Frequently Asked Questions

Before you apply, you should have identified an EEOB faculty member who has agreed to consider serving as your graduate advisor.  This process should be initiated well in advance of the December 1st application deadline.  The first step is to examine the list of faculty seeking applicants, which is updated annually, to find out which faculty members are recruiting students.  Then, for those faculty who are of interest you, you should visit their lab websites and learn more about each faculty member’s current research projects and lab group to identify one or more potential advisors.  The next step usually involves sending your potential advisor(s) an email explaining your interest in applying to work with them and your qualifications, including your coursework, GPA, CV, and, if available, GRE scores.  This can be followed by phone and video calls to begin to develop a potential advisee/advisor match.  Please keep in mind that several applicants may be applying for a limited number of openings, so it is best to apply to several graduate programs other than EEOB. 

A note about OSU Regional Faculty:  All EEOB graduate students are based at the Columbus campus, as are most graduate faculty advisors, but some EEOB graduate faculty have teaching appointments at a regional OSU campus (in Newark, Marion, Mansfield, or Lima; see the complete faculty list).  If your potential advisor is located at a regional campus, they can explain how they would supervise and assist you in the role of your graduate advisor.

This statement is a very important component of your application because it allows the EEOB Graduate Admissions Committee to evaluate your readiness for conducting research and completing the EEOB graduate curriculum.  In your statement, please describe: 1) your academic preparation and previous research experience; 2) your current research interests and how these align with those of your potential faculty advisor in EEOB; and 3) your longer-term career goals.  Your statement also should demonstrate a general understanding of what is involved in completing a Master’s or Ph.D. in EEOB (see the EEOB Graduate Program Handbook).  Pay careful attention to writing clearly and persuasively, and consider having your statement reviewed by your current academic advisor and others before submitting the final copy in your application package.  The Statement of Purpose and Research Interests should not exceed ~800-1000 words. [Further tips]

The CV is a concise summary of your education and experiences that are relevant to your qualifications for graduate school, and is an important part of your application.  Many formats are appropriate as long as the information is presented clearly.  Most relevant is information about your academic degree(s), your major field of study, and any honors, awards, scholarships, grants, research skills, previous research experience, research presentations, and research publications.  Leadership positions and employment as a research assistant or teaching assistant also should be included.  Most applicants’ CVs are ~1-3 pages in length.  Do not include extra-curricular activities or interests that are unrelated to your pursuit of a graduate degree in EEOB.  We recommend asking your current academic advisor to review your CV prior to submitting your application.

Ideally, all three letter should come from tenure-track faculty members who know you well enough to comment on your intellectual ability, written and verbal communication skills, work ethic, perseverance, and likelihood of being successful in graduate school.  If you have independent research experience, letters from faculty who supervised your research are especially helpful.  A recommendation letter from a scientist or educator who is not a tenure-track faculty member also may be used if needed.  We recommend sharing your CV and Statement of Purpose and Research Interests with those who have agreed to provide a Letter of Recommendation.

Most EEOB graduate students are paid on 50% time appointments (20 hours per week of duties) as Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) or Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs) on a faculty member’s grant.  Some are university-funded Fellows (fellowships can be awarded at a few different times throughout your program, the first opportunity would be during the application process).  The current salary for all of these positions is ~$2,400 per month, plus a full tuition waiver and employer supported benefits, and appointments typically extend year-round.  To allow time for focusing on courses and research, no other concurrent paid positions are permitted during these appointments.

The department determines if you will be nominated based our application pool each year to the university-wide competitions.  Fellowships are awarded by the OSU Graduate School and are highly competitive.  If you meet certain criteria, you may be nominated by the EEOB Graduate Admissions Committee for a University Fellowship or an Enrichment Fellowship, depending on how you are ranked relative to other applicants.  Minimum criteria for eligibility are listed below and more information can be found on the Graduate School’s website.
• University Fellowships: 3.6 GPA, GRE scores with a 75% average for Quantitative & Verbal, and a 4.0 Analytic score. 
• Enrichment Fellowships: 3.1 GPA, GRE scores with a 40% average for Quantitative & Verbal, and a 3.5 Analytic score, and being a U.S. citizen.
Applicants who are nominated for a Fellowship are accepted by the EEOB Graduate Program at the time of nomination, typically in February and earlier than other applicants.

NO. The Ohio State University Graduate School changed its policy regarding GRE in 2018-19AY. GRE scores are no longer required for fellowship nomination or for admission, unless your cumulative undergraduate GPA is <3.0. However, if you have a GPA of at least 3.0, you may apply to the EEOB Graduate Program without submitting GRE scores.

If you have taken the GRE for other programs, you may share that information with us, should you choose to do so but they are no longer required.

Admitted students typically have a GPA of 3.0 or greater.  If you do not meet this expectation you may request an exception, especially if extenuating circumstances hindered your performance in previous courses.  Questions about how to request an exception should be directed to the EEOB Graduate Program Coordinator, Corey Ash (ash.33@osu.edu).

EEOB graduate students are expected to complete a Master’s within three years and a Ph.D. within six years.  It is possible to finish these degrees within about two or five years, respectively, as explained further in the EEOB Graduate Program Handbook.

Yes. More information about fluency tests and courses in spoken and written English can be found here: https://esl.ehe.osu.edu/

April 15th is the National Day of Acceptance across most institutions, including OSU; see http://cgsnet.org/april-15-resolution.

Any additional questions should be directed to the EEOB Graduate Program Coordinator, Corey Ash (ash.33@osu.edu).