Progress Benchmarks
Students should understand the following benchmarks to measure degree progress: performance, preparation levels, completion of specific coursework, and credit hours completed. Ignoring these benchmarks may delay graduation.
Additionally, most programs in the Colleges of the Arts and Sciences have courses that must be completed at particular points. For example, programs in the Natural Sciences, require that students successfully complete particular courses at very specific points in their undergraduate careers. Other areas, such as the Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences, are more flexible, but even these more flexible areas require that students meet particular requirements at particular times. Below you will be able to link to your college of enrollment to learn of their particular benchmarks.
Performance
We expect students to use their talents to the fullest. To achieve this goal, we will help students assess their general academic performance, and we will use performance in certain courses as an indicator of success in their specific fields of study. All of our students are capable of completing undergraduate degrees, but students must combine commitment and enthusiasm in order to realize their true abilities.
Preparation Levels
Students come to college with varying levels of academic experiences and preparedness for success in college-level course work. In order for you to be properly challenged, it is important for us to make sure that you are placed in the right classes at the right levels. Preparedness is an important consideration when you are selecting classes and/or attempting to graduate in four years.
For example, students with lower-than-average standardized test scores in mathematics are likely to start at a lower math level and are likely to have more math hours to complete than students who test at a higher level.
Credit Hours Completed
At Ohio State, 12 hours of course work per quarter is considered "full-time." In order to graduate in four (academic) years, however, you should average 16 hours of course work per quarter. Typically, students enroll in three five-hour courses per quarter, but they will also have some quarters in which they successfully complete 20 credit hours or more. Below is a chart of the average number of hours you should have completed each year in order to provide flexibility for your final year.
| Rank 1 (Freshman) |
Rank 2 (Sophomore) |
Rank 3 (Junior) |
Rank 4 (Senior) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | 95 | 150 | 191 – min # to graduate |
Completion of Specific Courses
Most programs have courses that must be completed at particular points. Each college will outline these courses. In the following pages, you will find prerequisites and annual benchmarks for each college of enrollment. Note: if there is a chance you are considering changing your major, please consult with your Arts and Sciences academic advisor prior to scheduling course work.
