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Doctor of Philosophy Program

.cls-1{fill:#a91e22;}.cls-2{fill:#c2c2c2;} double-arrow program for the doctor of philosophy degree in cse.

The Doctoral degree is awarded for superior academic and research performance. Consequently, only students who have demonstrated outstanding scholastic ability and research potential will be admitted to the academic and research program leading to the Doctorate. The program of study for the Ph.D. is to be developed by the student in close consultation with his/her academic advisor. Students are encouraged to work out their plan of study as soon as possible so that all requirements may be met.

Program Requirements: PhD Major/Minor

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This brochure, together with the Graduate School Handbook, contains a complete description of requirements and procedures for the Ph.D. degree in Computer Science and Engineering (CSE). These requirements and the procedures for obtaining the degree are determined in part by the Graduate School, and in part by the Department. Petitions for exception to these requirements should be channeled through the departmental Graduate Studies Committee.

The material in this brochure is oriented primarily for students pursuing the Ph.D. program. Such students must be regular students, admitted to the CSE Department, and conform to Graduate School regulations; special students and students enrolled in Continuing Education must first remove any restrictions. Removal of restrictions is regulated by the Graduate School and the Departmental Graduate Studies Committee.

These procedures and requirements are subject to revision. Applicants should consult material periodically issued by the Graduate School and the Department, their advisor, or the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee for any changes or interpretation of policy. The Graduate School also maintains a counseling office for students enrolled in Ph.D. Programs.

Program for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in CSE

Each student entering the graduate program in Computer Science and Engineering is initially assigned a tentative academic advisor. Students' degree programs and all courses taken by students must be approved by their academic advisors. Students should consult their advisors as soon as possible after arriving on campus, and periodically thereafter until, upon developing a specific specialty interest, the student chooses a permanent advisor in that specialty area. This choice should be made as soon as practical.

The assignment of students to research advisors is performed by mutual agreement of the student and faculty member. The intent of this explicit agreement is to make students aware of the importance of early interactions with faculty in topic areas of mutual interest. Students are free to change their advisors when mutual research interests change. A "Change of Advisor" form is available through the Electronic Signature application called Docusign. The process begins by clicking on the following link which will send you an email and guide you in filling out the information needed: Change of Advisor Form .

The Graduate School rules require that advisors for students in the Ph.D. program be Category P Graduate Faculty members, but it is permissible to have a Category M Graduate Faculty member as a co-advisor. The co-advisor may be the functioning advisor. In such cases, a Category P person should be included as an integral member of the research team early in the student's research, so there is a meaningful collaboration involving the Category M functioning advisor and the Category P advisor. The Graduate School requires that the Category P advisor sign the examination and thesis approval forms.

The requirements for a Doctoral degree in Computer Science and Engineering are determined in part by general Graduate School requirements for a Ph.D. degree, and in part by specific requirements stipulated by the department. The student should refer to the Graduate School Handbook for residency requirements, regulations concerning transfer of credit from other institutions, and for credit-hour requirements stipulated by the Graduate School.

Prior to entering the first stage of study toward the Doctoral degree, a student has to successfully complete the Ph.D qualifying process (see Section 3 ) as well as take CSE6891 (1 crhr S/U graded) during their first Autumn term.

During the first stage of Ph.D. study, the student is required to undertake a program of study in a major area and two minor areas, and to formulate a dissertation proposal. At least 10 cr-hrs of coursework in the major area and 6 cr-hrs in each of the minor areas are required. This coursework cannot include graduate core classes that were used for the qualifying process. All of the 10 credits towards the major and at least 5 credits for each minor need to be from graded graduate classes. The student's research advisor serves as the advisor for the program of study in the major area. The student, in consultation with the research advisor, chooses the two minor areas of study and the minor area advisors. The courses comprising the program of study for the minor areas must be approved by the minor area advisors.

The first stage of study toward a Doctoral degree is completed when the student has received credit for a total of 60 cr-hrs of graduate work in a program prescribed by the student's advisor and has passed the Candidacy Examination (see Section 5 ) to be formally admitted to candidacy. At least three months prior to taking the Candidacy Examination, a proposed schedule of study should be submitted to the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee for consideration.

The second stage is devoted primarily to research and seminars, the preparation of the dissertation, and the Final Examination (see Section 6 ). The Final Examination is oral and deals intensively with the portion of the candidate's field of specialization in which the dissertation falls, though it need not be confined exclusively to the subject matter of the dissertation.

Overall Requirements

The CSE Ph.D. Qualifying Process consists of two components: one is coursework, and the other is research. To pass the Qualifying Process, a student needs to demonstrate satisfactory performance on both components: (1) Be competent and knowledgeable on fundamental principles of computer science and engineering, and (2) show promise for conducting original research in the areas of computer science and engineering.

For the coursework component, a student needs to achieve the average GPA of 3.3 or above on four CSE courses that include a required Algorithms course (CSE 6331) and three other courses chosen by the student in consultation with the faculty advisor [1] . The three courses can be chosen from the seven categories listed below with at most one course from a single category. Note that a student may count one Qualifying course in this new Qualifying Process towards the major/minor course requirements in the Candidacy Exam. For the research component, a student is required to work with their faculty advisor and demonstrate satisfactory research progress [2] .

Course Categories

The seven categories of CSE courses include: (1) Artificial Intelligence and Data Mining (CSE 6521, CSE 5523, CSE 5526, CSE 5243, CSE 5245) (2) Graphics and Visualization (CSE 5542, CSE 5543, CSE 5544, CSE 5545, CSE 5546) (3) Computer Networking (CSE 5462, CSE 5463) (4) Security and Privacy (CSE 5471, CSE5472, CSE 5473, CSE 5474) (5) Computer Systems (CSE 6431, CSE 6421, CSE 6333, CSE 5242, CSE 5441) (6) Software Engineering and Programing Languages (CSE 6341, CSE 5343) (7) Computer Theory (CSE 6321, CSE 6332, CSE 5351)

Procedures and Timeline

A Qualifying Process has two checkpoints: the first is by the end of Year 1 [2] and the second is by the end of Year 2 [3] . In the first checkpoint, a student reports the grades of the Qualifying courses that have been taken. The student will comment on their progress towards identifying a research advisor and making research progress.

Early in the program, a student should identify research advisor(s) for the Ph.D. study. This may be the same as the initial academic advisor assigned by the Department, or a different faculty member. The research advisor must be a member of the graduate faculty with “P” advising status in CSE. A student should declare the research advisor, even if she or he is the same as the initial academic advisor, by filing a Change of Advisor Form. This form is available through the Electronic Signature application called Docusign. The process begins by clicking on the following link which will send you an email and guide you in filling out the information needed: Change of Advisor Form . The research advisor will provide academic and research advice once the change of advisor form is submitted.

In the second checkpoint, a student reports the grades of the Qualifying courses that have been taken. The student’s faculty advisor will be contacted subsequently to provide input on the student’s research progress. Based on the student’s course work performance and the advisor’s research assessment, the Grad Studies Committee will notify the student of the Qualifying Process result at the second checkpoint. Both checkpoint forms can be found at the CSE Portal .

If a student does not achieve the GPA requirement with the first four courses, a student may (a) retake the same course (required for Algorithms), (b) take a different course in the same course category, or (c) take a course in another course category. This should be done in consultation with the faculty advisor.

Students may file the second checkpoint form once they have achieved satisfactory performance on both coursework and research components, which could be earlier than the end of Year 2. Students should consult with their research advisor before submitting the second checkpoint form.

To maintain the status of “Good Standing” in CSE [4] , a Ph.D. student is expected to pass the Qualifying Process by the end of Year 2. Otherwise, a student who is not in good standing will not have a guaranteed appointment as a graduate teaching associate. A student who continues to not return to good standing in a timely way (e.g., by the end of the third year) may be dismissed from the Ph.D. program in Computer Science and Engineering after a conversation among the student, advisor, and graduate studies committee.

Implementation

This new Ph.D. Qualifying Process will be effective starting from Autumn 2022. Specifically, a student who is enrolled in the Ph.D. program of CSE in Autumn 2022 or after can only take this new Ph.D. Qualifying Process. For a smooth transition, a student who was enrolled prior to Autumn 2022 may choose to take this new Qualifying Process or the old Qualifying Exam.

Definitions and Criteria

Faculty advisor : A student’s initial academic advisor assigned by the Department, or the research advisor chosen by the student.
The criteria of satisfactory research performance : The most common way of satisfying this requirement is for the student to be a leading or significant contributor on a paper published, accepted, submitted, or in preparation to submit to a venue in Computer Science. Faculty advisors may provide evidence that the student has satisfied this requirement in other ways, such as making a significant contribution in research artifacts such as released software packages.
The end of Year x : Two weeks after the end of 2*x non-summer terms since a student’s initial enrollment in the Ph.D. program of Computer Science and Engineering at Ohio State University.
Good Standing in CSE : In addition to the requirements from the Grad School , a Ph.D. student in CSE is required to pass the Qualifying Process by the end of Year 2. Students must also demonstrate English proficiency through one of the approved mechanisms listed on the “English as a Second Language” website by the end of Year 1.

Additional Notes

While there is no accelerated option in the new policy of the PhD Qualifying Process, the accelerated option is still applicable to a student who was enrolled prior to Autumn 2022 if the student chooses to take the Qualifying Exam in the old policy.
A student cannot transfer the credits of a Qualifying course from their prior institutes. If a student took a Qualifying course in the undergraduate program at Ohio State, the course can be counted towards the requirement of the Qualifying Process. However, the course credits cannot be counted towards their Ph.D. degree requirement except for the situations (such as the BS/MS program) allowed by the Graduate School.

The Qualifying Examination is administered Autumn and Spring semesters. Satisfactory performance on this examination, or qualification through the acceleration option listed below, is necessary for admission to the first stage of study towards the Doctoral degree.

The Qualifying Examination is based on the material covered in the graduate core areas. Specifically, students need to take the exam in algorithms (CSE 6331), either computability and unsolvability (CSE 6321) or programming languages (CSE 6341), and either operating systems (CSE 6431) or computer architecture (CSE 6421). Students who have previously studied this material are not required to take the corresponding core courses(s) in the CSE Department; they need only demonstrate their competence in these areas by satisfactory performance on the Qualifying Examination.

At the time students take the examination, they must have been admitted to the CSE Department and not be on probation. A student whose enrollment eligibility has been deactivated by the Graduate School may, if subsequently reactivated, be required to re-take the Qualifying Examination.

A student who fails the qualifying examination for the first time must retake the examination the next semester that it is offered. Students must petition the Graduate Studies Committee to retake the examination in any other semester or to retake the examination more than once.

Acceleration Option for Qualifying Exams : Students who complete the three graduate core classes (algorithms, either computability and unsolvability or programming languages, and either operating systems or computer architecture) with a GPA of 3.6 or better will be automatically granted a "conditional pass" in the qualifying examination. These students will need to demonstrate substantial research progress during their second year spring evaluation to remove the condition. One clear mechanism for demonstrating such progress is to have an accepted or submitted paper as a significant contributor, working on a project with their advisor.

Fill out the online form in the CSE Portal to apply for the Accelerate option. Advisor must approve it online.

This section further specifies the procedure set forth for the Candidacy Examination in the Graduate School Handbook. That section must be read in conjunction with this document for a full understanding of the rules governing the Candidacy Examination. The Candidacy Examination is a very important means by which the faculty can ensure that the prospective student has the necessary breadth and depth in chosen areas within computer and information science and cognate areas. The student is expected to demonstrate superior knowledge in his or her chosen areas.

To be eligible for the Candidacy Examination, the student is required to select one major area and two minor areas. The student may choose any of the pre-defined major or minor areas specified in the "Guidelines for the Ph.D. Candidacy Exam Major/Minor Areas". To demonstrate mastery in the two minor areas, the student is required to obtain a GPA of 3.3 or higher in the letter-graded courses taken in each of two minor areas. To demonstrate mastery in the major area, the student is expected to prepare a dissertation proposal. The student and the student's major advisor may suggest two examiners who are competent in the student's major area. In the Candidacy Examination, the student will be examined in written and oral format over the major area and the dissertation proposal.

The student is required to submit to the Graduate Studies Committee a proposed schedule of study for the candidacy examination at least three months in advance of the examination. The schedule should include the choice of major and minor areas, counter-signed by the student's major and two minor advisors, and the student's preliminary dissertation proposal, counter-signed by the student's major advisor and two other faculty members who will serve on the Candidacy Examination Committee. The schedule must also indicate those courses and individual studies already accomplished in each of the major and minor areas, together with additional work planned at this time. The Graduate School must be notified before the written portion of the Candidacy Examination begins. The form of the schedule of study can be downloaded here .

After the student's proposed schedule of study has been approved by the Graduate Studies Committee, the Candidacy Examination should be scheduled in consultation with the examination committee. At least 2 weeks prior to the scheduled oral examination date, the student should declare formally the intent to take the oral portion of the Candidacy Examination. This Declaration of Intent form must be signed by the student's major advisor and the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee before transmittal to the Dean of the Graduate School for approval.

The Examination Committee consists of at least four faculty members, including the student's major advisor, two other members of the Graduate Faculty approved by the Graduate Studies Committee for this function, and a departmental representative appointed by the Graduate Studies Committee.

The Candidacy Examination consists of two parts, namely, a written examination and an oral examination. The precise times and places of the administration of the Examination will be determined by the Examination Committee, but the entire Examination must be administered within a three-month period.

The written portion is administered and evaluated by the student's Advisory Committee. It is conducted in the following steps.

a. The student prepares a written dissertation proposal. The proposal should be concise and precise, and should include the following:

Title and abstract
Significance of the problem
Scope and objectives of the research
Methodology
Expected results and conclusions

Students are encouraged to include in the written portion any preliminary results that support the dissertation proposal. The dissertation proposal must be submitted to all members of the Advisory Committee.

b. On receiving the dissertation proposal, the major advisor compiles a written examination for the student, taking into consideration questions posed by and comments received from the rest of the Advisory Committee.

The written examination consists of two parts. The first part asks questions related to the submitted dissertation proposal. The purpose of this part is to examine whether the dissertation proposal has substantial depth to lead to quality research and whether the student is well prepared to conduct the research outlined in the proposal. The student may be asked to revise the proposal in accordance with the suggestions received. The second part examines the student on his overall breadth and depth in his major area.

c. On receiving the written examination, the student submits written answers to the questions (and possibly a revised dissertation proposal, if so requested) to all members of the Advisory Committee.

d. The Advisory Committee evaluates the written portion including the dissertation proposal. If, based on the written portion, the Advisory Committee members see no possibility for a satisfactory overall performance on the Candidacy Examination, the Advisory Committee records an "unsatisfactory" on the Candidacy Examination report form and returns it to the Graduate School.

The oral candidacy examination shall last approximately two hours. In addition, a 30-45 minute presentation on the proposed research must be made prior to the oral examination, but after the candidate has made their written proposal available to the committee. As per Graduate School rules, the two hour oral examination is strictly an examination and may not include a formal oral presentation of the dissertation proposal. During this oral examination, the student should be prepared to defend his or her dissertation proposal and to answer questions on a range of topics including the area of specialization and general fundamentals of computer science. Examinees may use prepared slides in answering questions about their proposal. A passing grade requires a unanimous vote of the examination committee.

Notice of the time and place of both the oral portion of the Candidacy Examination and the presentation prior to that will be given to all faculty of the Department.

The student is considered to have passed the Candidacy Examination only when the decision of the Examination Committee is unanimous. The student's performance is evaluated and reported to the Graduate School as "satisfactory" (implying admission to candidacy) or "unsatisfactory" (implying failure and denial of admission to candidacy). When a failure is reported, the student may be permitted to take a second examination if recommended by the Candidacy Examination Committee. No student will be permitted to take the Candidacy Examination more than twice. The advisor is also reminded that a copy of the report to the Graduate School must be sent to the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee for the Departmental record and student file.

After a student has passed the Candidacy Examination, the advisor of the student will nominate a Dissertation Committee to consider the merit of the dissertation. The members of the Dissertation Committee should be kept informed of the progress of research, thus giving them opportunities to make constructive suggestions for improvement of the dissertation.

The Dissertation Committee will consist of the advisor and two other members of the Graduate Faculty approved by the Graduate Studies Committee for this function. Normally, the Dissertation Committee must be approved no later than in one semester in advance of the anticipated graduation date. It is suggested that the Dissertation Committee be chosen from the committee which administered the Candidacy Examination.

The Graduate School should be consulted on the various deadlines for submission of the dissertation as well as for regulations governing the mechanics of its preparation. The Graduate School is to be informed of the Dissertation Committee members and the subject of the dissertation in the semester of expected graduation.

The Final Oral Examination is held after the approval of the draft of the dissertation by the Dissertation Committee. Generally, the Dissertation Committee and a Graduate School representative will constitute the Final Oral Examination Committee. The examination will be oral and will deal intensively with the portion of the candidate's field of specialization, though it need not be confined exclusively to the subject matter of the student's dissertation. A unanimous vote of the Final Oral Examination Committee is required for the student to pass.

It is expected that the dissertation be made available, and an announcement of the examination be made, at least one week in advance of the Final Oral Examination. The examination is open to the general public. Non-committee members should be permitted to ask questions. It is expected that the Chair of the Committee will control the ordering and kind of questions asked to ensure fairness and reasonable progress of the examination and to ensure that members of the Examination Committee have sufficient opportunity to question the candidate.

Students intending to pursue study towards a Ph.D. may apply directly to the Direct Ph.D. track. In the Direct Ph.D. track, students focus on research and study in selected areas of concentration from the beginning of their graduate studies, thereby facilitating more rapid progress towards the degree.

n addition to the standard requirements of the Ph.D. program, as detailed earlier, Direct Ph.D. students are required to satisfy the following progress requirements:

Complete all the core courses during the first year of study and either qualify through the acceleration option, or appear for the Qualifying Examination by the first semester of the second year in the program. Students unable to meet this requirement should petition in advance to the graduate studies chair, with support of their advisor.
Take at least 3 research cr-hrs in the form of independent study, research seminars ("Advanced Topics in ..."), or thesis research every semester, commencing from their second semester.
Identify their research advisor and the major/minor areas of study by the end of the Spring semester of their first year (or their second semester, if they enter the Direct Ph.D. track in a different term). Students may change research advisor or major/minor areas, with the approval of the Graduate Studies Committee.

Students in the Direct Ph.D. track can obtain a Masters automatically by passing the Ph.D. Candidacy Examination. A student in the Direct Ph.D. track is not eligible to take the Department's Masters Comprehensive Examination or to apply for a Masters by writing and defending a Masters thesis. However, a student who is unable to make adequate progress in the Direct Ph.D. track after two years in the program may petition the Graduate Studies Committee to transfer to the Research (Thesis) Track of the Masters program.

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Education & Admissions

Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program

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Our PhD in Biomedical Sciences is offered through the College of Medicine and designed to provide high-quality training to prepare graduates for successful careers in biomedical research.

Our goal is to train talented, predoctoral students about interdisciplinary approaches to biomedical research, critical thinking and technical proficiencies necessary to thrive in the rapidly evolving fields within biomedical sciences. The BSGP is an umbrella program that includes faculty from multiple departments. Students explore 11 different areas of research emphasis. Required courses are the same for all students. We seek to train our students to become part of the biomedical scientist workforce and to make meaningful scientific discoveries in academia, industry and government.

BSGP Virtual Information Sessions

Are you thinking about furthering your education by earning a PhD in Biomedical Sciences? Join us for one of our virtual information sessions to learn more about getting started, funding opportunities, application materials and deadlines, career benefits and more!

Virtual information sessions:

November 7, 2024: 2-3pm EST BSGP information session for US citizens and permanent residents

There are many ways to pursue a scientific career in biomedicine. Our program will provide you with an outstanding opportunity to achieve your goals. We offer helpful tips for before and after you apply to the program.

Designed to allow graduate students to build a solid foundation for their professional lives as biomedical researchers, the BSGP curriculum maintains high standards of intellectual rigor, fosters creativity and passion for research.

Learn more about our curriculum

Research Areas

While our program promotes collaborative interactions, each student will develop a strong core of expertise that can be within an established area of research. Most students focus their studies on one or more of 11 areas of research emphasis.

View research areas

The BSGP is comprised of over 300 faculty members from nineteen departments across Ohio State’s College of Medicine. This interdisciplinary team enables our graduate students to build solid foundations and make high impact discoveries as researchers.

Meet our team

Where are our alumni now?

Christian Harding, PhD

Ceo and co-founder, vaxnewmo.

Devyn Gillette, PhD

Assistant professor of biology at bowie state university.

Michael Hoover, PhD

Research scientist.

Hannah Stanley, PhD

Senior medical writer, view our youtube playlist.

Discover what alumni are doing now View playlist

Discovery and Innovation in Medicine

Placing your heart in an artificial world

Nahush mokadam, md.

Beating cancer through research with patients

Sameek roychowdhury, md, phd.

Harnessing the immune system to ward off diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's

Eugene oltz, phd.

Accelerating medical research through fellowships and student engagement

Rosa lapalombella, phd, you might also be interested in, helpful links.

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BSGP Student Handbook PDF
Contact Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program 1022 Graves Hall , 333 W. 10th Ave Columbus, OH 43210 614-685-9140 [email protected]

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Operations & Business Analytics

Doctoral Program in Operations Management

Graduate and Professional Admissions | PhD Application Requirements

The Operations and Business Analytics Department at the Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business prides itself on the development of leading scholars in the field of operations management. The PhD program offered through this department is one of the oldest programs in the world and has produced several eminent scholars in the discipline. A major strength of this program is the consistency of placement of the graduating students in top research schools and high research productivity.

Like our faculty , many alumni have had very productive research careers, publishing regularly in top-tier journals, holding editorial and leadership positions at top journals, and earning fellowships at the most prestigious societies in our field. Several of them have gone to serve as administrators and deans in their institutions.

PhD Candidates

Map of U.S. showing PhD alumni are across the country

Alumni at Institutions across the United States

Fisher OBA faculty are top publishing researchers and journal editors

A key component of our success is our long-standing reputation as producers of rigorous problem-driven empirical research aimed at generating insights, often by working directly with industries and organizations.

Our Ph.D. program is designed to provide our students with the capabilities and motivation to publish in leading academic and practitioner journals for years to come, not just earning jobs at top research schools but earning tenure at them as well. As such, we place a strong emphasis not only on research methods but also on learning directly from our productive faculty regarding the art and science of research.

The department also works closely with industry-academic centers, such as our own department’s Center for Operational Excellence , the Risk Institute and the National Center for the Middle Market , to form strong collaborations with well-known organizations within and outside Ohio. Our faculty also partner with several leading organizations both within and outside Ohio to conduct grounded research.

While our focus is on empirical research, we do believe that all faculty performing research in OM need to have some understanding of operations research methods. As such, our program includes some exposure to analytical methods. Students wishing to pursue mathematical modeling approaches to their research may receive training not only from our faculty that do perform such research, but also from other departments across campus.

PhD Brochure

Current Academic Year PhD Course Offerings

For inquiries about the content of the program, contact the departmental Ph.D. program chair: Kenneth Boyer , at [email protected] .

To begin the application process to the operations management Ph.D. program, please visit the PhD Programs page (apply at the “application requirements” link). Applications open in August 3, and close December 15. Please see Frequently Asked Questions ( FAQs ) for additional details.

View the Curriculum and Program Requirements

View the Informational Brochure for Operations Management

2100 Neil Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210

If you have a disability and experience difficulty accessing this site, please contact us for assistance .

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PhD Program

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Program represents the highest level of academic pursuit within the selected field. Engineering students in the PhD program engage in rigorous academic exploration and seek to make transformative contributions to their chosen research discipline. Students embark on an intensive academic journey, striving to ignite innovation and usher in transformative change in their selected research discipline. Doctoral candidates collaborate closely with faculty advisors and committees to cultivate an environment that encourages innovation. They actively participate in scientific dissemination through the authorship of journal and conference publications and by presenting their findings at conferences, workshops, or other public forums. The program culminates in the completion of a Dissertation, a scholarly contribution that contains the key findings of the research program and expands the frontiers of knowledge. Graduates of doctoral programs assume leadership roles within academia, research institutions, and industry, driving innovation, advancement, and transformative change.

Skills Developed

Research and critical thinking.

Our PhD programs emphasize extensive research, teaching students how to formulate research questions, design experiments, collect and analyze data, and draw meaningful conclusions. This fosters critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and the capacity to challenge existing paradigms in the field of engineering.

In-Depth Knowledge, Problem Solving, and Critical Thinking

Students delve deeply into their chosen area of specialization. They acquire an in-depth understanding of the theoretical foundations, advanced techniques, and emerging trends in their specific field. This expertise allows them to contribute significantly to their discipline through innovative research.

Communication and Presentation

Effective communication is crucial for PhD students. They learn to articulate complex engineering concepts, research findings, and methodologies clearly and concisely, both in written form and orally. Presenting research to a diverse audience helps refine their ability to convey ideas to different stakeholders.

PhD Program Paths

Points of pride.

Students can pursue our PhD programs directly after earning their BS degrees. They can also earn their MS degree while completing this path. Once they successfully complete their candidacy exam, they can apply for their MS by candidacy.

Average Length to Degree: 5-6 years

Students who have already earned a MS degree can pursue our PhD program. They can transfer their MS degree to our institution and take less coursework compared to the our BS - PhD students.

Average Length to Degree: 4 - 4.5 years

A minimum of 80 graduate credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree, including coursework and a dissertation, are required to obtain a doctoral degree. If a student has obtained a master’s degree at Ohio State or elsewhere, then a minimum of 50 graduate credit hours beyond the master’s is required. The entire work for the PhD degree must be completed within a period of nine calendar years.

BS-PhD Path

Students who have earned a BS degree and wish to pursue a PhD directly must meet the following requirements in order to graduate:

30 total hours of 5000+ letter graded graduate courses*

At least 3 hours must be 5000+ Math, Stats, or other program approved math equivalency courses^

At least 18 hours must be 6000+ courses and at least 9 of those hours must be MAE courses

At least 50 hours of AE 8999 with your faculty advisor

AE Seminar every semester until graduation

First author journal submission
Successful completion of the Qualifying and Candidacy Exams
Submission and successful defense of a Doctoral Dissertation

MS-PhD Path

Students who have already earned a MS degree and are pursuing a PhD must meet the following requirements in order to graduate:

18 total hours of 5000+ letter graded graduate courses*

At least 3 hours must be Math, Stats, or other program approved math equivalency courses^

At least 9 hours must be 6000+ MAE courses

OSU MAE MS graduates can double-count up to 2 courses from their MS degree toward their PhD coursework requirements.

At least 32 hours of AE 8999 with your faculty advisor

*: Up to 3 hours may be 4000+ non-departmental courses as long as the Math and the 6000+ requirements are still met.

^: A course being used to satisfy the Math requirement cannot be used to satisfy the other letter graded PhD course requirements.

Important Notes

Any courses taken Spring 2018 and beyond students must earn a grade of C or better in order for courses to count toward the coursework requirements.

Coursework in the following fields: Engineering, Natural and Mathematical Sciences, or Medicine can be used towards the degree requirements, permitted all of the specific degree requirements are met.

Courses taken outside of Engineering, Natural and Mathematical Sciences, or Medicine may count, but are subject to review and approval by the student's faculty advisor and the Graduate Studies Committee.

At least 50 hours of ME 8999 with your faculty advisor

ME Seminar every semester until graduation

At least 32 hours of ME 8999 with your faculty advisor

The specific requirements for the PhD in Nuclear Engineering are below.

PhD Coursework Requirements

NUCLREN 5001 ( Interaction of Radiation with Matter )
NUCLREN 5002 ( Reactor Physics )
NUCLREN 5003 ( Nuclear Reactor Systems and Analysis )
NUCLREN 5004 ( Material in Nuclear Systems)
6 hours nuclear engineering 5000+ courses beyond the core courses
3 hours NE 6000+ courses
6 hours of advisor approved elective coursework
3 hours Math 4000+, Stats 5000+ or program approved Math Equivalency courses (not Math 4504)
50 hours of NE 8999 with advisor
NUCLREN 6881 every semester until candidacy
Students who have not taken NUCLREN 4505 (Introduction to Nuclear Engineering) or an introductory Nuclear Engineering course at another institution are required to take NUCLREN 4505 immediately upon starting their graduate studies. NUCLREN 4505 does not count towards the required number of hours for a graduate in Nuclear Engineering.

Career Development & Opportunities

Embarking on a journey towards a PhD is a path of unparalleled growth and expertise acquisition. In MAE, we believe in empowering our students to not only thrive academically, but also to shape a future brimming with diverse and rewarding possibilities. Our commitment lies not just in the pursuit of knowledge, but in guiding our students to chart personalized career trajectories tailored to Industry, National Labs, and Academia. MAE offers unique professional development and networking opportunities for students to reach their career goals including:

Networking with Faculty, Labs and Centers that have close ties with industry and National Labs;
Conference travel grants and research presentation opportunities;
Engaging in community outreach initiatives including events to promote science and technology awareness and inspire the next generation of engineers and researchers;
The FAST (Future Academic Scholars Training Program) program is a two semester-long course that covers all the essential materials graduate students need from how to prepare themselves while in grad school and develop appropriate and competitive credentials to apply for faculty positions, interviewing, gaining funding, hiring graduate students themselves, how to manage classroom teaching and what are the best teaching practices, and how to balance work and life;

Career Outcomes

Earning a PhD is a significant achievement associated with prestige and recognition in the academic and professional worlds. This achievement opens doors to leadership positions and opportunities for contribution, while the scholarly value of a PhD extends beyond an individual's lifetime, leaving a lasting legacy as their research and contributions continue to influence the academic community and society. Our PhD graduates possess a diverse range of career opportunities, with paths leading to employment in industry, government agencies, national laboratories, and academia. Below, we provide a list of example career outcomes, showcasing the versatility and success of our alumni in these different sectors.