To apply to the MAIS program, interested students will complete an online application to the OSU Graduate School. MAIS applications are not made to individual program areas. The process involves a few steps:
- Choose Three Fields of Study
- Contact the MAIS Director
- Contact the Graduate Directors for each Field of Study
- Complete the Graduate School's Online Application
- Application Review
Applications are considered once a year. The deadline to apply is March 1.
The GRE is not required for this degree program.
1. Choose Three Fields of Study
Every MAIS student has three fields of study. One will be the primary and the others are the second and third fields.
The first step in applying to the MAIS is to consider which fields will work for you. Any graduate major or minor field from participating OSU departments can serve as an MAIS field. Review this list of participating programs.
Note that two of your three fields may be in the same department, provided they are distinct areas of study. For example, within Speech Communication, both Rhetoric and Interpersonal Communication could serve as fields of study because they are distinct subfields within that department.
2. Contact the MAIS Director
The next step in the process is to contact the MAIS Director. The Director will work with you on your interests and goals, and discuss your three possible fields of study. The Director is also a resource for any questions you have about the MAIS program.
3. Contact the Graduate Directors for Each Field of Study
Each department or unit at OSU that offers graduate coursework will have a Graduate Director among its faculty. For each field of study, you need to contact that person – they can help you understand what to expect, the types of courses you will take, what requirements they have - and help provide guidance as to whether a particular field is right for you.
Graduate Directors will be identified on each department’s web page.
4. Complete the Graduate School's Online Application
OSU’s Graduate School application is online. All those interested in applying to the MAIS program must complete the application, including a Statement of Objectives that specifically addresses the applicant’s interdisciplinary goals. The statement will discuss, in 750-1000 words:
- the three areas of study being proposed
- how they fit together to lend themselves to interdisciplinary study
- the rationale justifying why an interdisciplinary degree is being sought, as opposed to a degree based in a single discipline; and
- how the proposed academic objectives will help the applicant meet career or other goals beyond earning the MAIS degree.
5. Application Review
Applications will be reviewed concurrently by the MAIS Director and the three departments or programs specified on the application. The application will also be reviewed by the OSU Graduate Admissions office. All of these reviews must approve the application before you can be admitted into the program.