Admission to Major

Students must have a cumulative Ohio State GPA of 2.0 or better, be enrolled in an engineering/computer science major or pre-major, and meet the criteria for each major choice by the end of the semester in which they are applying.

Major Choice 1 Options

• Aerospace Engineering - Calculus II; Fundamentals of Engineering; Physics I; and enrollment in the aerospace or mechanical pre-major
• Biomedical Engineering - Calculus II; Fundamentals of Engineering; either Chemistry II or both Chemistry I and Physics I; and enrollment in the biomedical pre-major
• Computer Science - 
  • CSE option - Calculus II; CSE 2221 (grade of C- or better); Fundamentals of Engineering*; and enrollment in a computer science pre-major
    • *CIS pre-majors applying to the CSE option will not be required to meet the Fundamentals of Engineering criteria. However, if admitted to CSE, students are expect to complete ENGR 1181/1182 during their first year in the major.
  • CIS BA option - Calculus I; CSE 2221 (grade of C- or better); enrollment in a computer science pre-major
  • CIS BS option - Calculus I; CSE 2221 (grade of C- or better); enrollment in a computer science pre-major
  • Learn about the different computer science options at Ohio State.
• Mechanical Engineering - Calculus II; Fundamentals of Engineering; Physics I; and enrollment in the aerospace or mechanical pre-major

Major Choice 2 and 3 Options

No additional criteria is required prior to applying to these majors.

• Aviation
• Chemical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Engineering Physics
• Environmental Engineering
• Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering
• Industrial and Systems Engineering
• Materials Science and Engineering
• Welding Engineering

Students are eligible to apply to different majors based on completion of the program requirements. Find which majors you are eligible to apply to based on the science and technical courses you will have completed. You are eligible to apply to the majors listed in each group that you will be completed by the end of application semester.

Students selecting the CIS option in Computer Science as their first choice are not required to select a choice 2 or 3 engineering major but are welcome to do so.

• Students selecting the CIS option in Computer science are not required to have credit for Calculus II and Fundamentals of Engineering to be eligible for choice 2 and choice 3 engineering majors. Applicants will still need to meet the science/technical course requirement for their choice 2 and 3 options.
• Students not admitted to Computer Science and who accept an admission offer to their choice 2 or 3 engineering major will be required to complete the engineering common requirements (Calculus II and ENGR 1181/1182) during their first year in the major.
• Engineering majors are assessed a program fee each semester. CIS pre-majors should be aware their cost of attendance may increase by switching from the CIS pre-major to an engineering major by accepting a choice 2 or 3 offer.

Essay 1

Goals, Problems to be Solved, and How the Three Discipline Areas Will Help Set You on Your Way

1. For the {major choice 1} program, describe how a degree in that area will help you to achieve your career goals and address the problems that interest you. (maximum 1500 characters with spaces)

*Essay 1 (the major essay) is only required when applying to Aerospace Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science (CSE or CIS), and Mechanical Engineering majors as a major choice.

Essay 2

Problems in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) are inherently complex.  Solving them requires extensive teamwork and collaboration.  Research shows teams that are diverse in terms of how members process information, in social perspectives, and lived experience tend to be more creative, faster, and effective in their problem solving.
With this definition of diversity in mind, reflect on and discuss your experiences working in teams. What have you learned from those experiences that you can apply or share as you progress in your education and career? [Here, ‘team’ refers to any group of people working together; could be family members, co-workers, students, neighbors, etc. ] (maximum 1500 characters with spaces)

Essay 3

Pursuing a degree in a STEM field  requires determination, as well as the ability to master coursework.  With this in mind, please describe any experiences, challenges, or circumstances that have influenced or affected your academic performance or your desire to pursue a degree in STEM. (maximum 1500 characters with spaces)

Note to Students: Please write and save your essays outside of the application system. Do not write your essays in the application. If the application system times out, you will lose your progress. When you are prepared to submit your application, copy and paste your essays into the system.

1. Students must be enrolled in an engineering or computer science pre-major to apply for admission to major. Students not enrolled in an engineering or computer science pre-major/major will first need to change into one before going through the admission to major process. Students should follow the Enroll in an Engineering Program.
2. Students have two attempts to seek admission to a major through the Admission to Major process. Applications reviewed at the end of term will be considered an attempt. Students not awarded admission to a major after the second attempt, and students who do not wish to accept an offer during their second attempt will not be permitted to apply a third time. Applications with a status of "Withdrawn" or "Cancelled..." do not count as an attempt.
3. Application Cancellation. Students may cancel their application by the 10^th week of the semester. Applications cancelled by the deadline listed below will not count as an application attempt. Applications not cancelled by the deadline will be assessed for admission eligibility at the end of the semester and therefore deemed an attempt.
4. Students who accept an admission to a major offer are not permitted to reapply to a different major during the next admission cycle. Accepting an offer demonstrates the intent to complete the major program. Students who wish to reapply to a new major will need to wait one academic year to reapply. For example, if a student submits an application in Spring 2024 for Autumn 2024 admission and accepts the offer, the student would not be permitted to reapply during the Autumn 2024 cycle.

Prospective students interested in pursuing two degrees at Ohio State, with one in specific engineering programs (Aerospace Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Computer and Information Science, or Mechanical Engineering), must choose one of these programs during their initial application to Ohio State. Once enrolled at Ohio State, students can later add a second major or degree, either within engineering or from another university program. It's important to note that adding a double major or dual degree in these specified programs later on is not allowed.

For current Ohio State Engineering students, adding a double major or dual degree in the mentioned programs is not permitted. However, they are encouraged to connect with their academic advisor to explore alternative academic opportunities aligned with their specific interests and career goals.

Students wishing to pursue a second major or degree in any of the other 10 available engineering programs may do so by following the procedures outlined in the Current Engineering Students or Current Students Outside of Engineering sections below.