General Requirements
Thank you for your interest in the academic programs in the School of Educational Policy and Leadership. Please review the information below as your fill out your application.
If you are currently a graduate student at The Ohio State University, and are interested in transferring from your current academic unit to pursue a degree from one of our programs, please call the Student Services Office at (614) 688-4007 for information about the application process. If you are currently a student in the School of Educational Policy and Leadership and would like to transfer from your MA program to a PhD program or would like to change your current degree program within the School, you should also contact the Student Services Office for application information.
For those of you applying for the first time to a graduate program at Ohio State, we would like to offer you some helpful tips for the application process.
Download the application checklist appropriate for the section to which you are applying. Each section has different requirements so be sure to select the correct one.
- Higher Education and Student Affairs *
- Educational Administration
- Educational Psychology & Philosophy
- Cultural Foundations, Technology, and Qualitative Inquiry
- Quantitative Research, Evaluation, and Measurement
The application checklist provides you with step-by-step instructions for the application process.
Please note that we require that all application materials be sent electronically, with the exception of official transcripts which must be sent by regular mail to the address on the checklist. Instructions for electronic submission are available on the checklist.
* Please note: The doctoral program in Higher Education and Student Affairs will not be accepting applications for entrance to the program in Autumn 2010. We look forward to receiving your application when doctoral admissions resume next year for entrance the following Autumn (2011). Please feel free to contact our Graduate Student Services Office at (614) 688-4007 or edplssgs@osu.edu with any questions. The masters application process is proceeding as indicated on this web-site.
Pay particular attention to page two of the checklist for instructions pertaining to the program and specialization information that should go on the application.
You can monitor the status of your application by logging into the Application Status page on the Graduate Admissions website. There are instances when your application may appear complete and then have a change in status. For this reason you should check your status weekly until a decision has been made on your application.
Our application deadline dates (see page 2 of your application checklist) are firm. All application materials must be received within 7 days of the deadline - no exceptions will be made. Please note that you will NOT receive a refund of your application fee if you apply after the deadline date.
Your application to The Ohio State University is only good for the quarter for which you apply. Applications that remain incomplete 7 days after the application deadline will be cancelled. If your application is cancelled and you still wish to be considered for admission, you will need to reapply (and pay a new application fee) for the next eligible application quarter.
Please remember to put your name and applicant number on all documents sent to us, including those sent via email. Email is not a secure form of communication, therefore you should never include your social security number in this form of correspondence with us.
Remember to send copies of all transcripts to BOTH the Student Services Office in 122 Ramseyer Hall, 29 West Woodruff Ave., Columbus, OH 43210 and the Graduate Admissions Office. Our offices do not share materials and your application cannot be processed until each office receives their own copies.
Make sure to give a complete list of the colleges and universities you've attended on your application. If an institution you've attended is listed on another transcript and you didn't list that institution on your application, you are still required to send transcripts from the places you failed to include. Requesting additional transcripts be sent to us late can hinder the processing of your application.
Please email our office (edplssgs@osu.edu) to let us know if your name has changed (e.g. maiden name) since the last time you attended a college or university. This is particularly important if we should anticipate letters or transcripts from institutions that use your previous name. It could slow down the processing of your application if we are unaware of materials coming in for you with a different name on them.
Doctoral applicants - Prior to applying to a program and writing your statement of intent, please spend time reviewing the research interests of our faculty. If possible, read through some abstracts and articles about their research to determine whether your research interests are aligned with the expertise of our faculty. While grade point average and GRE scores play an important role in the decision-making process, fit with the academic program is often the pivotal factor in admission decisions. You can access the School's faculty homepages on our website.
If you have questions after reading through these pages, be sure to contact the office staff at (614) 688-4007 or edplssgs@osu.edu