Admissions

FAQs About Educational P&L Degree Programs

As you begin...

Most prospective graduate students have a lot of questions about the program areas in the School of Educational Policy and Leadership and about the application and admissions processes.

We have created a page containing frequently asked questions by prospective graduate students. We hope you'll find the answers to most of your questions here. If not - be sure to let us know!

If you are a newly admitted student to the School of Educational Policy and Leadership, please visit our "New Student" Web site to find out what you can do to make your transition to graduate study go more smoothly.

Frequently asked questions about Ed. P&L degree programs:

How can I find information about the types of degrees and programs you offer in the School of Educational Policy and Leadership?
Whom should I contact with general questions about your programs?
Can I work on my master's degree as a part-time student?
Can I work on my Ph.D. as a part-time student?
Can I complete my degree by taking evening classes?
How many hours are required for an MA?
How many hours are required for a Ph.D.?
How long does it take to finish an MA?
How long does it take to finish a Ph.D.?
If I have taken graduate level coursework at another university, can I count that toward my degree at Ohio State?

How can I find information about the types of degrees and programs you offer in the School of Educational Policy and Leadership?

We have an informative handout we give to prospective students who are interested in our School. It's also available online (pdf). After you look it over and decide the specific area of study on which you would like to focus, you can find more detailed information about each of our sections on their respective web sites :

Whom should I contact with general questions about your programs?

General questions should be addressed to the Office of Student Services and Graduate Studies. We have a full - and part - time staff who can answer your questions. We also have Graduate Associates who are currently in our degree programs and are very capable of assisting you.

Our full-time staff includes:

Deb Zabloudil
Director of Student Services and Graduate Studies
Nadine Denton
Admissions Coordinator
Sue Gabel
Licensure and Graduation Coordinator
Amber Mances
Office Associate

Can I work on my master's degree as a part-time student?

Many of our MA students are working full-time and going to school on a part-time basis, so it is possible. You will probably complete you MA in one to two years if you are a full time student. If you are a part time student, taking one to two classes at a time, you can complete your MA in three to five years. You must complete your degree in 6 years or less and you must fulfill a "residency requirement" by completing 12 credit hours in a specified period of time as spelled out below (choose one of the three ways to complete the requirement):

By enrolling in and completing 12 credit hours in one quarter;
By enrolling in and completing 12 credit hours over two consecutive quarters, or
By enrolling in and completing 12 credit hours over two consecutive summer quarters.

Can I work on my Ph.D. as a part-time student?

Ph.D. students are required to spend part of their time as full time students. The purpose of full-time enrollment is to "give students the opportunity to engage in intensive, concentrated study over an extended period of time in association with faculty members and other students in an atmosphere conducive to a high level of intellectual and scholarly activity" (Graduate School Handbook; II.6.7.4). To insure that this "intensive, concentrated study" takes place, three residency requirements must be met after the master's degree has been earned or after the first 45 hours of graduate credit have been completed:

A minimum of 45 graduate credit hours must be completed at Ohio State;
A minimum of three out of four consecutive quarters with an enrollment of at least ten graduate credit hours per quarter must be completed while in residence at this University; and
A minimum of 20 graduate credit hours over a period of at least two quarters must be completed after admission to candidacy. Candidacy is the period of time after you have completed all your coursework for the Ph.D. and have successfully completed both the written and oral portions of your candidacy (also called general) exam. These 20 hours are typically EDU P&L 999.xx hours - or research hours while you work on your dissertation.

You may overlap residency requirements and work on them simultaneously.

Can I complete my degree by taking evening classes?

In some cases, yes you can complete your degree by taking only evening classes. Some of our programs will offer classes at rotating times - one year a class may be offered during the day and the next year, it may be offered in the evening.
The Master's of Art in Educational Administration can be completed by taking evening courses.
The Master's of Art in Higher Education and Student Affairs cannot be completed in the evening.
Most of our other degree programs offer classes both during the day and in the evening.

How many hours are required for an MA?

A minimum of 45 graduate credit hours is required to earn a master's degree. You must complete at least 80% or 36 of those hours at Ohio State over a period of at least two quarters. In the School of Educational Policy and Leadership, if you decide to pursue the thesis option, you are required to complete 45 credit hours. If you choose the non-thesis option, you will be required to complete a minimum of 50 credit hours plus a final master's examination or action research project.

How many hours are required for a Ph.D.?

A minimum of 90 hours post-master's degree are required to earn a Ph.D.; 135 credit hours are required post-baccalaureate. If you earned your master's degree at another university, it may be transferred to Ohio State. This can be done either as part of your admission to your chosen specialization in Educational Policy and Leadership or you can meet with your adviser after you begin classes to talk about transferring your master's degree.

How long does it take to finish an MA?

You will probably complete your MA in one to two years if you are a full time student. If you are a part time student, taking one to two classes at a time, you can complete your MA in three to five years.

How long does it take to finish a Ph.D.?

If you work on your Ph.D. as a full time student, you can probably complete the coursework for the degree in 2 to 3 years. Additionally, it will take at least one year to write your dissertation. If you choose to go part time during any of the process, it will take additional time to complete. After your admission to candidacy, which follows the completion of all your coursework, you must complete your dissertation within 5 years.

If I have taken graduate level coursework at another university, can I count that toward my degree at Ohio State?

The decision to transfer in course work from another university will be made primarily by your adviser. When you meet with your adviser for the first time, talk to him or her about the graduate classes you have already taken. Ask them if they will fit into your new degree plan. If your adviser agrees that the courses can be transferred, there are two forms that need to be filled out. Those forms, "Request for Transfer of Graduate Credit," can be picked up in the Office of Student Services and Graduate Studies in Ramseyer Hall, Room 122 or on-line at Form1(pdf), Form2 (pdf). You will need to turn in both forms to the Office of Student Services and Graduate Studies. Be sure to have your adviser sign the Ed. P&L Transfer of Graduate Credit form. Unless we have your adviser's signature on that form, the Graduate Studies Committee Chair will not be able to sign the form that is turned in to the Graduate School.
After you and your adviser fill out the paperwork, please return the forms to Room 122. We will complete the paperwork by attaching copies of your transcript to the request and will forward it to the Graduate School for final approval.
Here's some important information to remember:

For the Master of Arts:
- Thesis option: complete 45 credit hours, at least 36 of those hours must be completed at Ohio State.
- Non-thesis option: complete 50 credit hours and a comprehensive exam or action research project, at least 40 of those hours must be completed at Ohio State
For the Ph.D.
- You will need 135 credit hours post baccalaureate degree or 90 hours post-master's degree, at least 45 credit hours must be completed at Ohio State after the master's degree has been earned or after the first 45 credit hours have been earned.

The Ohio State University

www.osu.edu