Ph.D. Application Requirements

Criteria for admission to our Ph.D. program:

Students with a strong background in chemical engineering or related field are encouraged to apply. 

  • A bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering, or closely related field (another engineering field, chemistry, etc).
  • An undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
    • Our most competitive applicants have a GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, or 88% out of 100% or 1st Class with Distinction.
  • If applicable, a graduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
  • Competitve GRE scores:
    • Our most competitive applicants have scores of at least Verbal = 158 (75%), Quantitative = 160 (75%), and Analytical Writing = 4.0.
  • TOEFL, IELTS or MELAB scores for all international applicants.
    • Our most competitive applicants have scores of at lest 100 (TOEFL iBT) or 240 (computer based). IELTS: 8.0 or MELAB: 86
    • WE PREFER THE TOEFL TEST
    • The minimum TOEFL score required by OSU: 79, IELTS: 7.0, MELAB: 82
    • You are exempt if you are a citizen in one of the following countries: Australia, Belize, British Caribbeah, British West Indies, Canada (except Quebec), England, Guyana, Ireland, Liberia, New Zeland, Scotland, Wales, and The United States.
    • If you receive a 4 year bachelor's degree or higher from a US institution or one of the countries listed above, you are exempt from the TOEFL requirement.

Visitation Weekend: 

For those students who are in the U.S. and are admitted to our PhD program, there will be a department visitaiton February 27-29, 2020. If you cannot attend during this time an individual visit can be arranged. More information will be sent out in January.

Average Test Scores for 2019 incoming Ph.D. students

Verbal GRE%

Quantitative GRE%

Writing GRE

TOEFL

66 81 3.5 100

Prerequisites for non chemical engineering majors:

We do occasionally admit students who have undergraduate degrees in subjects other than chemical engineering. However, these students will need to take make-up course work to succeed in our graduate program. These students must take the following undergraduate courses or have equivalent coursework in the following subject areas:

  • Thermodynamics: CBE 3508
  • Transport Phenomena (Momentum and Mass Transfers): CBE 2420 and 3521
  • Chemical Engineering Kinetics: CBE 3610
  • Engineering Mathematics (Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations): Math 2177 or equivalent