1. An opportunity to work one-on-one with members of a world-class faculty.

While our university is one of the largest in the land,

you will receive personal, one-on-one training from an advisor who is part of a world-class faculty. There are 36 nationally and internationally distinguished faculty. The School is proud to claim a National Academy of Sciences member, three Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and two Ohio Eminent Scholars.

2. Participate in cutting-edge research sponsored by NSF, DOE, NASA, EPA

In 2005, The Ohio State University’s total research awards rose to $552.7 million.

According to the National Science Foundation, this makes us one of the top 10 public research universities, and top 15 among all research universities (private & public) in the country. Many of our students play a vital role in research projects funded by agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or the Environmental Protection Agency.

3. Work with state-of-the-art instruments and analytical equipment.

One of the hallmarks of a tier-one research institution is an investment in infrastructure and analytical equipment.

The School of Earth Sciences is no exception. Mendenhall Laboratory, the home building of the School, was completely renovated in 1995 and the university just invested nearly one million dollars constructing new laboratories and computer facilities. Students within the School gain first-hand experience on a number of state-of-the-art instruments including: Atomic Force Microscope, Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope, Mass Spectrometer, Scanning Electron Microscope, Transmission Electron Microscope, and X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer. The School’s computer facilities include an array of Linux and SGI workstations and servers including Beowulf clusters. The campus also houses the Ohio Supercomputer Center with simulation equipment including a Cray X1, Altix, Apple Cluster, Beowulf Linux and SGI cluster.

4. The size of Ohio State University.

In 2005, The Ohio State University had 50,504 students

making it the third largest university in the United States. This size means that Ohio State University is able to offer more classes in virtually any field than any other institution. Graduate students and their advisors are therefore able to tailor course work to fit an individual’s unique interests and goals. Furthermore, this size means a wealth of choices when it comes to extra curricular activities, student organizations, etc.

5. Travel to exciting locations for field work and conferences.

Our professors and graduate students conduct work in remarkable places around the world.

The Andes Mountains, Antarctica, the Arctic Circle, the Bahamas, China, Hawaii, the Himalaya Mountains, Japan, New Zealand, Panama, and Taiwan, just to name a few.

6. Publish in top notch research journals.

One of the goals of a graduate student is to finish her/his thesis or dissertation.

But, these manuscripts should be so much more than a volume collecting dust on a shelf. As a graduate student within our School, you will be given every opportunity to serve as the first author on peer-reviewed journal publications. These publications will expose your work to other scientists and make a strong, positive impression on potential employers. Who knows, maybe your work will be the next Science or Nature paper that comes out of our School.

7. A living wage rather than a minimum wage.

Graduate school won’t make your rich. But,

at least it shouldn’t put you in the poor house. The cost-of-living in the Columbus metropolitan area is significantly more affordable than other areas along the east or west coast of the US. Our first year graduate students currently earn a stipend of $1,633 per month. For comparison, the living expenses for a student are estimated as $1055 per month according to Graduate School at The Ohio State University. In addition, the School covers the entire cost of tuition and fees, a perk valued at $9438 per year for in-state students and $22,791 per year for out-of-state students. Students working towards the M.S. degree are offered support for 2 years. Ph.D. students are offered support for 4 years.

8. Employment after graduation.

Graduate school should provide a student with intellectual challenges as well as

the opportunity for gainful employment after graduation. Recent graduates from our School have been employed by energy companies such as BP, Chevron, Exxon, Schlumberger, Shell, and Texaco just to name a few. Others have found jobs within the Department of Defense, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the US Forest Service. Gradates with a strong interest in research have been employed at National Labs such as Pacific Northwest National Lab or Oak Ridge National Laboratory. And, of course some graduates go on to academic positions to train the next generation of graduate students.

9. One of the most extensive library collections in the nation.

According to the American Library Association,

the largest library in the world is the Library of Congress with 29,550,914 books. By comparison, The Ohio State University has nearly 6 million books on its shelves making it one of the 20 largest university libraries in the United States. Not to mention the 35,561 serials of Journals and Periodicals, over 6000 electronic journals, and powerful database search engines like ISI Web of Science, all of which are free to students at The Ohio State University. The School’s Orton Memorial Library of Geology is the second largest geology library in North America and it contains over 200,000 geologic and topographic maps of the United States and abroad.

10. Location in Columbus, Ohio.

Sure, we have our share of farmland.

But, you may be surprised by what you don’t know about Columbus, Ohio. Columbus has all the hallmarks of a cosmopolitan city, but manages to retain its small-town charm. The city has 730,657 inhabitants, making Columbus the 15th largest city in the United States right after San Francisco. National Parks near Columbus include the Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee (300 miles), Mammoth Cave, Kentucky (250 miles), and the Appalachian Trail (280 miles). White-water rafting and canoeing can be found along the Gauley River (180 miles), the New River (180 miles), the Finger Lakes in New York (150 miles), and the Great Lakes (100 miles). Columbus has an international airport (Port Columbus; CMH) that offers nearly 200 daily flights and non-stop service to 35 airports in major cities all across the US.