Degree Components

Degree Components
What are the major pieces that make up an Ohio State degree?

Your Ohio State degree will be comprised of General Education (GE) courses, major coursework and electives. You could also consider completing two majors or adding a minor to your program. Advisors can assist you in determining the best courses to take to explore majors and fit your interests and skills, while ensuring that you are meeting overall degree requirements and making degree progress.

What each component means

General Education (GE)

Ohio State is a liberal arts institution and has a core curriculum called the General Education. Regardless of major, every undergraduate student completes coursework in a multitude of categories.

  • GE typically makes up about onethird of a student's total degree
  • GE helps students:
    • Explore majors and careers
    • Connect academic interests
    • Make steady degree progress
Single Major

In addition to completing GE requirements, you will declare a major. Your major will concentrate a significant portion of your courses and studies into one subject area.

  • A major concentrates coursework in one subject area
  • Majors must include more than 27 credit hours
  • Builds depth of skill and knowledge in a specific discipline
Multiple Majors

Some students select more than one major. Depending on the majors chosen you will complete:

  • Second Major: this can refer to the completion of two majors in the same college (e.g. Biology and Women's Studies, both of which are in Arts and Sciences) that are of the same degree type (e.g. BS, BA, BFA, BSBA). An advisor can discuss the possible options for a second major with you. You can also add a major to some degree programs.
    • Student completes:
      • GE for one degree
      • Requirements for both majors
    • In this case, you earn one diploma and must complete both majors at the same time
  • Dual Degree: this refers to completion of majors in different colleges (e.g. Electrical Engineering in College of Engineering and Accounting in the College of Business), of two different degree types, or completing majors within the same college and degree type where there is no course overlap.
    • Requires completing:
      • All major requirements for both programs
      • All GE requirements for both degrees
    • Results in two diplomas, which may be earned at the same or different times
Minors

A minor exposes you to coursework that gives you proficiency in additional subject matter. Minors need to be selected from outside the area of the major in most cases.

  • Require at least 12 credit hours
  • Can complement the major or allow exploration of new interests
  • Some minors can share coursework with GE requirements
  • Students may add multiple minors with relative flexibility

Certain major programs require that a student declare a particular minor while others leave the option open to the student.

Electives

After major and GE requirements, remaining hours are filled with electives. Electives are used to:

  • Explore interests
  • Build themed coursework
  • Reach the 120-hour minimum for graduation (some programs require more)