The Ohio State University

High School Preparation

Students who wish to major in Mechanical Engineering should have a solid high school background in math and science, as with any field of engineering.  In fact, we recommend thaking as much math and science coursework as possible.  They should also have a natural interest in how mechanical things work, and how they might be improved. Perseverance, imagination, and the ability to invent and analyze are necessities for a career in this field.

Admission to OSU

Information for future students, including criteria for admission to The Ohio State University, can be found at on the Future students | admissions webpage.  All students interested in the College of Engineering must first apply to OSU through University Admissions. 

Admission to the College of Engineering

Students can be admitted to the College of Engineering in one of two ways:

1. Students who meet the enrollment criteria upon admission to OSU can be directly enrolled in the College of Engineering.
2. Current OSU students who wish to change majors to engineering need to have successfully completed Chemistry 121 or Physics 131, Math 151, and have a minimum 2.00 cumulative point-hour ratio (CPHR).   

Admission to the Mechanical Engineering Major

Finally, all students need to be accepted to the Department of Mechanical Engineering before starting their major courses.  Admission to the major is competitive, and is based on a student's performance in their pre-requisite math, physics, chemistry, and Fundamentals of Engineering coursework.  Most students apply to the major during their second year.