How to Apply

Important Notes for Applicants

The Ohio State Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership (ACEL) extends an invitation to qualified applicants to apply for a master’s or doctoral degree program in ACEL. The Master’s degree program offers a traditional, on-campus  M.S. (thesis and non-thesis options), an M.Ed. as well as an online M.S. (thesis and non-thesis options). Prior to beginning the application process, persons interested in the program should take note of the following items:

  • ACEL only admits one time per year for all graduate programs. Applications to all programs open in August of each year and close on December 1 for admission the following autumn.
    • Note: Applications for Ohio State University Graduate Programs will open August 15, 2023. The application access is temporarily closed to ensure compliance with the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling.
  • Applicants are expected to meet the minimum threshold of a cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale to be admitted to an Ohio State graduate degree program. Applicants who do not meet the GPA requirement may be considered for conditional admission based on other admission criteria. The Ohio State Graduate School must approve the admission of any students with less than a 3.0 GPA.

  • Doctoral program applicants should have a minimum of two years of professional experience in the area of specialization for their graduate program.

  • Prospective students with any questions about the application process or requirments are encouraged to reach out to our graduate program coordinator at FAES-acelgradprogram@osu.edu.

 


Applying


Application Timeline

The deadline for ACEL Graduate Applications is December 1 of the current year. The ACEL Graduate Faculty review all graduate applications as a whole beginning in January following the December 1 deadline. The review process is detailed and takes some time for all faculty to be able to review all applicants. Admission deliberations are done in January and February with the goal of notifying applicants of a decision by mid to late February.