BSPH graduation information
Students must meet with a College of Public Health advisor to apply for graduation. These meetings must take place by the third Friday of the semester prior to the anticipated graduation term. Other notable graduation details students should be aware of include:
- Graduation candidates receive priority scheduling.
- Learn about the commencement ceremony — speaker information, location, rehearsal and details for friends and family.
- If your address is changed, make sure to update it through BuckeyeLink.
- For questions about graduation, email CPH-Graduation@osu.edu.
Graduation to-do checklist
There are nine items each graduating student must complete to ensure they graduate on time. Failure to complete all the items on this checklist may result in a delay of graduation.
View the checklistGraduation details and procedures
If a student is completing a degree from a college outside the College of Public Health, they will need to apply for graduation with each college. Students should work closely with their academic advisors in each college to make sure they are meeting degree requirements for each college.
With honors
There are three different types of honors students can earn in CPH:
- Graduation with Honors in Public Health
- Graduation with Distinction
- Graduation with Research Distinction
Latin honors
Latin honors are awarded based on students' cumulative GPA as of the term penultimate to their graduation term. Should a student earn a higher designation in the last term of enrollment, the higher honor will be awarded. In order to be eligible for these honors, a student must also have 60 graded credit hours of Ohio State courses. The GPA requirements to graduate with Latin honors are as follows:
- Cum Laude (3.5-3.69)
- Magna Cum Laude (3.70-3.89)
- Summa Cum Laude (3.90+)
There are no exceptions made to the above requirements, these are based on university rules.
Graduation honor cords
CPH students who are eligible to wear honor cords at the commencement ceremony will be contacted by College of Public Health with location pick up details and instructions.
Students should bring their BuckID or some form of identification. Students are eligible to wear honor cords if they have earned Latin honors, are graduating with honors in public health, or are graduating with research distinction/honors research distinction. (Each student wears only one set of cords, even if they have earned multiple honors.)
It is the student's responsibility to bring their cords to the commencement ceremony. Students not attending commencement may still pick up their honor cords.
Students are discouraged from waiting until their last term at Ohio State to transfer credit from another institution. However, if they plan to do so, they need to follow proper procedures so every effort can be made to have the credit posted prior to graduation.
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the course(s) taken will fulfill the intended course requirements at Ohio State, and have a transcript sent from the host institution to Ohio State. Ohio State has a formal arrangement for graduating students attending Columbus State Community College and its early grade release requirements.
Students enrolled at other institutions are encouraged to inquire if they have a similar early grade release program.
Transfer credit must be posted to the student record by 5 p.m. on the Friday of finals week in order to receive a diploma during commencement. If the credit does not post by that deadline, students may still participate in commencement, but the diploma cover distributed during the ceremony will not have the official diploma inside.
Students have up to the second Friday of the subsequent term to resolve any outstanding coursework issues and be certified to graduate for the original term of graduation. If any issues are still unresolved by this deadline, then the student will need to reapply for graduation during an upcoming term.
After a student has completed the course and has requested a transcript to be sent to Ohio State, students are able to view their transfer credit report online at BuckeyeLink. Once the credit has been posted to the Ohio State record, it will appear on this report.
For students who plan to complete some required coursework via credit by examination (EM credit), the college will check to see if the EM credit for required coursework has posted to the university record by the Friday of the 10th week of the graduating term. Students are required to complete the tests for EM credit early in the term in order to avoid any issues with credit posting.
If the EM credit has not posted by the Friday of the 10th week of the semester, students will be removed from the graduation candidate list for that term. They will not be permitted to participate in the commencement ceremony until the EM credit posts. If the EM credit is earned after this deadline, students should notify the department advisor as soon as possible and then they will be re-added to the graduation candidate list and permitted to participate in commencement. If the EM credit never posts, students will not be permitted to participate in the commencement ceremony that term and will need to submit another graduation application with the new term of graduation.
According to Office of Testing policies, EM tests cannot be repeated. More information about earning EM credit can be found at University Registrar’s Testing Center.
Once students have completed any tests for EM credit, they can monitor their record by running an advising report via the Student Center on BuckeyeLink. Once the credit has been posted to the Ohio State record, it will appear on this report.
If you want to change how your name appears on your diploma, follow these steps:
- Go to BuckeyeLink to see how your name will be listed on your diploma.
- Go to personal information section and click on "diploma name." Your name will be displayed the way it will appear on your diploma. Follow the directions to make any changes.
- This link will be available through the 10th week of the term during which you have applied to graduate.
- This is not an official name change. The name entered will only be used for printing the diploma and the commencement program. Transcripts and enrollment verification will continue to use your primary name. If you need to update your primary name, please complete a request for Change of Record by the end of the 10th week before commencement.
Students who have any financial obligations left to the university will not receive their diploma until those issues are settled. These can include, but are not limited to, tuition payments, exit interviews, library fines, parking tickets, etc. In addition, the university will not release a students diploma or transcripts to the student or future employers until such issues are settled.
Typically, in order to receive a diploma at commencement, financial holds must be removed. Students should contact the financial aid and fees and deposits offices to determine what they need to complete to lift any existing holds. If a student has recently been in contact with these offices to resolve this hold, then they should check back with that office in a few days to confirm the hold has been removed.
Students who must complete an exit interview as a part of their financial assistance program typically are sent an email notification with instructions. However, in case the students email server filtered out this notification, the most common online exit interviews are the Perkins Loan and the Federal Direct Loan. More information about exit interviews can be found from the Office of the University Bursar.
For questions, contact the financial aid and fees and deposits offices:
Financial Aid/Student Services Center: 614-292-0300
Fees and Deposits: 614-292-3337
Students with missing grades during the semester of graduation or account holds will not have their official diploma in the red diploma cover they receive during the commencement ceremony. Students who do not receive their diploma at commencement will need to arrange for alternative pickup once final grades have been submitted and the student has been certified to graduate.
Students not planning on attending commencement are required to complete a commencement ceremony excuse form (PDF). Students should submit the form in 100 Cunz Hall or email it to CPH-Graduation@osu.edu.
Graduates who submit a commencement ceremony excuse form will be updated and the commencement office will follow the instructions provided by these students on their forms in regards to the delivery/pickup of their diploma.
Looking for a job?
The College of Public Health has Carmen pages dedicated to Career Services that all students in the college have access to. If you have concerns or need an individual appointment, please contact 614-292-8350 and request to meet with the College of Public Health Senior Career Counselor Annmarie Driscoll.
Students also have unlimited access to job postings on Handshake.
Students planning to complete a minor may need to submit a minor program form with their graduation application to finalize minor certification. Students are advised to consult the individual minor sheet for their minor. Find the curriculum sheets from the College of Arts and Sciences.