Appendix A: Elective approval process

Students are expected to use their electives in a thoughtful way to strengthen their programs, and are encouraged to consult with their advisors for this purpose. In addition to those offered in the CPH there are many appropriate electives elsewhere in the university.

Please note the following points:

1. Any graduate course in the university is a potential elective, subject to two conditions:
   1. The student’s ability to meet the course prerequisites
   2. If not on a student’s curriculum guide as a pre-approved elective, that the course must have faculty advisor’s pre-approval that the course is permitted to apply towards the degree program. An elective approval petition form will need to be submitted by the student prior to enrollment. The form will then be electronically routed to their advisor for review.
2. Courses numbered below 6000 may have mixed graduate and undergraduate enrollment. As a general rule, the lower the class number, the larger the class size is likely to be (e.g., 1000’s are likely to be bigger than 4000’s, etc.) If these courses or sections of these courses are listed in the Schedule of Classes for undergraduate credit only, then they cannot count toward the MPH with the exception of 4000 level courses. 4000 level courses can count towards the MPH if they are taught outside the College of Public Health and are taught by a professor.
3. Students are responsible for checking whether there are any prerequisites for a course, and obtaining any necessary permission to enroll. It sometimes happens that the registration system will not permit students to enroll in a course for which they have met the prerequisite. This is usually because the prerequisite was taken somewhere other than Ohio State, and students will need to provide evidence to the department offering the course to obtain permission to enroll.

Departments may change the terms in which courses are offered from time to time, so it is necessary to verify the actual offerings each term by checking the online schedule of classes.