Application Requirements

Applicants can apply to one of three programs, depending on which field they would like to obtain a degree in. Applicants can also apply to more than one program, however an application fee will be required for each application submitted. The following programs are housed in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Required Materials

The Ohio State University application for Graduate School is completely online. The following items are required of all applicants unless otherwise noted. All application materials must be submitted electronically by the posted deadlines unless otherwise noted.

  1. Statement of Purpose
  2. Personal Challenge Statement
  3. Curriculum Vitae or Résumé
  4. One official scanned transcript (front and back) per post-secondary institution attended
  5. 3 Letters of Recommendation 
  6. Official TOEFL scores reported via ETS (International applicants only; for possible exceptions click here)

Any documents submitted other than the required items above will not be included in your application to be reviewed as only the required materials are used in the review process. This includes GRE scores. We have permanently removed the GRE as part of our application starting spring 2023. 

See below for additional guidelines for the required application materials and what the programs look for in those materials.

Statement of Purpose

Your statement of purpose should be no more than two pages in length, double-spaced, in Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri size 10 or 12 font. In the document header, please clearly indicate that this is your statement of purpose. It should address the following topics:

  • Give examples of experiences or demonstrated attributes that have prepared you to be successful in graduate school.
  • Identify the reason you want to pursue a graduate degree. Identify career goals and how you see a graduate degree enabling your career goals.
  • Incorporate some information about your extracurricular activities into your statement of purpose where it makes sense to do so. Those activities and how they have shaped you are crucial if you wish to be competitive for fellowship consideration.
  • Do not include "fluff" or filler content. Focus on why you are qualified and what you want to do in graduate school.
  • Proofread your statement of purpose before you submit it and make sure it's relevant to your application to Ohio State and clearly written/free of errors. Expressing interest in faculty members or research that are not available at Ohio State or our department can negatively impact an applicants chances of admission greatly.
  • PhD & MS-Thesis Applicants: 
    • Identify specific research areas that you are interested in at Ohio State and identify any faculty members within our department with whom you would possibly like to work with in your graduate studies.
    • Make sure that when you identify faculty with whom you'd like to work that you actually identify faculty in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Use the information in the "Research" section of our website to help you identify faculty members affiliated with our department.
  • MS Project Based (Non-Thesis) Applicants: 
    • Explain your tentative plans for your project - one semester research project or internship. 
      • One semester research project: Identify specific research areas that you are interested in at Ohio State and identify any faculty members within our department with whom you would possibly like to work with for your project. 
      • Internship: Provide examples of the industries in which you’d like an internship.

Personal Challenge Statement

This is required for autumn 2024 applicants. Your personal challenge statement should be no more than one page in length, double-spaced, in Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri size 10 or 12 font. In the document header, please clearly indicate that this is your personal challenge statement. It should address the following topic: 

  • Describe a personal or academic challenge that you have faced and how you successfully handled this challenge.

Curriculum Vitae/Résumé

Your curriculum vitae (CV) or résumé should be no more than two pages in length, in Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri size 10 or 12 font and it should address the following topics:

  • Educational information (school name, thesis topic and advisor (if any), GPA summary and ranking)
  • Research/Industrial Experience (research publications, project presentations/conferences, industrial projects and internships, research interest areas)
  • Special skills (programming skills, commercial software, etc.)
  • Department/University Service (if any)
  • Extracurricular Activities

Transcripts

Official scanned copies of transcripts from all post-secondary institutions are required. We will not review an application for admission consideration without scans or physical copies of official transcripts on record. Anything other than scans of official transcripts will result in a delay in processing your application.

If you are an international applicant, you must upload scans of official transcripts with degree statements (proof of degree) in their original language, along with English language translations that follow the format of the original documents.

When the policy of the institution prohibits issuing the transcripts directly to another institution, a photocopy of the original document certified by an official of that educational institution, an embassy office, the Ministry of Education, or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs may be submitted for review. If you are in possession of the only original transcript your institution issues, you may submit a certified photocopy of that document for our initial application review. Please note you will be required to present the original official document for evaluation prior to enrollment.

Applicants from Pakistani or Indian universities must submit mark sheets from your university certified as true copies of the originals. If exams are not  administered by the university until the final year of the degree program, please provide an official letter from the college to verify this fact.

Any questions surrounding transcripts, including what is acceptable or not, should be directed to gpadmissions@osu.edu. The Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions oversees all transcript related questions.

Note for Ohio State students

Ohio State students do not need to submit copies of their Ohio State transcripts when they apply. The department will acquire those documents internally.

3 Letters of Recommendation

  • Recommendation letters need to be completed and sent directly from your references.
  • Academic sources are highly preferred. These are people such as faculty advisors, professors you have had in class, lecturers, etc.
  • Letters from managers or supervisors are also acceptable but do not carry as much weight as academic sources.
  • Letters from TA’s are not acceptable.
  • Make sure you select individuals who will put the appropriate amount of time and effort into writing a reference letter. Choose individuals who are familiar with you, your work, and with whom you have confidence can write you a strong recommendation.
  • Need to remind your recommender to submit a letter? Click here for instructions on how to do send a reminder or change a recommender.

TOEFL/English Language test requirement

A minimum score of 79 on the Internet-based (IBT) TOEFL is required in order to be considered for admission. A minimum of 7.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is also acceptable. For more information about possible exceptions from the English language requirement, please visit FAQ 9.

If you do not meet the minimum English language score required your application will not be reviewed until you reach or surpass the minimum required score. If you do not meet the minimum required score prior to the application deadline, your application will be canceled.

The institution code to report TOEFL scores for Ohio State is 1592. If you are required to insert a department code for the TOEFL test, you can one of the following codes:

Aeronautical Engineering = 63
Mechanical Engineering = 68
Engineering, Other = 69 

COVID-19 Update: 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Ohio State University will temporarily accept the following tests from any international student applying to begin enrollment for spring 2021 - autumn 2023 terms for undergraduate, graduate, or professional admission:

  • TOEFL Home Edition (minimum score 79)
  • IELTS Indicator (minimum score 7.0 for graduate and professional and 6.5 for undergraduate and the Moritz College of Law)
  • Duolingo (minimum score 105)

All* Duolingo test takers are required to take an English placement exam upon arrival to campus. TOEFL Home Edition and IELTS Indicator test takers are required to take an English placement exam upon arrival unless they qualify for a TOEFL or IELTS score exemption.

TOEFL iBT and IELTS will also be accepted following Ohio State’s existing English proficiency policies.

TOEFL ITP will not be accepted unless a student takes this exam as part of Ohio State’s American Language Program.

Additional Requirements for GTAs

  • The Duolingo English Test cannot be used to satisfy the English Proficiency requirement for Graduate Teaching Associates (GTA). Graduate students who submit a Duolingo score for admission will need to take the TOEFL at a later date upon arrival to campus if planning to hold a GTA position.

Any questions about English language score submissions and receipt can be sent to gpadmissions@osu.edu.

Submitting/Updating Your Supplemental Application Documents

In the event you need to submit one or more of the required documents and you did not do so at the time you applied or you need to submit updated documents (SOP, resume/CV, transcripts) you can use the Document Uploader through the Graduate Admissions Office via the link below or by emailing them to gpadocs@osu.edu.

Admissions Document Uploader

Application Status

You can monitor your application status via http://appstatus.osu.edu. Please note it can take as many as 5-7 business days for your materials to show up there if you uploaded them at the time of your application.