Frequently Asked Questions

With over 80 majors and 100 minors, we make it easy for our students to combine interests across disciplines. You can mix and match majors and minors from actuarial science to zoology and everything in between to discover your path and develop an academic program that’s the best fit for you.

If you’re still not sure that we offer what you’re looking for, visit the Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Academics page for the full list of academic programs Ohio State offers.

No problem! We encourage our students to explore every academic avenue that Ohio State offers.

Visit the Undergraduate Admissions Majors and Academics page for the full list of academic programs that Ohio State offers, and then contact the specific department you’re interested in for more information about double majoring.

That's okay! Many students come to college unsure of what they want to major in. You'll begin exploring your options in your first year through General Education (GE) courses. These courses are a great first step in researching your options. You'll also meet with your academic advisor (assigned to you at orientation) to discuss other activities to try and/or courses to take as you begin to make this very important decision.

For more information, including steps for how to declare your major, visit the Ohio State Academic Advising website.

Sometimes students find that they’re no longer interested in the courses they’re taking and/or find themselves with increasing interest in career paths different from what they originally thought they’d like to do. This is a completely normal experience, and for these students, there’s no better place to be than the College of Arts and Sciences with over 80 major and 100 minor programs to explore.

We recommend meeting with your advisor to talk about your options and the best way to go about officially changing your major program, whether to a new academic area entirely or from a BA to BS degree or vice versa within a major program.

Yes! We encourage our students to explore all their interests while at Ohio State, both inside and outside of our college. We recommend getting in touch with your advisor as soon as you've decided on declaring a minor for help scheduling the classes you'll need to take. Your advisor can also help you navigate and choose classes taught in other colleges that match your interests during the course registration period each semester.

The College of Arts and Sciences pre-health program is for students interested in careers in health professions such as medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, veterinary science and more that require additional degrees after graduation. 

It’s also for students interested in four-year degree programs that lead directly to health careers upon graduation such as nursing, dental hygiene, respiratory therapy, medical laboratory science, to name a few.

Visit the College of Arts and Sciences Pre-Professional Programs website for more information on the pre-health program, including, but not limited to:

• How you’ll work with your advisor
• How you’ll secure letters of recommendation
• How you can develop relationships with faculty
• How to prepare for med school exams
• How to apply to health professional schools 

Ohio State and the College of Arts and Sciences is dedicated to creating an environment that promotes the intellectual and personal development of high-ability undergraduate students and offers highly motivated students an enriched academic experience through the integration of curricular and co-curricular programs.

Benefits of our Honors Program include (but are not limited to):

• Dual advising system with an Honors academic advisor and at least one departmental major advisor.
• Distinct class structure with smaller class sizes, discussion-based lectures and access to our most distinguished faculty members
• A challenging curriculum with upper-level coursework
• Priority scheduling during course registration windows

For more information on the Honors program and how to apply, visit the Arts and Sciences Honors Program website.

The Ohio State Scholars Program is comprised of 17 unique living and learning communities designed to provide students the chance to live and learn with others who share similar interests and to complement students' academic experiences. Each of the Scholars’ programs is centered around a theme or area of study and is open to all students regardless of major.

Learn more about the Ohio State Scholars Program, including its benefits, available learning communities and how to apply.

Living-learning communities are groups of students who live together on a residence hall floor with common major, career and/or personal interests. 

Each Living-Learning Community is unique in the goals and events offered, but all have:

• Direct connection to the classroom experience
• Intentional events and opportunities for participants
• Dedicated staff members to ensure the success of students within the community.

Visit the Housing and Residence Education website for more information, including program benefits and how to apply to join a living-learning community.

Each student pursuing an academic major in the College of Arts and Sciences is required to complete coursework through a third language course (1103) or equivalent to fulfill the GE World Language Proficiency requirement.

The goal of the courses in this GE category is to help students develop and demonstrate linguistic and cultural competence through real-world communicative tasks in a language other than their first language while also demonstrating knowledge of cultures and cultural diversity reflective of an intercultural global citizen.

For more information on the world language requirement, visit the University Orientation website and/or the Center for Languages, Literatures and Cultures website.

Ohio State has a retention rate of 94%, making it one of the best universities in the country when it comes to freshman retention. As a comparison, the average nationwide retention rate is 72% and the average retention rate among colleges and universities in Ohio is 69%.

Depending on your field and personal interests, you can either develop your own independent research project or join an existing research project culminating in a written or oral presentation, performance or display, publication and/or research thesis as a means of making the academic or creative work accessible to others in the field and the general public.

Once you’ve defined a possible research area or topic of interest, identified faculty who work in that area of interest and contacted faculty to request research mentorship, you’re ready to begin your research experience.

The Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry is a great resource to help you get things started.

There are several different types of funding available for undergraduate research, including scholarships, grants, funds and awards.

Students are encouraged to contact their major department(s) and the Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry for more information as they become interested in research opportunities.

Students get involved in undergraduate research at the beginning of a semester, mid-way through a semester and even during the summer months.

Although it’s possible to get involved in undergraduate research at any point during the year, the time period around graduation is the best time to contact potential faculty members with inquiries.

Arts and Sciences students have access to the Center for Career and Professional Success, where they’ll discover potential career paths and connect with alumni and professional recruiters.

Student programs include Career Communities, Career Connections, Coffee Chats, Mentorship Programs and so much more.

Over 70% of undergraduate students participate in internships at Ohio State.

Whether you intend to enter the job market upon graduation, or plan to apply to graduate school, internships give you the experience you need to differentiate yourself from other candidates.

The Center for Career and Professional Success offers resources and guides for Arts and Sciences students to use when they’re ready to begin an internship search.

The Office of International Affairs administers education abroad programming at Ohio State, allowing you to engage in cross-cultural interactions and enjoy a rewarding educational experience in another country — all at the same time.

While some education abroad programs require at least junior standing for participation, most programs can be arranged anytime, beginning during your freshman year.

With more than 100 education abroad programs in more than 40 countries, it can be hard to decide which program is right for you.

The Office of International Affairs offers ‘Getting Started Sessions’ during autumn and spring semesters that help you explore the basics of education abroad from selecting the right program, to financing your travels, to navigating the application process and more.

You do not need to be admitted to a study abroad program before applying for funding.

However, you do need to know which study abroad program you are interested in as that information will be requested as part of your scholarship application.

There are a wide range of scholarships and grants available through the Office of International Affairs in addition to federal student aid such as FAFSA that will allow you to make your plan to study abroad a reality.

The College of Arts and Sciences also has education abroad funding opportunities for students enrolled in arts and sciences programs.

With over 1,400 student organizations on campus, Ohio State provides a wide range of organizations and clubs for you to get involved with. Plus, the opportunity is available for you to create your own student organization, too!

Maybe you’re looking for short-term service projects to support a community during a semester break.

Or, maybe you have an idea for a service project and are looking for a local organization to partner with during the school year.

The Office of Service Learning combines the best of active learning and citizenship by connecting course content with service projects that help the community.

Visit the Office of Service Learning page for more information.

The Arts and Sciences Match Mentor program is a college-wide initiative that matches alumni from the College of Arts and Sciences, one-to-one, with current Arts and Sciences majors. Open to any Arts and Sciences major in their 2nd through 4th year at Ohio State, the program is designed to help students navigate their time at Ohio State while receiving advice, answers to questions and learning the value of an Arts and Sciences degree from alumni.

There are many resources on campus to help you successfully transition to Ohio State.

Academic support offered by the Arts and Sciences includes one-on-one tutoring, workshops designed to help you develop more effective study skills, learning centers, writing assistance and advisors to help you select a balanced schedule.

Visit the Student Resources page for more information.

The Office of Student Life offers a range of services to support student wellness. Counseling and Consultation Service provides counseling, workshops and resources to help students address a range of life concerns. The Wilce Student Health Center provides services related to student health, and recreational sports offers equipment and classes at a number of locations across campus.

Visit the Student Resources page for more information.

Ohio State offers a variety of scholarships for its students, including merit-based and special-eligibility scholarships. 

The university encourages its students to utilize Scholarship Universe, a scholarship-matching tool that simplifies the process of finding and applying for scholarships from Ohio State and more than 10,000 external sources such as churches, professional, civic or service organizations, private foundations, the military and more. 

Some Ohio State colleges and departments also offer scholarships and grants.

For more information on available university scholarships, please visit the Student Financial Aid website.

For more information on College of Arts and Sciences specific scholarships, please visit the Scholarships and Grants webpage.

Ohio State Student Life Disability Services collaborates with and empowers students who have disabilities in order to coordinate support services and programs that enable equal access to an education and university life.

Services include exam accommodations, notetaking support, attendance modifications, assistive technology, accessible media, sign language interpreting/transcribing, consultation and advocacy, housing/dining accommodations, disability parking/adaptive transportation and more.

Visit the Student Life Disability Services website for more information.

After arriving in the United States, international students may experience a period of cultural adjustment. Following the first few weeks of novelty and excitement, many international students experience culture shock, which is normal and can contribute to feelings of frustration, confusion and negativity.

The Office of International Affairs website contains more information for international students making the transition to a new culture.