the proposal is acceptable for presentation (Part “B” of the form). The abstract will be reviewed by the Graduate Studies Committee and modified as necessary to obtain approval. Once the Graduate Studies Committee approves the submitted abstract, a 150-word version of the abstract shall be submitted to the graduate studies coordinator for promotional purposes. The student will present the proposed research in a public forum known as the colloquium presentation. This should occur early in the research process. Usually this occurs within the first two semesters following admission to candidacy. This colloquium serves multiple purposes:

• It provides an opportunity for the student to get feedback on their dissertation plans early in the research process.
• It informs the ISE department and other interested individuals about the research being conducted within the department.
• It communicates to future Ph.D. candidates the scope of dissertation research projects conducted within ISE.
• It provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate their ability to present and discuss research concepts (consistent with program objective number 3).

This colloquium should occur very early in the dissertation work process. Therefore, it must occur at least the semester before, and preferably two semesters before, the final defense. If it does not, a letter requesting an exemption must be submitted and approved by the Graduate Studies Committee.

The graduate studies coordinator will inform the student about potential departmental seminar dates that are available for the student to present their dissertation proposal. There will likely be two or three students presenting during the same departmental seminar session. This means that the total time allocated for each presentation will be 20 to 25 minutes. The student should determine which of the available seminar dates would allow more of their committee members to be in attendance. While it is not required that the student’s committee be in attendance, it is strongly recommended. The student’s advisor or another committee member must attend. Once the best date is determined, the student should confirm the selected date with the graduate studies coordinator.

J. Final Defense

Upon completion of the research and submission of the final draft of the dissertation to the Dissertation Committee, the student will defend his/her dissertation according to the rules of the Graduate School.

The Final Oral Exam is open to students, faculty of this University, and other interested parties. The student’s advisor is expected to post the dissertation topic and the date and time of the exam at least one week prior to the exam. Any such persons in attendance, who are not members of the Final Oral Exam Committee, function as observers only. Observer participation is at the discretion of the advisor.

Voting Procedures: the Examination Committee takes one or two secret ballot votes. The first ballot is a straw vote conducted immediately after the student leaves the room and before any discussion of his/her performance takes place. If the decision is not unanimous pass, a second and final ballot is taken after the student’s performance has been discussed. The student is considered to have successfully completed the Final Oral Examination when there is no vote of unsatisfactory on the second ballot by the Final Oral Examination Committee members, including the Graduate School Representative.

Please note that it is our department’s policy that the student shall not provide food and/or refreshments at their dissertation defense.

K. Time Limits

The Ph.D. degree requirements must be completed within five years after being admitted to candidacy.

L. Graduation Semester Requirements

A student must be registered for three graduate credit hours during the semester of graduation.

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2025-26 U.S. Student Fulbright Program Accepting Applications Until May 31, 2024

The Office of International Affairs is recruiting graduate student applicants to the U.S. Student Fulbright Program for the 2025-26 award year. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides an opportunity for students to obtain grants to conduct research, enroll in study, or teach English abroad in over 140 countries for up to one academic year. Interested students are encouraged to visit the Office of International Affairs website and contact Laura Pearce ( [email protected] ) to learn more about Fulbright and the support OIA provides graduate student applicants. Students who intend to apply for the 2025-26 award year must complete the interest registration form by May 31, 2024.

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Providing mentorship through Community Connectors

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For almost two years, Avani Pham ’26 has been a friendly and supportive figure for a new American family as they adjust to life in Columbus. She visits their home once a week to spend time with the kids — understanding that if they’re not at school, they’re inside the house.

Avani was paired with the family through the Community Connectors (CC) mentorship program under Community Refugee & Immigration Services (CRIS) , a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping refugees and immigrants achieve safety, stability and successful integration into communities in central Ohio.

Community Connectors at Ohio State (CCOSU) is a student organization that recruits mentors and fundraises for CRIS CC. As co-president and treasurer of CCOSU, Avani has become a cherished member of her mentee’s family through her impactful mentorship and friendship.

Here, she shares more about the organization and her experience.

Why did you join Community Connectors?

What drew me to this organization specifically is I knew I wanted to participate in some sort of mentorship. Both of my parents are immigrants, one a refugee, so I was connected to the cause in that way. Community Connectors married my passion for community service and mentorship with my own background. As a mentor, you’re making a tangible difference, not just performative activism. Things you may provide to your mentee include but are not limited to companionship, homework help and life skills, and you become a part of their family.

What are some of your responsibilities as co-president?

My role involves a lot of outreach . I’m constantly contacting other organizations to collaborate or work with us in some sort of capacity; maintaining long-term relationships with other organizations as well as generally keeping things running in the club. I also make preparations for and run all of the committee meetings and am in charge of our March Kindness fundraiser. What is March Kindness?

March Kindness is our biggest fundraising initiative where we host service events and try to raise as much as we can for CRIS Community Connectors. All the money we raise goes directly to the new American families for immediate use to cover expenses their financial assistance doesn’t cover, such as food, rent, warm clothing and school supplies.

How can other people get involved with Community Connectors?

You have to be an Ohio State student to join the Community Connectors student organization, but anyone can be part of the nonprofit that provides the mentorship program. It’s simple to start, but it’s a big commitment because you have to be consistent, but if it’s important to you, you’ll make the time for it. You can denote your preferences in the application initially, such as the age range you want to work with, preferences with language, etc. It could be instant or take a few weeks to pair mentors with mentees, but you will eventually be placed with a mentee that you will build lasting connections with.

Is there a time with your mentee that stands out?

I wasn’t able to see my mentee during winter break, and since all communication goes through her parents, I was able to surprise her after the break. My mentee was so excited to see me and gave me the longest hug, saying, “I’ve missed you so much and I’ve been so bored without you.” I’ve seen my mentee come out of her shell, and it makes my heart melt every time I get to spend time with her. It’s less of a mentor/mentee relationship and more of a big sister/little sister relationship.

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Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award

The College of Arts and Sciences is seeking nominations for the  2024 Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award . Full details about the award can be found on the  CGS website . The fields for this year’s awards are:  1) Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering  and 2) Social Sciences . In each category, only one institutional nominee can be selected.  We will use the following timeline/process:

• Submit nomination materials electronically to Dr. Brian Orefice ( [email protected] ), Assistant Dean, Graduate Studies.
• ASC nominations will be competing with nominations from other colleges in each category, so the Graduate School will identify the institutional nominee. 
• Nominees must have had their doctoral degree awarded between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2024.
• An abstract of the nominee’s dissertation (not to exceed 5 double-spaced pages).  Appendices containing other material, such as charts, tables, and/or references may be included as additional pages. All pages should be numbered, and each should bear the name of the nominee.
• Three letters of recommendation letter evaluating the significance and quality of the nominee’s dissertation work. One letter is to be from the nominee’s dissertation supervisor, another from a member of the nominee’s dissertation committee, and the third from a person of the nominee’s choice.
• The nominee’s curriculum vitae (not to exceed five pages).
• Monday, June 24 – Nominations due from College of Arts and Sciences to the Graduate School
• Wednesday, July 3 – Graduate School submits materials to CGS

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Well-laid plans: josie stiver’s path to becoming a planner.

The recent graduate reflects on her experiences and growth in the BSCRP program at the Knowlton School.

The day before Josie Stiver graduated from Ohio State, she walked through Knowlton Hall, where she spent the past three years studying for her bachelor’s degree in city and regional planning. She walked outside to sit and reflect on her journey with a view of the building she had spent her academic career in.    

“As I sat there I saw myself walking into this building for the first time as a masked-up freshman during Covid,” said Stiver. “I saw myself walking in and out of this building over the years—sometimes in the rain, sometimes in the sun, sometimes in the snow. I am now a completely different person than the one who walked through those doors my first year.”

At this milestone moment in her life, Stiver recalled how her path to city and regional planning began back in high school during an AP Government class. “My hometown's city planner came into our school and asked, “What do you want the future of Vandalia, Ohio to look like?” said Stiver. “That simple question was transformational. That experience of being involved in a collaborative visioning meeting and having a say in the future of my community as a young resident is one I will never forget.”

After taking the course, Socially Just City, during her first year at Ohio State, Stiver knew that she wanted to prepare for a career in planning. “I was instantly captivated by the notion that complex social and societal issues could be alleviated through interdisciplinary, design-based approaches,” remarked Stiver. “It was then I knew planning was the field that would allow me to positively impact the most lives.”

Başar Özbilen: Planning for Sustainable Mobility

Landscape Alum and Olmsted Scholar Raises Awareness of Climate Change

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