A Buckeye's Guide to Academic Policies outlines various policies critical for a student's success at Ohio State. The guide, developed for students, faculty and staff to provide clear, transparent information, provides pertinent information for the entire campus community about university policies related to students, such as academic performance, degree audits, fee payment policies and much more. The guide is updated on annually.
Once admitted, a student receives a university email account that is the official means of electronic communication with the university. Students should check their university email on a daily basis for important messages such as the posting of grades, registration dates and changes, billing updates, scholarship opportunities, special events, and school closings.
A student's primary name should be their legal first and last name (the name on their passport, driver's license, or other official records), and the official name of their student record. It is used on official documents like transcripts, diplomas, enrollment and degree verifications, and payroll and tax forms.
Students may select a preferred name for certain uses at Ohio State.
A preferred first name (nickname) field and the preferred last name field are available in the OSU identity management system for students to specify a name, other than their legal name, that they are known by.
The university uses the preferred first name to assign usernames (name.#) in correspondence with students (email and physical mailings), login credentials, online student directory, class rosters, grade rosters, administrative reports, student information system screens that are visible to advisors or instructors, and for class interactions, including Carmen. If no preferred first name is provided, a student’s legal first name will be used.
If a student chooses to use a preferred last name , they will receive a new name.#. Students can add or update a preferred name via my.osu.edu o r the Ohio State mobile app.
To change their primary name students must complete the Change of Record form.
Legal s ex d esignation is the sex that a person is declared to be according to current government records. That designation may be different from sex at birth (as assigned by a doctor at the time), and is distinct from gender Identity (the gender, or mix of genders, that a person identifies as or chooses to express to society).
The university is required to collect l egal s ex d esignation data in certain systems and business processes, including student official records that are reported to federal and state governmental agencies (e.g., the federal Department of Education and Labor). The university makes every effort to limit reporting of legal sex designation to instances where such data is required by law and primarily uses this information in aggregate to make informed, data-driven decisions related to strategic resources and student support.
To change their legal sex designation, students must complete the Change of Record form
At OSU, students may select from the following personal pronouns: all pronouns, ask me my pronouns, he/him, he/they, it/its, she/her, she/they, they/she/he, they/them, xe / xem , ze/hir, ze/zir, no pronouns (use my name) .
Student-identified pronouns appear in class, grade and advising rosters and systems. The purpose of selecting personal pronouns is to notify faculty and staff of student preferences when communicating.
Students can add or update pronouns via my.osu.edu o r the Ohio State mobile app.
The university has on file the following four address types for students:
Students can update addresses at buckeyelink.osu.edu.
If a student needs to change or correct a primary name, Social Security number or birth date while enrolled, they should complete the Change of Record form (log in first) and upload any necessary supporting documentation (such as official documents and/or court orders verifying the correct information).
After graduation, changes to a student's personal information must be separately submitted to both the University Registrar and the Alumni Association.
The instructor for each of a student's classes will provide them with a syllabus at the beginning of the term that explains how a student's learning will be assessed. All exams, papers and projects must be clearly assigned and scheduled in the course syllabus. Written, in-class comprehensive examinations should only be given after the last day of classes, during the official final exam period.
A final exam lasts no longer than two hours, and finals week is no more than five days. View final exam schedules.
If a student has more than three final exams on the same day, they can request accommodations, to be made at the discretion of a student's instructor(s). While instructors are encouraged to make accommodations, they are not required.
Final exams for classes taught on the regional campuses or in professional colleges are scheduled by the regional campus or college and approved by the University Registrar. Any deviations from the official exam schedule must be approved by both the University Registrar and appropriate department chair, college dean or regional campus dean.
The official grades of the university and their meanings are as follows:
The student met the learning objectives of the course in an excellent manner.
The student met the learning objectives of the course in an above-average manner.
The student met the learning objectives of the course in an average manner.
The student met the learning objectives of the course in a low but acceptable manner.
The student failed to meet the learning objectives of the course.
The student received credit by examination . A student may not receive EM credit for a course in which they have already earned a grade at this university or have transfer credit from another institution.
The student failed to complete the course due to non- attendance. When assigning this grade, an instructor must also provide the day or week of the academic term when the student stopped attending the course. This grade is treated as an E when calculating a student’s
The student has completed a major portion of the work in the course in a satisfactory manner, but for reasons accepted by the instructor to be legitimate, some course requirements remain to be completed. A student may request an additional 6 weeks to complete these requirements; if approved, instructors must also submit an alternate grade for the course, which will replace the I grade if a final grade is not reported before noon of the sixth Saturday of the following semester. Any extension beyond that requires further approval and will appear on the record as an IX grade. Students cannot repeat a course in which they received the grade I or IX.
The student received transfer credit. K credit is not used when determining a student’s university point-hour ratio. K credit may be used by colleges or departments to determine eligibility for specific majors or programs.
This mark may be used at the request of undergraduate or continuing education students only. This mark is the equivalent of an E grade in the Pass/No Pass grading option , or during periods of Exceptional Circumstances.
The student has shown satisfactory progress in a series of courses where the grade is not recorded until the final semester of the series is completed. Until a final grade is assigned, credit is counted as hours only.
This mark may be used at the request of undergraduate or continuing education students only. The student has met the stated objectives of the course in the Pass/No Pass grading option.
The student has met the learning objectives of the course in a low but acceptable manner. This grade is automatically applied during periods of Exceptional Circumstances and is not considered when determining a student’s point-hour ratio.
The student has registered to audit the course. No credit hours are awarded for this mark.
The student has satisfactorily progressed in or completed work in a S/U graded course. Credit is counted as hours only.
The student has unsatisfactorily progressed in or completed work in a S/U graded course. No credit is awarded.
The student has withdrawn from the course.
View additional information on grades under Transcript Key.
In times of exceptional circumstances, the university may invoke an emergency grading system. The Exceptional Circumstances Grading System is applied to undergraduate and graduate courses that are traditionally graded A-E and replaces lower letter grades with an Emergency Pass (PE) mark. When a PE mark is recorded, credits are earned toward graduation, but the PE is not calculated into the point- hour ratio (GPA).
For undergraduate students, D+ and D grades convert to a mark of PE. For graduate students, grades of C+ through D convert to a mark of PE. E grades convert to a mark of NP (no pass), and EN grades convert to a mark of NEN (no pass, non-attendance). For semesters in which this grading system is used, a note will appear on the transcript. View the transcript key for additional information on grades.
After a student finishes a class, the instructor reports the student's grade to the University Registrar by the published grade posting deadline. Reported grades become official university records; any changes to grades must be made within two semesters of completing the course.
If a student believes that an error was made, they should first contact the course instructor. If the instructor agrees that an error in the grade was made, the grade will be changed. If the instructor does not feel that a change is appropriate, the student may file a grade grievance with the department chair. If the chair denies the change, the student may then appeal to the dean or director of the college. If the grade grievance is due to grading procedures, the case will then be reviewed by a faculty committee. If a procedural error is found, the committee can either recommend a grade change be made by the instructor or the department chair or allow the student to drop the course and retake it without penalty.
If a student makes charges of grave academic misconduct against an instructor that are substantiated under Rule 3335-5-04 of the Administrative Code, a department grade grievance committee considers grading errors alleged to be related to academic misconduct and recommends any grade changes. Or, if the committee can find no academic basis upon which to recommend an appropriate grade for the course, the student can have the course removed from their record and retake it, if desired, without prejudice or penalty.
The number of credit hours assigned to a course is based on the average student’s time required to earn the grade of C in the course. This time includes class hours and, if applicable, practical, experimental and/or laboratory work.
Note: Whenever comparing or combining semester credit hours with quarter credit hours, one semester credit hour is equivalent to one and one-half quarter credit hours.
Student rank for undergraduates is based on total credit hours completed and recorded.
Credit hours earned
Rank resets when the student enrolls in graduate, dentistry, law, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, or veterinary medicine programs, or the Agricultural Technical Institute. Rank in these programs is solely based on a student’s progression through the curriculum.
Should there be any doubt concerning the correctness of class rank, a student should consult with their college or school.
A student earns credit points based on the letter grade and credit hours of a course. To find total credit, multiply the credit hours of a course by the point value of the grade a student earned in the course. If a student earned an A- in a 3 credit-hour course, a student's total credit points would be calculated by multiplying 3.7 (the credit points for an A-) by 3 (the number of credit hours for the course).
List of credit points earned per letter gradeCredit points earned for each credit hour of the course
0.0 credit points earned
0.0 credit points earned. Not in GPA calculation
0.0 credit points earned. Not in GPA calculation
0.0 credit points earned. Not in GPA calculation
0.0 credit points earned. Not in GPA calculation
0.0 credit points earned. Not in GPA calculation
0.0 credit points earned. Not in GPA calculation
0.0 credit points earned. Not in GPA calculation
0.0 credit points earned. Not in GPA calculation
0.0 credit points earned. Not in GPA calculation
Any other grade that is not listed above does not award any credit points.
A student's academic standing for a semester or session is expressed by the point-hour ratio (sometimes called a grade point average). To find a student's point-hour ratio, divide the total number of credit points earned by the total number of credit hours scheduled or undertaken. (Don’t include courses in which a student earned grades EM, I, IX, K, KD, NG, P, PA, NP, R, S, U, or W.) The answer -- a number ranging from 0 to 4 -- is a student's point-hour ratio (PHR).
The point-hour ratio for two or more semesters or sessions is a cumulative point-hour ratio (CPHR).
For an undergraduate, the number of credit hours is the total number of credit hours taken except for those modified by the grade forgiveness rule.
The point-hour ratio begins anew when a student enrolls in a professional or graduate program.
Undergraduate or professional students who receive a grade of E or EN in a required course (and have not been dismissed from the university) must repeat that required course, or an approved equivalent course, at the first opportunity. Graduate students must repeat a failed course only if required by their advisor.
Undergraduates who receive a grade of E, EN or NP may repeat the course for credit, except as specified by the grade forgiveness rule.
Undergraduate or professional students who receive a grade of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, EM, K, or PA may repeat the course for credit only upon recommendation from the dean or director (or their representative) of their college or school.
Graduate students may repeat any course for credit with approval from their advisor.
A student can repeat for credit a course they previously audited only with permission from the dean or director (or their representative) of their college or school.
When a student repeats a course, both grades appear on their record and both are used in computing the point-hour ratio (except in cases of the grade forgiveness rule), but the courses are only counted once toward graduation requirements.
Undergraduate students may petition to repeat a course and have the original course credit and grade excluded from their cumulative point-hour ratio (CPHR). The original course will remain on their official record. Under this rule, a student can repeat up to three separate courses, but each individual course can only be repeated once. Permission to apply this rule must be obtained by the following deadlines:
Graduate and professional students may repeat courses as needed; however, grades for repeated courses ARE included in a student's cumulative point-hour ratio (CPHR).
Note: Grade forgiveness used for a course during Exceptional Circumstances will not count toward the three-course limit.
Undergraduate students who re-enroll at the university after an absence of five or more years may petition their college or school to recalculate their cumulative point-hour ratio using only grades of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, EM, K, PA, or S. If a fresh start is approved, no other grades will be counted for credit, but they will remain on a student's permanent record. To apply this rule, a student must be re-enrolled for a minimum of thirty credit hours and two academic semesters (or one semester and one summer term) before graduating.
Graduate and professional students should check if their programs have a modified version of the fresh start rule.
To audit a course, a student needs approval from the professor in charge of the course AND the dean of their college or school (for undergraduate or professional students) or their advisor (for graduate students).
A student earns graduate credit by registering in a graduate course, paying fees, and by being enrolled in the Graduate School when the course is completed. Students do not earn graduate credit for any course completed while registered in professional colleges, undergraduate colleges or Extended Education.
Courses may not be counted toward a graduate degree until the student has been admitted to the Graduate School and until the Graduate Studies Committee accepts them and notifies the Graduate School of course acceptance.
Enrollment in courses numbered 6000 and above is restricted to graduate students, combined program students, undergraduate students taking courses under Senior Petition (see below), and honors students by petition.
A senior undergraduate student may petition to take courses for graduate credit if:
The student must receive permission to take the course by the end of the first day of classes from the secretary of their college or school, the instructor in charge of the course, and the Graduate School. Up to nine graduate credit hours may be completed under Senior Petition.
Ohio residents age 60 or older can audit classes without being charged tuition. In this noncredit and non-degree program, students can attend undergraduate and/or graduate courses based on instructor permission and space availability. Requisites for enrollment may still apply. Course-based fees may still apply.
College Credit Plus (CCP) is a statewide program that allows qualified students to enroll in college classes before high school graduation. These students earn both high school and college credit at no cost to students and families. CCP credit earned at other Ohio colleges or universities may be awarded transfer credit at Ohio State based on normal transfer credit procedures. CCP credit earned through Ohio State’s Academy program will automatically count towards a student’s undergraduate record and may impact undergraduate point-hour ratio (GPA) and academic progress.
If a student has financial aid awarded by The Ohio State University, consortium agreements allow them to apply that aid to attend classes at another eligible college or university. Contact Student Financial Aid for more information.
If a student chooses to study abroad, their in-country course work requires a certain number of hours of formalized classroom instruction per credit hour just like traditional courses. Learn more about credit allocation guidelines for education abroad.
Students who are not currently interested in earning a degree from Ohio State can still enroll in classes at the university. In addition, students enrolled in a degree program at another institution can take individual classes as a transient student to transfer the credit back to their home institution. Learn more from the Office of Distance Education and eLearning.
| Type of Student | Enrollment status | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | Full time | 12-18 |
| Undergraduate | Three quarters time | 9-11.99 |
| Undergraduate | Half time | 6-8.99 |
| Undergraduate | Less than half time | 0-5.99 |
| Graduate or Professional | Full time | 8+ |
| Graduate or Professional | Three quarters time | 6-7.99 |
| Graduate or Professional | Half time | 4-5.99 |
| Graduate or Professional | Less than half time | 0-3.99 |
| Post Candidacy Students | Full time | 3+ |
| Post Candidacy Students | Less than half time | 0-2.9 |
Students are assigned a date and time when they can register for classes for the next semester. These registration “windows” are shown in Buckeye Link in the Enrollment Appointment box.
Registration windows are assigned according to registration priority level. Students assigned University Priority can register for classes two to three days before any other windows open, and those with College Priority can register for classes within the first hour of a typical enrollment block.
Find additional registration information, including fee details and important dates, at Registrar's website.
Any student not in their first semester can add courses online before the first Friday of a semester. After that, instructor permission is required to add a course until the second Friday of the semester. Students should finalize their schedules before the second Friday of a semester. After that time students can only add a course by filing a petition with their college advising office. Each course added after the second Friday is subject to a late course add fee.
Because schedule changes may impact financial aid and/or tuition and fees, students should check with their academic advisor or Buckeye Link before making changes to their course schedule.
A student can choose to be put on a waitlist if a class they would like to enroll in has reached its enrollment capacity. A student will receive an email if they are officially enrolled in the class. However, the student should monitor their placement on the waitlist and be prepared for additional tuition and fees to be assessed if they are moved off the waitlist and enrolled in the course. If a student's financial aid is adjusted because they are enrolled from a waitlist, these adjustments will appear on the Statement of Account within one to three days of being enrolled from a waitlist.
All waitlists close after the first Friday of the semester or session. Contact your academic advisor to learn more.
At the beginning of the semester or session, instructors must complete a participation roster that confirms whether a student has begun attending or participating i n their class during the first week. A student should notify the instructor of any planned (such as religious observances) or unplanned (such as illness) absences during this first week of classes and confirm that they wish to remain enrolled in the course.
Student participation and attendance can include, but is not limited to, attending a class (either physically or online); submitting an assignment or exam (in person, through email, or via Carmen); attending a study group or special class meeting assigned by the instructor; participating in an online discussion; participating in an interactive tutorial or computer- assisted instruction; sending an email to an instructor to ask a question about an academic subject studied in the course.
Active participation does NOT include logging into an online class or tutorial without any further participation or participating in academic counseling or advisement.
Students who have been reported to the University Registrar as not in attendance or not participating may be dropped from the class.
Students are expected to attend classes regularly. Attendance policies may vary for individual instructors, but they should be written in the course syllabus and communicated to students during the first week of the course.
If a student expects to be absent, they should talk to their instructors. Legitimate a ccepted reasons for an excused absence include, but are not limited to , : illness and injury, disability-related concerns, military service, death in the immediate family, religious observance, academic field trips, participation in an approved concert or athletic event, and direct participation in university disciplinary hearings.
When a student returns to class after a legitimate absence, their instructor will provide them with appropriate assistance and counsel about completing missed assignments and class material. However, instructors are not required to waive essential or fundamental academic requirements to accommodate a student's absence. A student is responsible for fulfilling all course requirements in a timely manner, including completing any makeup work resulting from their absence.
Students should meet with academic advisors before deciding to withdraw from courses or not enroll for the next term. Advisors help students balance personal needs and academic progress within university policies.
If classes have already started for the semester or summer term, a withdrawal form may be required.
If a student is withdrawing from their first semester at Ohio State, before classes begin, but plans to attend the following semester, they should contact Undergraduate Admissions about updating their application.
If a student has received financial aid, they should contact Buckeye Link before withdrawing to understand the financial consequences of a withdrawal.
When a student is ready to return after a leave of absence, they should contact the advising office of the college or school where they were previously enrolled. If a student wants to change majors, they should contact the advising office of the new college or school. A student is allowed to return provided they were not dismissed from Ohio State, and they are eligible to enroll in their desired program.
If a student took course work at another institution(s) during their leave of absence and wants to transfer that credit, they should send their transcripts to Ohio State.
A student who already completed a degree and wants to take courses not specific to a second undergraduate degree will enroll through Extended Education.
If a student has been dismissed from the university, they must petition for reinstatement with the college that offers the program that they want to complete.
Contact a regional campus advisor to talk about the petition process specific to that campus.
Withdrawal from the university means that a student withdraws from ALL courses they are enrolled in for a specific semester or summer term. The process of and deadlines for withdrawing from the university are the same as for withdrawing from one or some courses. Upon withdrawal, the student will be placed on a leave of absence if they are not enrolled for the subsequent semester .
Students who completely withdraw from the university (drop s all courses for the semester) should work with their academic advisor and with Student Financial Aid in advance to discuss the implications of this decision and to plan a strategy to return in the future.
Graduate and professional students should check with their programs for their rules about withdrawing from all courses.
Students can withdraw from courses and not have them entered on their official permanent record, including their transcript, either by dropping online or by filing the appropriate form with their college of enrollment by 5:00 p.m. eastern standard time on the following days:
If a student withdraws from courses after these deadlines, they will receive a grade W on their official permanent record, including their transcript.
A student may continue to withdraw from courses (and receive a W grade) by submitting a form in their enrollment unit until 5 p.m. on the following days:
After those dates, a student may withdraw from courses only due to circumstances beyond their control. A student should contact their advisor to file the appropriate petition with their college or school. If approved, a copy will be filed with the University Registrar who enters the grade of W on the student’s permanent official permanent record, including their transcript. If not approved, the student will remain enrolled in the course(s) and a final grade must be submitted by the instructor(s). A student can only withdraw from any or all courses after the last day of regularly scheduled classes in cases of genuine emergency that occurs after regularly scheduled classes end and prior to final exams. A student cannot withdraw from any course after the final exam has been given.
If a student stops attending a course but does not officially withdraw (as outlined above), then a student's instructor will give them a grade that will remain on their official permanent record, including their transcript.
A graduate student may withdraw from any or all courses that began in the same semester, with no grade entered on the official permanent record, including their transcript, until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the fourth Friday of the term.
A student may be disenrolled from a course in certain circumstances, including for non-attendance or no participation, not meeting prerequisites, disruptive or dangerous behavior, or not obtaining permission to audit.
If a student is disenrolled from a course taken for credit, the University Registrar enters either no grade or grade of W on their official permanent record, including their transcript, depending on when the disenrollment occurs. If a student is disenrolled from a course they are auditing, it is removed from a student's official permanent record, including their transcript.
A student is still responsible for dropping a course they are not attending.
(For official policy, see Rule 3335-9-01.)
Students seeking admission to the university are classified as follows:
To enhance the safety and well-being of Ohio State students and the university community, all incoming students new to Ohio State are required to complete an online sexual misconduct prevention education program. Students will be notified about this online education program before or during their first term of enrollment. Failure to complete the requirement will prevent future registration. Learn more about Title IX and the sexual misconduct prevention education program at The Office of Institutional Equity.
Before beginning their first semester, students must submit vaccination information to the university. To do this, students enter the dates of their vaccinations in MyBuckID (the secure health portal at Student Life Student Health Services) and upload vaccine documentation obtained from a licensed medical provider. If a student does not complete this requirement, they may have a hold placed on their account and will not be able to schedule classes or access grades.
This requirement applies to domestic, international and housing students. Students admitted to a health professional program must meet the vaccination requirements for both the university and their degree program.
Learn more about the university vaccination requirement from Student Health Services at Student Health Services.
As a condition of enrollment, all admitted applicants are required to answer a question regarding felony history prior to paying their acceptance fee. In cases where an admitted student has pled guilty to or been convicted of a felony, or currently has a pending felony charge, the university places that student’s enrollment on hold pending further review by the University Community Enrollment Review Committee (UCERC).
UCERC performs a holistic, individualized review of all information provided by the student and information gathered by the committee to determine whether to permit enrollment. Answering yes to the question is not an automatic bar to acceptance to the university. Failure to provide complete, accurate and truthful information may be grounds to revoke a student’s offer of admission and/or cancel their enrollment.
If a student has attended a previous college or university or has been dismissed from a previous college or university and does not notify the university of their previous attendance or dismissal, the university has the right to cancel their admission upon discovery of this information. Such falsification will lead to revocation of admission, cancellation of any record the student has created while in attendance, financial aid ineligibility, and no refunds for fees paid to the university.
Students are required to affirm that the information on their application for admission to Ohio State is complete and accurate. This includes:
If a student does not provide complete and accurate information, their admission may be revoked and registration cancelled. Students whose admission is revoked may not be eligible for refunds and will not receive credit for any course work completed.
Students are responsible for knowing their own standing academically in reference to the published regulations and standards of the university and of their college or school. Students should monitor their Advising Report for their updated academic standing at the end of the term.
A student is considered in “good standing” in the absence of any probationary or warning statuses.
Academic standing is a measure of a student’s level of academic success. It may be based on point-hour ratio (GAP) for a single term, cumulative point-hour ratio (CPHR), progress toward a degree, or some combination of those factors. In any case, it is intended as one measure of a student’s academic achievement.
To remain in good standing in the university, an undergraduate student must maintain a cumulative point-hour ratio (CPHR) of at least 2.0.
The notation of Dean’s List on the academic record recognizes a strong academic performance in a completed academic term. Typically, a student will be awarded Dean’s List if they have completed at least 12 graded hours in a semester with a GPA of 3.5 or higher. At least 9 of the 12 hours must be graded A-D, no more than 3 hours may be graded S, and non of the 12 hours may be graded PA. No failing grades of any kind may be earned in the semester.
The Grade Forgiveness Rule applied to a course completed in a prior semester will not retroactively qualify a student to be eligible for the Dean’s List.
A cumulative point-hour ratio (CPHR) of at least 2.0 is required for graduation. Students below a 2.0 will be assigned to probation but remain eligible to enroll at the university, subject to the terms of their probation, provided they have not been academically dismissed.
If a student’s point-hour ratio (GPA) falls below a 2.0 at the end of their first semester or , summer term , the student’s college may decide to place the student on academic warning instead of academic probation. In this case, a student should consult with their academic advisor about possible strategies to improve their academic standing. Once the student’s cumulative point-hour ratio (CPHR) reaches a 2.0, they will be removed from warning, but it will remain on their official permanent record, including their transcript for the term it was assigned. If the student does not reach a 2.0 after one term on warning, they may be placed on academic probation.
Any student whose cumulative point-hour ratio (CPHR) has fallen below 2.0 shall be placed on probation. The probation can continue if the student’s department/college considers the student’s progress to be satisfactory and will be removed when the cumulative point-hour ratio (CPHR) has reached 2.0. The student is notified of their probationary status by the dean or director of their college or school.
If at any time the preparation, progress or success of a student has been reviewed and it is determined they are in danger of unsatisfactory performance, the college or school they are enrolled in may place the student on academic probation or probation by special action.
If a student on academic probation does not make satisfactory progress in meeting the conditions of their probation, their college or school may dismiss the student from the university. Notice of the dismissal shall be sent to the student by the dean or director of their college or school. No student shall be subject to academic dismissal unless they currently are on probation.
Any student who wishes to be reinstated by a college or school following academic dismissal must meet requirements determined appropriate by the dean or director of the college or school. If the reinstated student does not meet the conditions of probation specified at the time of reinstatement, then the college or school determines whether to dismiss the student or allow them to continue on probation.
Each college or school has certain requirements which must be met by every student seeking to earn a degree in that college or school. The specific course requirements for the curricula administered by a given college or school can be found on the website for that college or school. In addition to these, the university has established certain requirements outlined below.
All undergraduate students must complete a program of general education course work designed to give them a breadth of knowledge, skills and perspectives that cross disciplinary boundaries and extend to areas outside of majors, minors and other specialized study programs.
The university deadline to apply for graduation for undergraduates is the tenth Friday of each term. The university deadline to apply for graduation for graduate and professional students is the third Friday of each term. Late applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by petition with required signatures. Many colleges require students to apply by earlier deadlines. A student should check with their academic advisor or college office for deadlines specific to their program.
Students may update the name that will appear on their diploma any time after matriculation and before the twelfth Friday of the term in which they applied to graduate (or tenth Friday for summer term). Any diploma or permanent name change request received after this date will be updated in the Student Information System, but a new diploma may need to be ordered after commencement from the Office of Special Events and a fee may apply. If a student needs to make a diploma name change after the deadline, a petition may be sent to their college, who can determine if the need qualifies for an updated diploma prior to commencement.
Any diploma name submitted that violates community standards will be rejected and the student will be notified by the Office of the University Registrar. The certifying college, Office of University Registrar or Special Events may contract the student if the diploma name submitted requires clarification.
Students may be granted Latin honors “cum laude,” “magna cum laude” and “summa cum laude” for exceptional achievement in the curriculum of a college or school. Students must earn a minimum of 60 credit hours of Ohio State course work graded A thru D, or S and have the following point-hour ratio (GPA) or cumulative point-hour ratio (CPHR) by the term before graduation:
The grades for all Ohio State coursework toward the degree are included in calculating a student’s eligibility for such honors. Credits in courses graded PA/NP or PE, as well as credits earned in repeated coursework do not count toward the 60 credit hours. For students who apply for a Fresh Start, only the coursework after the Fresh Start counts toward determining eligibility for these honors. The colleges and schools may establish additional stipulations beyond these minimum requirements.
If a student did not meet the criteria for honors the term before graduation, but they meet the criteria at the time of graduation, they are considered as having met the criteria to graduate with the appropriately revised recognition. Students should be aware that their honors may not appear in published materials for the graduation ceremony but will be accurately reflected in the permanent record.
If a student meets the criteria for honors by the term before graduation but drops below the threshold with their final cumulative point-hour ration (CPHR), they will not lose their Latin honors recognition for graduation.
Standards for graduation with honors such as “with research distinction,” “with honors research distinction” and “with honors” are determined by each college and approved by the Council on Academic Affairs. To be eligible for these types of honors, students must complete at least 60 credit hours of Ohio State course work and any requirements specific to the individual honor, including but not limited to, a specific final minimum GPA and specific course work or level of course work relevant to the student's degree program.
Undergraduate students who have attended or are attending a regional campus are eligible to receive an Associate of Arts after meeting all of the following requirements:
Students should file an application for the degree with a regional campus advisor before the tenth Friday of the semester in which the student intends to receive the degree.
An Associate of Arts degree will not be awarded after the awarding of a baccalaureate degree.
To obtain an Associate of Science or Associate of Applied Science from The Ohio State Agricultural Technical Institute (ATI) an undergraduate student must meet all of the following requirements:
Students should file an application for the degree in accordance with rules prescribed by their college or school. Applications must be submitted no later than the tenth Friday of the semester or term in which the student intends to receive the diploma. More information can be found at Ohio State ATI .
To obtain an undergraduate baccalaureate degree from The Ohio State University, an undergraduate student must meet all of the following requirements:
Students should file an application for completion of the degree in accordance with rules and deadlines prescribed by their college or school. Applications must be submitted no later than the tenth Friday of the semester or of the term in which the student intends to receive the diploma (or earlier, if required by their college or school).
Degrees and certificates are awarded to undergraduate students by the Board of Trustees upon recommendation of the college or school faculties and the University Senate.
Students can complete more than one undergraduate major (sometimes called a double major) while completing one baccalaureate degree. Or they can complete more than one baccalaureate degree (sometimes called dual degrees) with different major requirements. There may also be additional GE , college, or supplemental requirements that students need to complete. Students should consult with academic advisors if they want to pursue either of these options.
Guidelines for earning more than one major:
Guidelines for earning more than one degree:
To obtain a graduate degree from Ohio State, a graduate student must:
Degrees and certificates shall be awarded to graduate students by the Board of Trustees upon recommendation of the research and graduate council and the University Senate.
The Graduate Bridge Program (GBP) is a graduate-admission designation, for up to one full consecutive academic year (SU-AU- SP, in any order) allowing under-prepared students, and others in special circumstances, to have graduate standing before entering a program and a full load of prerequisite and/or degree-applicable coursework. (See section G.1 in Graduate School Handbook .)
Students admitted to a graduate degree program who have previously earned graduate non-degree credit hours at Ohio State may count up to ten of those hours towards their degree requirements with approval from the Graduate Studies Committee for their program. It is recommended this approval be granted prior to the first semester or term of admission to the graduate degree program. All graduate non-degree course work, regardless of approval to apply to the degree program or not, are counted in the graduate cumulative point-hour ratio (CPHR). (See section 2.4 of the Graduate School Handbook.)
Students admitted to a graduate degree program who previously completed course work for graduate credit while enrolled as an undergraduate student (Senior Petition) may count up to nine of those hours towards their degree requirements with approval from the Graduate Studies Committee for their program. Once approved, these hours will be counted in the student’s graduate point- hour ratio (GPA) or cumulative point-hour ratio (CPHR). (See section 4.1 of the Graduate School Handbook.)
To obtain a professional degree from Ohio State, a student must meet the minimum requirements established by the college or school awarding the degree and approved by the Council on Academic Affairs.
Degrees and certificates shall be awarded to professional students by the Board of Trustees upon recommendation of the college or school faculties and the University Senate.
See below for curriculum and graduation requirements for the professional colleges:
An academic certificate may be awarded as either a stand-alone credential or as part of a student’s baccalaureate or graduate degree. To obtain a certificate a student must:
A workforce development certificate may be awarded as a stand-alone credential. To obtain a certificate a student must:
Workforce development and non-credit technician/professional certificates are awarded by the offering unit upon completion of curricular requirements.
The Ohio State University Transfer Credit Policy is consistent with the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy first adopted by the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) in November of 1990.
Transfer applicants are students who have earned college- or university-level credits after high school graduation. A complete application includes an official transcript from each previously attended college or university (this includes any college course work taken while in high school). Once it is determined that a student’s application is admissible, the student will be considered for enrollment in the college of their intended major, and previous college course work will be evaluated to determine which courses will transfer to Ohio State. Read about enrollment criteria .
Courses taken prior to high school graduation as part of College Credit Plus may count as transfer credit, but they do not qualify a student to apply to Ohio State as a transfer student.
Transfer students receive the same class standing and other privileges as all other students based on the number of credits earned. Grades from transferred courses are not included in the calculation of Ohio State’s cumulative point-hour ratio (CPHR).
Once the university receives an official transcript, previously completed college-level course work will transfer to Ohio State if:
Transfer credit may or may not be awarded for:
Military transfer credit will be accepted according to the American Council on Education’s recommendation, as listed on the Joint Services Transcript. Individual colleges determine how this credit is applied.
While courses may be awarded undergraduate credit, students may be required to submit additional materials, including course syllabi, in order to complete the course evaluation of any general credits. Colleges determine how transfer courses apply to specific degree requirements. Specific programs or majors may also have restrictions on how many hours can be applied to fulfill degree requirements.
Currently enrolled students planning to take a course at another institution should contact their academic advisor and/or department directly to identify appropriate courses for transfer.
Visit Transferology for details about transferring courses to and from Ohio State and other institutions.
For international transfer students, previously completed college-level course work will transfer to Ohio State if the course was taken at a properly recognized institution of higher education, the course was non- remedial, and an equivalent grade of C- or above (on a 4.0 scale) was earned. Grades of D or D+ may be accepted in specific circumstances.
The university must receive an official transcript, with foreign language documents translated into English by the issuing institution, an authorized translator, or a teacher of the language (see Sending Transcripts to Ohio State).
When necessary, credits from the previous institution are converted to Ohio State’s credit-hour system based on the standard that one year of work is equal to approximately 30 semester hours of credit. For additional details, including region- and country-specific calculation methods, reference the International Transfer Credit Policy.
The Ohio Department of Higher Education Transfer and Articulation Policy established the Ohio Transfer 36 (previously referred to as the Ohio Transfer Module), which is a subset or entire set of a college or university’s general education curriculum. The transfer module consists of 36 semester hours of courses in English composition, mathematics, arts and humanities, social science, natural science, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and interdisciplinary course work.
Courses that are part of the transfer module are identified with “ODHE” attributes in the Course Catalog .
Students may be required to meet additional general education requirements beyond the transfer module and are encouraged to work with their academic advisor regarding course selection and specific program requirements.
A transcript is considered official if it is sent to Ohio State directly from the originating institution either electronically or to an appropriate receiving address (see Sending Transcripts to Ohio State). Transcripts should not be delivered by the student or sent to any other addresses on campus.
A student may challenge the way the transfer credit policy was applied in awarding transfer credit. An appeal must be submitted to the Transfer Credit office using the appeal form. Learn more about the appeals process in the Ohio State Transfer Credit Policy.
Undergraduate students currently enrolled at Ohio State can earn credit toward graduation through Credit by Examination. This credit is designated as EM on the student’s transcript. EM credit is only counted as earned hours and not considered in determining a student’s point-hour ratio (GPA). EM credit is not awarded for courses that are prerequisites to those for which credit has already been earned. EM credit is not awarded for any course in which a student has already received a mark, either at Ohio State or as transfer credit from another institution.
Students may generally apply up to 30 semester hours of EM credit toward a degree. Students who want to apply more than 30 semester hours of EM credit toward a degree must contact their academic advisors prior to testing.
All test scores can be sent to:
The Ohio State University Testing Center
281 W. Lane Ave.
Columbus, OH 43210
Students can take some of the following tests at Ohio State’s Testing Center, located in the Student Academic Services Building. Learn more about credit by exam, including credit awards, testing regulations and fees.
The Advanced Level and Advanced Subsidiary Level are subject-based exams taken by some international students. Ohio State awards credit for official Advanced Level exams and partial credit for Advanced Subsidiary Level exams. Official results (either originals or certified copies) must be received from Cambridge International or Pearson EdExcel. View a list of exam subjects and credit awarded.
CLEP exams allow students to demonstrate prior learning in introductory- level collegiate course material and earn college credit. Exams may be taken at Ohio State’s Testing Center or official score reports may be sent to recipient code #1592.
CLEP exams allow students to demonstrate prior learning in introductory- level collegiate course material and earn college credit. Exams may be taken at Ohio State’s Testing Center or official score reports may be sent to recipient code #1592.
Students who successfully complete courses in six core subject areas earn an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma. Credit is awarded for IB exam scores of 4 or higher that are achieved in the higher level (HL) programs and approved by the department. No credit is awarded for standard level (SL) scores. To earn credit for IB scores, students should submit request to have their official score report sent to recipient code “Ohio State University—All Campuses.”
DSST exams allow students to earn college credit for prior learning experiences outside of the classroom. Credit is awarded for scores of 400 and above. Exams may be taken at Ohio State’s Testing Center or official score reports may be sent to recipient code #1592.
Students can earn EM credit toward graduation by successfully completing Ohio State-specific tests in select subject areas. Two types of tests are used to measure content knowledge for specific courses: EM tests and departmental exams.
Important notice : Anyone taking a world language placement test on or after August 22, 2023 will no longer receive EM credit.
Students receive Foreign Language Validation in languages of which they are native speakers. Native speakers are defined as individuals who graduated from the equivalent of high school in another country where the validation language was used as the primary language of instruction. Contact the Center for Languages, Literatures and Cultures to take a placement exam.
(For official policy, see Rule 3335-8-05.)
The most current information regarding registration, important dates, and course details (new courses, changes to existing courses, credit hours, sections, days, times, buildings, room, and instructors) may be found on the Class, catalog, and space webpage of the University Registrar website.
Ohio State offers over 13,000 courses. Students can find specific types of courses in the Course Catalog and Schedule of Classes by searching criteria such as course attributes, components, department, mode of instruction, campus and location. See below for descriptions of these criteria.
Course attributes are used by the university to communicate information about an individual course to students. This information may relate to the registration process or inform how the course work can be used to fulfill academic requirements.
The following are the names, abbreviations, and meanings of course attributes that students can search by in the Course Catalog and Schedule of Classes.
Some course offerings are associated with components such as lecture, lab, recitation, independent study, workshop, seminar, field experience, and clinical. Those components indicate what kind of class it is and how it will be taught. One component will be designated as the graded component and will have a final exam. Components are visible and searchable in the Schedule of Classes.
The following are common components, their abbreviations and a description:
Ohio State’s series of instruction mode labels accommodate different forms of course delivery and distance education opportunities. In a distance course, instruction is delivered from a distance, most often via the Internet. Modes of instruction range from no instruction or some instruction online to all the instruction completed online. Modes of instruction are visible and searchable in the Schedule of Classes. The following lists the varying modes of instruction, their abbreviations, and a description.
Instruction mode is determined by individual course section, so it is possible that a course has both a Distance Learning (DL) lecture section and an In Person (P) lab or recitation section. Enrollment exclusively in DL courses may impact tuition and fees. Learn more about Distance Education program and courses.
Many courses require that students first complete other courses or meet requirements in standings, grades, programs, majors, etc., in order to enroll in a course. Requirements are automatically applied during registration, so students aren’t able to register for classes if they don’t meet the requisites.
Courses numbered 1000-1099 are undergraduate non-credit courses for orientation, remedial, or other non-college-level experiences. These courses are in addition to a program’s graduation requirements.
Courses numbered 1100-1999 are introductory, required or elective courses that may be prerequisite to other courses. They provide undergraduate credit, but do not count toward a major or field of specialization. Some of these courses count as General Education requirements.
Courses numbered 2000-2999 are intermediate courses providing undergraduate credit and may be counted toward a major or field of specialization.
Courses numbered 3000-3999 are upper-level courses providing undergraduate credit that may be counted toward a major or field of specialization.
Courses numbered 4000-4999 are advanced undergraduate courses providing undergraduate credit that may be counted toward a major or field of specialization. Graduate students may enroll in and receive graduate credit for 4000-level courses outside their own graduate program.
Courses numbered 5000-5999 are offered for both graduate and undergraduate credit. They are advanced-level undergraduate courses providing undergraduate credit that may be counted toward a major or field of specialization or are foundational course work and research for graduate and professional credit.
Courses numbered 6000-6999 are foundational graduate and professional courses and research providing graduate or professional credit.
Courses numbered 7000-7999 are intermediate graduate and professional courses and research providing graduate or professional credit.
Courses numbered 8000-8999 are advanced graduate and professional courses and research providing graduate or professional credit.
H -- Honors course: a course offering more advanced, rigorous curriculum and enrichment experiences. Only students in University Honors and Scholars may enroll.
E -- Honors Embedded course: a non-honors course in which students can earn Honors credit by incorporating enhanced honors components.
T -- ATI course: a course that is part of an associate degree program (available at Ohio State ATI only) and fulfills the technical portion of the curriculum.
S -- Service Learning course: a course that uses experiential learning strategies and involves student participation in an organized service activity.
Some course number combinations are used consistently across disciplines to identify a special characteristic of a course. Following the university’s course numbering model (outlined above), the first digit of the course number continues to designate the level of the course.
Course numbering for special characteristic coursesSpecial characteristic of the course
Field experience and field work