Admissions
How to Apply
The Chemical Physics Program admits Autumn semesters.
To make a complete application to our program, you will need the additional materials discussed below. We must receive all materials before we can consider your application. Students must apply online only. There, depending on your student status, you will find the correct online application.
For the Chemical Physics program, at the end of your application you will be asked to pay an application fee. The Chemical Physics program offers a fee waiver from the usual $60 to $70 application fee. To obtain the fee waiver, you must select the “PGD Program” option under the fee waiver section of the application. The cost for the application will be billed to the Chemical Physics program.
Deadline
To receive full consideration, including possible nomination for a University Fellowship, your application must be complete by December 10. We will consider applications submitted after this date, but cannot guarantee University Fellowship consideration or, for international students, adequate time to arrange the necessary visa.
Transcripts
You should write to each institution you have attended requesting that one official transcript of all courses completed at those institutions be sent to OSU Admissions. We cannot act on your application until we have all your transcripts. Course work from one institution reported as transfer credit on another school's transcript is not acceptable; we need the original transcript. NOTE: For admission preview purposes only, OSU admissions will accept a scanned emailed copy of your transcript. If you are admitted, OSU admissions will require an official final transcript. For the University Fellowship competition, all transcripts must be official and all test scores must be sent from ETS. They cannot be self-reported.
All incoming transcripts should be sent one of the following ways:
Electronic Transmittal: Institutions offering electronic delivery typically have a database of colleges and universities in which a student can select when initiating an electronic transcript request. This does not require the student to enter an email address and the transcript gets properly routed to the processing office at OSU. In the absence of a list of schools to select, students can request that their transcript be delivered to gpadocs@osu.edu
Transcripts should not be issued to a student and then sent to OSU. Electronic transmittal is the preferred method because it provides the most security and can cut 2-4 weeks off of processing and delivery time.
US Mail: Transcripts should not be issued to student, or addressed to a different OSU address. Transcripts sent by mail must be addressed to the OSU address given below. Transcripts received through other avenues at The Ohio State University will be deemed unofficial.
Mail Transcripts to - The Ohio State University, Graduate/Professional Admissions, P.O. Box 182004, Columbus OH 43218-2646
Testing Requirements
GRE scores are not required.
The Ohio State Graduate School requires applicants to have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0/4.0 or above in order to be admitted to OSU.
The Graduate School at Ohio State requires international student applicants to achieve a minimum TOEFL score of 79 (IBT) or 550 (PBT) or a minimum score of 7.0 on the IELTS. Chemical Physics graduate students are required to demonstrate sufficient spoken English language competency to be able to act as a Teaching Assistant (see the requirements at the OSU ESL web site). Competitive applicants will generally have TOEFL IBT total scores of 100 or higher and speaking scores of 22 or higher, or IETLS score of 7.5 or higher (total and speaking).
The English Language Requirement will be waived automatically upon submission of a transcript denoting a degree from a U.S. institution.
Recommendations
Applicants must arrange to have three letters of recommendation uploaded through the online OSU application.
Statement of Purpose/Intent
On a separate sheet of paper, please write a one to two-page autobiographical sketch (or statement of purpose). Your statement should include your goals both during and beyond graduate school. In the Graduate Fellowship competition, the committee is asked to evaluate a nominee's Statement of Purpose on the basis of clarity, non-academic experience, motivation for graduate study, and career goals. Your autobiography should be uploaded through the online OSU application.
Curriculum Vitae/Resume
OSU admissions requires a curriculum vitae/resume that is no more than two pages. List scholarships and honors, and include information on any practical experience you may have from part-time jobs or hobbies as they relate to graduate study in chemical physics. This requirement is in addition to the Statement of Intent. Please submit your curriculum vitae/resume through the online OSU application.
Fellowships and Graduate Associateships
Use the online admission application to request fellowship and associateship consideration. Please check the appropriate box or boxes on the admission application. The principal financial aid available to beginning chemical physics graduate students is the graduate teaching associateship through either the chemistry or physics department. Associates are relieved of tuition and general fees. Outstanding applicants will also be considered for university fellowships.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships
Graduate Teaching Associateships (GTA's) are held in either the Physics or Chemistry Departments and receive salaries of about $28,500 for a 12-month appointment. In addition, fees and tuition are paid for students holding Graduate Associate appointments. The university will subsidize 85% of the cost of your health insurance. OSU-related costs that will be paid by the student as deductions from the stipend include a remaining 15% portion of the cost of student health insurance ($40/month for an individual), parking (if requested), books, and 4 mandatory student fees (Recreational Fee, the COTA Bus Service Fee, Student Activity Fee, and Student Union Facility Fee) which will total $200-$300 per month. The GTA's duties involve about 10 contact hours per week plus class preparation and grading during two of the three academic terms.
A variety of University Fellowships are also available for highly qualified applicants, on a competitive basis, and permit them to devote their full energies to graduate work throughout their first year. The stipends for these are presently on a par with GTA positions.
NOTE to international (non-English speaking) students: If you are required to show English proficiency through the SPEAK test (download a sample SPEAK test [pdf]) upon arrival at OSU, then your appointment will be at a lower stipend level until you are certified to teach. This will be explained in your offer letter.
NOTE: To be considered for a University Fellowship, the items listed below must be received.
OSU Admissions should receive:
- fully completed online application (requires payment of reduced fee, as described above)
- one official transcript or record for all undergraduate courses and any graduate courses taken
- TOEFL scores (if required) (have them sent to OSU admissions)
- statement of purpose - uploaded through the online application
- curriculum vitae/resume - uploaded through the online application
- three (3) letters of reference submitted through the online application
NOTE: The Chemical Physics Program admits students for Autumn semesters only. Rare exceptions to this will be made on a case by case basis.
[pdf] - Some links on this page are to Adobe .pdf files requiring the use of Adobe Reader. If you need any of these in a more accessible format, please contact chemphys@osu.edu.