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Application requirements
The following items are required before an application may be reviewed for a decision by the MSE Graduate Studies Committee. Note that some items are unique to international applicants.
Application materials are to be submitted to two locations, the OSU Graduate Admissions Office and the MSE department. General application items are to go to Admissions, while items supporting the applicant's qualifications to study materials science are to go directly to the Materials Science and Engineering department. To this end the Admissions Office provides a helpful checklist that may aid in organizing application materials:
Submit these items to the OSU Admissions Office:
Applicants should take a moment to review the OSU Graduate Admissions Office web site (link to OSU Graduate Admissions). This site contains information on costs of study, deadlines, FAQ's and other important matters.
Application
Apply on-line (link to OSU Application Account Menu). Application involves 1) creating a user account, 2) completeing the application, and 3) paying the application fee (credit card required).
After having created your user account, please select "Graduate Applications".
Application fee
Fees are paid by credit card as part of the on-line application process; $40 for domestic applicants, $50 (US funds) for international applicants.
This fee can not be waived or deferred.
Official transcript(s)
Official transcript(s) from all post-secondary institutions (i.e., colleges, universities, technical schools, etc.) you have attended or are now attending.
Two official copies of all transcripts are required of all applicants.
- ONE COPY OF THE TRANSCRIPT(S) is to be sent to the Admissions Office,
- THE SECOND COPY is to go to the MSE department.
Photocopies attested by the applicant's school may be submitted, but you will be required to submit final/complete original transcripts to the Admissions Office upon arrival, if admitted. This includes an official statement that you have completed your degree. Such statements may be separate from the complete transcript of grades or completion of the degree may be indicated on the transcript itself.
OSU applicants: Students who have attended The Ohio State University for part or all of their undergrad or graduate course work do not need to submit OSU transcripts. The Admissions Office can access this information, as can the MSE department.
Official Graduate Records Examination (GRE) scores
The GRE General Test measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and analytical writing skills that have been acquired over a long period of time and that are not related to any specific field of study. Our department has found the GRE to be a useful aid in gauging an applicant's likelihood of success in the program.
- GRE scores are required of all international applicants.
- For our domestic applicants, the GRE is required of those applicants with a cumulative undergraduate GPA below 3.00/4.0. Domestic applicants with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater may submit GRE scores, but they are not required (unless applicant wishes to be considered for University Fellowship nomination).
- The MSE department will accept both computer-based and paper-based test scores from all applicants regardless of citizenship.
- The MSE department does not require GRE Subject Tests.
- There is no minimum GRE score required for admission. However, preference is given to applicants with a composite score of 2000 or greater (old scoring system) or 1300+ in the Verbal & Quantitative and a 4+ in the Analytical (new scoring system). We tend to admit students with scores in the following ranges: Verbal 500-800, Quantitative 700-800, and Analytical 4.0-6.0; these are tendencies seen in applicants we have admitted, not minimum admission standards.
- GRE scores are considered valid for five years after the date of testing. If official test scores submitted to the OSU Admissions Office via ETS are valid at the time of receipt by Admissions, the scores will be considered valid, even if the the five year expiration date passes prior to the applicant's admission into the program.
- All Fellowship applicants: GRE scores are required of all applicants who wish to be considered for a University Fellowship. ONLY scores from GRE tests taken after October 1, 2002 will be accepted for Fellowship applicants (i.e., tests which include the written Analytical portion of the test).
Applicants must submit official scores via ETS. Please request Educational Testing Service (ETS) to send your GRE scores to the OSU Admissions Office (institution code 1592, no sub-code is necessary). For further information, or to contact GRE:
Web site: link to www.gre.org
Telephone: 609-771-7670
Educational Testing Service
P.O. Box 6000
Princeton, NJ 08541-6000
USA
English language proficiency.
Proof of English language proficiency is required of all applicants whose native language is not English. No student will be considered for admission until proof of English proficiency is received.
The minimum scores required for consideration:
TOEFL paper-based = 550
TOEFL computer-based = 213
TOEFL internet-based = 79
MELAB = 82
IELTS = 7.0
Note: Applicants who are citizens of or who have received a bachelor's degree or higher in one of the following countries are exempt from the TOEFL / MELAB / IELTS requirement: Australia, Belize, the British Caribbean and British West Indies, Canada (except Quebec), England, Guyana, Ireland, Liberia, New Zealand, Scotland, the United States, and Wales.
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
The MSE department does not require either the Test of Written English (TWE) or the Test of Spoken English (TSE).
TOEFL scores are considered valid for two years after the date of testing. If official test scores submitted to the OSU Admissions Office via ETS are valid at the time of receipt by Admissions, the scores will be considered valid, even if the the two year expiration date passes prior to the applicant's admission into the program.
Please request Educational Testing Service (ETS) to send your scores to the OSU Admissions Office (institution code 1592--no sub-code is necessary).
Link to information about the TOEFL. Info on the test, costs, testing centers, and more.
The Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB)
Link to information about the MELAB test. Info on the test, costs, testing centers, and more.
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
Link to information about the IELTS. Info on the test, costs, testing centers, and more.
Note regarding test scores. An application will not be reviewed until official test scores have been received by the OSU Admissions Office from the testing service. Photocopies of the score reports are NOT considered official.
Affidavit of Financial Support
This document, used by international applicants only, is NOT required of any student whose sole source of funding, if admitted, would be a Graduate Research Associateship (GRA) and/or University Fellowship.
Self-funded or sponsored applicants
If your studies are to be funded by a source other than a Graduate Associateship--such as a government agency, an employer, a scholarship, or personal funds--then the Affidavit of Financial Support and all necessary bank statements/support letters must be submitted to the Admissions Office. Additionally, we ask that such applicants e-mail the Graduate Studies Coordinator and inform us of your intent to apply. The vast majority of our applicants seek GRA funding, so it is helpful if our self-funded applicants alert us to their interest.
Submit these items to the Materials Science and Engineering department:
Official transcript(s)
Official transcript(s) from all post-secondary institutions (i.e., colleges, universities, technical schools, etc.) you have attended or are now attending.
Two official copies of all transcripts are required of all applicants.
- ONE COPY OF THE TRANSCRIPT(S) is to be sent to the Admissions Office,
- THE SECOND COPY is to go to the MSE department.
Photocopies attested by the applicant's school may be submitted, but you will be required to submit final/complete original transcripts to the Admissions Office upon arrival, if admitted. This includes an official statement that you have completed your degree. Such statements may be separate from the complete transcript of grades or completion of the degree may be indicated on the transcript itself.
OSU applicants: Students who have attended The Ohio State University for part or all of their undergrad or graduate course work do not need to submit OSU transcripts. The Admissions Office can access this information, as can the MSE department.
Three letters of recommendation
Three letters of recommendation written in English are required, with at least two of the three from faculty/academic references. It is preferred that these letters be received attached to the Reference Form. To download this form, please link to the OSU Graduate Application Materials site (remember to print three copies).
Recommendations MUST be submitted on academic or business letterhead stationery, signed by the reference, and arrive sealed in its own envelope to be accepted by the university. "Letterhead stationery" is official paper used by a school or business which often includes a logo and/or is printed in colored ink. The letterhead portion of the stationery may be in a language other than English, but the recommendation itself must be written in English.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the references understand this requirement and comply. Failure to submit recommendation letters on letterhead will cause a severe delay for your application, as we can not review your application until all documents are received. Reference letters that are not received on official letterhead are considered INVALID and unacceptable.
Any reference letter that appears to have been generated by the student will be considered invalid and will not be accepted by the Graduate Studies Committee. Letterhead that has been generated by a personal computer or by means of a photocopier will not be considered official.
Statement of Purpose
A statement of purpose outlining your motivation for attending our program and your goals after receiving the degree. This essay allows you to express your interest in materials science, describe what area(s) interest you the most, and goals that you have for applying the training received here. Since most of the material supplied with the application is little more than numbers, data, and grades, this statement allows you to "speak" to the faculty reviewing your file and gives them a glimpse into your motivations.
The statement should be about one to two pages, though there is no set minimum or maximum length. Please be sure to include your full name on this document. This document may be sent as an e-mail attachment to the MSE Graduate Studies Coordinator (see contact info above).
Curriculum Vitae or resume
Submission of a CV/resume serves as a helpful means of summarizing the background of an applicant. Please keep the length of this document to under two pages. This document may be sent as an e-mail attachment to the MSE Graduate Studies Coordinator (see contact info above).
Additional items
Applicants are free to submit any additional materials that might provide the MSE Graduate Studies Committee with a better understanding of the applicant's skills or interests. Please note that this is not required and is purely optional. If submitting research papers, please limit the submission to only an abstract or executive summary; if more detail is sought about a particular item the applicant will be contacted.
BS/MS applicants
With the items described above, OSU students seeking to enter the MSE BS/MS combined program must also submit the Combined BS/MS Program Information Sheet.
The Combined BS/MS Program Information Sheet may be downloaded as a PDF document (20K) from the College of Engineering web site. The College of Engineering page provides basic information about a BS/MS in an engineering department, as well as some tips concerning the BS/MS program in general.
Link to the College of Engineering BS/MS page.
