BA International Studies at The Ohio State University

Programme overview

The undergraduate international studies program provides internationally focused, cross-cultural course work at Ohio State. In cooperation with departments in several colleges, it offers undergraduates interdisciplinary major and minor programs of study concerning different world regions as well as contemporary global themes. The program is housed in the College of Arts and Sciences. Specializations There are 11 separate specializations in international studies, divided into two groupings below.

Faculty: Arts and Sciences | Study mode: full-time | Location: Columbus, OH, United States

What you will study

Students may choose to pursue either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree in international studies. The BA requires completion of a foreign language minor. The BS requires completion of a minor in agribusiness, business, city and regional planning, environmental science, geographic information science, global public health, information security, international business, or quantitative economics. Acomprehensive advisory service works with majors and minors to create individualized programs of study, international studies provides the opportunity to study important world regions and global themes coherently and in-depth.

Career pathways

Graduates of the international studies program are widely recognized as having taken a demanding curriculum designed to make them well-informed about world issues, proficient in a foreign language, and possessed of good skills in research, writing and public speaking. The fundamental strengths of the international studies degree are its flexibility and its interdisciplinary character.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admission to the university (and the Arts and Sciences college where applicable) applies; no separate programme-specific requirement published. Upon admission to the university, students can declare a pre-major in international studies within the College of Arts and Sciences. Students interested in international studies should consult with an international studies advisor as soon as possible.

Domestic applicants: USD 12,921 a year (2026-27). Columbus campus on-campus Instructional Fee (tuition) for students beginning Autumn 2026: $6,460.50 per semester at 12-18 credit hours, shown as two semesters (Autumn and Spring). The Ohio State Tuition Guarantee fixes this rate for four years for Ohio re Source

Entry terms for first-year applicants to the Columbus campus: Autumn 2027 and Spring 2027 (Spring 2027 deadline November 1, 2026). Summer first-year applications are not accepted.

Transfer applicants can start in Spring, Summer or Autumn 2027.

First-year, Columbus campus, Autumn 2027: early action (non-binding) deadline November 1, 2026; regular decision deadline January 15, 2027; financial aid priority date February 1; acceptance fee deadline May 1, 2027. Early action decisions: December 11 (Ohio residents and Stamps Eminence applicants) and January 22 (non-Ohio residents and international applicants); regular decision decisions March 5.

First-year applicants apply with the Common Application. ACT or SAT scores are required for first-year Columbus applicants (superscored; sent directly by the testing agency); applicants out of high school two or more years are not required to submit scores. The essay is not required.

Transfer applicants (Columbus campus): Spring 2027 deadline November 1, 2026; Autumn 2027 deadline March 1, 2027; Summer 2027 deadline May 15, 2027. Regional campuses: December 1, 2026, April 15, 2027 and July 15, 2027 respectively.

International transfer applicants: Spring 2027 deadline October 1, 2026; Autumn 2027 deadline March 1, 2027.

Apply through the official page: https://undergrad.osu.edu/apply

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