Admission to Major

Starting Spring 2021 the college will implement an admit to major process that will utilize one application for all engineering programs.  (This will not include Aviation, which will continue to utilize its program’s current admit to major process.)  This new process goes beyond the traditional grade metric and incorporates a multi-factor review through which the voices and stories of all of our aspiring engineering students can be told. Additionally, updated eligibility requirements will allow students to apply to a major earlier, which, for most students, will be the second semester of enrollment.

Students will be admitted based on background and thought that demonstrate:

• Capacity to understand basic engineering principles and apply them in a variety of settings
• Informed desire for an engineering discipline
• Appreciation for inclusion, collaboration, leadership, and integrity
• Drive to acquire and apply knowledge to enrich one’s life, work, community, and society

Recognizing the challenges in meeting the demand and space availability in popular majors, applicants will choose three majors of interest.  In the College of Engineering Pre-Major Program, students will have the opportunity to explore multiple majors through both their coursework and opportunities to engage with faculty, academic advisors, and peers. Students will learn how different engineering majors can lead to similar career outcomes and be supported to make choices with intention and good information. Each year the university directly enrolls into engineering the number of students matching the total capacity of our engineering majors.  In principle we have a place in a major for every pre-major we enroll.  It is our expectation that a majority of students will get their first choice.

The Application Process

Students will select and apply to three majors of interest (ranked in order of preference), during the semester that eligibility courses are completed, which generally occurs during the second semester of enrollment. The process requires students to verify their coursework, and respond to three short essay prompts (about 250 words each). Students will address their interest in the three selected majors, their experiences working with teams, and their life experiences influencing their desire to pursue engineering. The essay prompts will be made available to students during their first semester of enrollment during their Engineering Survey course.

The Application and Review Process

Once final grades are available at the end of the semester, applications will undergo a program review.  Applications will be reviewed in the order of the their preferred major choices. For example, if a student's preference is Civil, Chemical, Environmental, their application will be review by Civil first, followed by Chemical and Environmental if necessary.

All students will be notified of their admission decision on the admission decision date listed below. Admitted students will be offered a place in one major. This offer must be accepted by the indicated deadline to secure a place. Failure to do so may result in cancellation of the admission offer.

Admission to Major Dates & Deadlines

Restrictions and Conditions

1. Students must be enrolled in the College of Engineering to apply for admission to major. Students outside of the college will first need to change into the college before going through the admission to major process. Students should follow the Change to an Engineering Pre-Major process.
2. Students have two attempts to seek admission to a major through the Admission to Major process. Applications reviewed at the end of term will be considered an attempt. Students not awarded admission to a major after the second attempt, and students who do not wish to accept an offer during their second attempt will not be permitted to apply a third time.
3. Application Cancellation. Students may cancel their application by the 10^th week of the semester. Applications cancelled by the deadline listed above will not count as an application attempt. Applications not cancelled by the deadline will be assessed for admission eligibility at the end of the semester and therefore deemed an attempt.
4. Students who accept an admission to a major offer are not permitted to reapply to a different major during the next admission cycle. Accepting an offer demonstrates the intent to complete the major program. Students who wish to reapply to a new major will need to wait one academic year to reapply. For example, if a student submits an application in Spring 2021 for Autumn 2021 admission and accepts the offer, the student would not be permitted to reapply during the Autumn 2021 cycle.

Criteria for Admission Consideration

Students must meet the following criteria by the end of the semester in which they are applying:

1. College Requirements
   • enrolled in the College of Engineering as a pre-major (students enrolled outside the college should first follow the Change to Engineering Pre-Major process);
   • cumulative Ohio State GPA of 2.0 or better;
   • credit for Calculus II through completion of Math 1152, Math 1172, or Math 2162 (or equivalent version);
   • credit for the Fundamentals of Engineering Sequence through completion of,
     1. ENGR 1182 or ENGR 1282H; or
     2. ENG 1186, ENGR 1187, and ENGR 1188
2. Program Requirements - credit for science or technical courses(s) depending on each program applied for. Reminder, students must be eligible to apply to 3 different engineering majors in order to be considered for admission.

   • Majors	Required Credit
     Aerospace Engineering Food, Agr. & Biological Engineering Industrial & Systems Engineering Mechanical Engineering	Physics 1250 (1260)
     Biomedical Engineering Chemical Engineering	Completion of one of these three combinations, Chemistry 1220 (1920H) Chemistry 1210 (1910H) and Physics 1250 (1260) Chemistry 1250 and Physics 1250 (1260)
     Civil Engineering Environmental Engineering	Chemistry 1210 or Chemistry 1250 or Physics 1250 (1260)
     Computer Science & Engineering	CSE 2221
     Electrical & Computer Engineering	Chemistry 1210 (1910H) or Chemistry 1250 or Physics 1250 (1260) or CSE 2221
     Engineering Physics	Physics 1251 (1261)
     Materials Science & Engineering Welding Engineering	Completion of one of these three combinations, Chemistry 1220 (1920H) Chemistry 1210 (1910H) and Physics 1250 (1260) Chemistry 1250 and Physics 1250 (1260)

Students who wish to apply to the Computer & Information Science major within the College of Arts and Sciences should visit Application to Major - Computer & Information Science for instructions and requirements.

What Majors are you Eligible to Apply to?

Students are eligible to apply to different majors based on completion of the program requirements. Find which majors you are eligible to apply to based on the science and technical courses you will have completed. You are eligible to apply to the majors listed below each group of classes that will be completed by the end of application semester.