Biological & Ecological Engineering

You will find detailed information about the application process, deadlines and university requirements on the Graduate Admissions site.  Please follow the directions on that OSU webpage if you decide to submit a formal application. The department application deadline for a domestic student is the same as the university requirement and that is no later than one month before the desired starting term – an international student is required to submit an application three months before the desired starting term.  For both domestic and international students, an early application will increase your chances of finding an advisor and financial support.

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Priority Deadline for Full Consideration

December 15, 2025

A final oral exam is required for all degrees. The M.S. degree is normally completed in 2-3 years of full-time study or in four years for part-time study. M.S. students intending to continue for a Ph.D. are encouraged to pursue the thesis option.

M.S. and MEng programs are very different and are designed for students with different career goals. While M.S. programs have significant research component, the MEng is primarily based on courses and a project. MEng degrees are generally considered as terminal degrees as most of the Ph.D. programs require students with significant research experience at master's level.

Although the requirements for both M.S. and MEng programs are similar, there are greater number of applicants for M.S. programs, hence the qualified applicants have higher scores compared to those admitted for MEng program.

Since the M.S. program involves significant research, there is a greater likelihood of obtaining GRA positions in a M.S. program compared to MEng program. While MEng students are also eligible for both GRA and GTA positions, they are less likely to obtain them in comparison to M.S. students.

Ph.D. degrees are typically completed within four years subsequent to the completion of the M.S. degree. Students admitted into the Ph.D. program must pass a qualifying exam and must demonstrate a capability to undertake independent research in order to advance to candidacy as a full Ph.D. student.

A biological and ecological engineering minor can add additional technical skills to a graduate degree. The flexibility of requirements allow students to tailor the interests to the skills they feel are necessary and complementary to their current graduate degree.