MAIS Admissions
1. Admissions Committee – The MAIS Admissions Committee will consist of the MAIS Program Director, who will serve as the chair of the committee, and 2-3 rotating members from different colleges that have MAIS students. Colleges that have significant participation in the program will be assured representation on the Admissions Committee. Colleges with fewer students in the MAIS program will periodically be asked to serve. The rotating members will be recommended by MAIS major professors and committee members working with MAIS students, and they will be recruited by the MAIS Program Director. Members will serve for one year. The charge of the committee is to screen applicants to the MAIS program, looking in particular at the statement of objectives that asks students to specify their three proposed fields of study and how they can be integrated for purposes of interdisciplinary study.
2. Requirements – In addition to OSU graduate admissions requirements, the MAIS will require a statement of objectives that specifically addresses the applicant’s interest in interdisciplinary study. The statement of objectives will discuss, in 750-1000 words, 1) the three areas of study being proposed; 2) how they fit together to lend themselves to interdisciplinary study; 3) the rationale justifying why an interdisciplinary degree is being sought, as opposed to a degree based in a single discipline; and 4) how the proposed academic objectives will help the applicant meet career or other goals beyond earning the MAIS degree.
3. Admissions Criteria – The MAIS Admissions Committee will make its admissions decisions based upon the entire application, with primary focus on the statement of objectives in order to screen for an applicant’s aptitude for interdisciplinary study.
4. Admissions Procedure – Applications will be reviewed concurrently by the MAIS Admissions Committee and the three departments or programs specified on the application. All four of these must approve the application before a student can be admitted into the program.
- The MAIS Program Director will consider the applications first, and then forward them to members of MAIS Admissions Committee for consideration. The Director and other committee members will then collectively decide to take one of the following actions: 1) approve applicants; 2) send back the application to the applicant, requesting revisions to the statement of objectives; or 3) reject the application, which would not be forwarded to departments and programs for consideration. If item 2 is chosen, the MAIS Director will communicate directly with the applicant, requesting a revised statement. If item 3 is chosen, the MAIS Director will communicate this information to the OSU Admissions Office, which will then contact the applicant.
- Applicants have to be admitted by the MAIS Admissions Committee and all three departments and programs to be admitted into the MAIS program. If an applicant is accepted in only two of the departments and programs, she/he can request that the OSU Admissions Office submit the application to another department or program for consideration. In such cases, applicants will need to rewrite the statement of objectives to reflect the new interdisciplinary combination. At this point, the MAIS Admissions Committee will review the revised statement of objectives, and the newly selected department or program will consider the application.
5. Appeals – Applicants whose applications are rejected by the MAIS Admissions Committee can appeal the decision by contacting the MAIS Program Director. The MAIS Program Director will then consult with the Admissions Committee and/or the department or program in question to develop a response to the appeal.
6. Funding – The MAIS program does not award assistantships or other forms of direct funding to students. However, some departments and programs offer assistantships to their MAIS students. Applicants should contact academic departments and programs directly for information on funding, and should send any funding application materials directly to departments and programs. The MAIS program has no requirements of departments and programs regarding funding decisions, and offers no input into funding decisions. (There are other units on campus that provide assistantships to students in a wide variety of majors, but these funding decisions are independent of the MAIS program.)
7. Application Deadlines – The MAIS program offers admissions on a rolling basis, with deadlines as stated on the OSU Graduate Application. Some departments and programs, however, do have application deadlines for MAIS students, and applicants will have to meet those deadlines in order to be considered for the MAIS program. Applicants can find this information on the MAIS Program website, or they can contact departments and programs directly.
8. GRE Scores – The MAIS program does not require GRE scores to be admitted into the program. Some departments and programs, however, do require GRE scores for all applicants into their respective programs, and applicants will have to meet those requirements in order to be considered for the MAIS program. Applicants can find this information on the MAIS Program website, or they can contact departments and programs directly.
