For First Year Students
*Please note: this page has been updated for the Fall 2026 semester. Stay tuned for updates and feel free to contact us at asc-physgradstud@osu.edu with any questions!
Before you arrive on campus
In the next couple of weeks, Jay Gupta, our Grad Studies Vice Chair, will be sending out some information about our math self-assessment. This will be available online through Carmen and is meant to be a tool for our incoming students to self-assess their math preparation for the various core courses and provide resources to brush up on their skills over the summer.
During orientation week, there will be an in-person assessment as well. Although not graded, this assessment is meant to be a tool to help Jay better advise our incoming students and determine which and how many courses to take their first semester.
Go to Student Self Service link to login. Then under “Time and Pay” click on Direct Deposit. From there you will be able to set up your direct deposit preferences.
You will also need to setup direct deposit in Workday. This can be done in your profile.
If you have external health insurance already or insurance from your family that you want to use, then you do not need to enroll in the student health plan.
However, if you do need insurance and would like to use the student health plan, you will need to manually opt in.
This page has some information on how to select or waive your student health insurance: SELECT / WAIVE OVERVIEW : Student Health Insurance
You should be able to select your coverage through Buckeye Link, in the 'Finances' section under 'Student Health Insurance.'
It is important to note that the deadline for this process for the Fall 2026 semester is August 18th.
Please let me know if you have any follow-up questions or encounter any difficulties in opting in for your insurance coverage.
If you have opted in to Student Life Health Insurance, the Department of Physics pays the entire premium for you, about $2,000 for the semester. It is loaded onto your statement of account, and paid for by us on the back end.
Any expenses for students would be if you had a co-pay, or prescription costs, as with any other insurance.
You can read more about the plan here, and please contact SLHI (shi_info@osu.edu)if you have specific questions or concerns.
What is OPERS? OPERS stands for the “Ohio Public Employees Retirement System.” OPERS is a pension system that provides retirement income and benefits to Ohio public employees.
GTA and GRAs (Fellows are not eligible for OPERS): Remember, you need to manually opt out of OPERS if you do not want to participate! Otherwise, you will be automatically enrolled, and the monthly contributions will be automatically pulled out of your paycheck.
Here is some more information about OPERS, and how to opt in/out as a student: Student Employee Retirement - Human Resources at Ohio State
You have 30 days from the start of your appointment to submit the opt out paperwork (September 17th).
OPERS will be taken out of your first paycheck even if you opted out. If you did submit your form to opt out of OPERS, they should reimburse you in October for the amount they took out in September. However, it is a good idea to call and verify with them that they did receive your form.
More information on OPERS can be found here: OPERS help
Note: You must opt in/out of OPERS every time you switch roles, such as from Fellow to GRA. And fellows are not eligible to contribute to OPERS.
Later in the summer, the OSU Grad School will be releasing an AU26 virtual orientation for incoming graduate students. This orientation, designed as a Carmen course, was developed to provide graduate students with an overview of the Graduate School, graduate education at our institution, and the resources available to all graduate students. As new graduate students, you will be contacted directly to be informed of the orientation and, due to its asynchronous nature, you are welcome to review it at your convenience.
Students seeking technical assistance in accessing the orientation should contact the OTDI IT Help Desk at (614) 688-HELP (4357) or 8help@osu.edu.
OPA- Oral Proficiency Assessment
International Students on Fellowship or GTA appointments, please check with the Office of International English Language Programs website about the Oral Proficiency Assessment (OPA) test and how to schedule it. It is important to do this as early as possible in June or July and the online and in person as the testing time slots fill up fast. The Physics Department will provide you with a PO number for the payment.
OIA Mandatory International Student Orientation
ALL international students must complete orientation through the Office of International Affairs (OIA) found at OIA.OSU.EDU. Please schedule your individual check-in meetings for before Monday, August 17th.
International Student Orientation is an online and in-person learning experience required for all new and transfer international students.
International Student Orientation (online)
Online orientation will open on Wednesday, July 1st, and you should complete your self-guided orientation by August 24.
You will be automatically enrolled in the course on CarmenCanvas, Ohio State’s online learning platform
A confirmation email along with instructions will be sent to your BuckeyeMail account
The Office of International Affairs will be automatically notified when you complete the online orientation
International Student Orientation (in person)
The Office of International Affairs will host in-person International Student Orientation sessions, August 3-24. You will receive an email the week of June 15 to register for one, 45-minute session. Please attend a session within two to three days of your arrival in Columbus. (And remember, our department's internal deadline for this is Monday, August 17th)
There will also be additional workshops and social events for new international students leading up to the start of autumn semester. A full schedule, including instructions for registering and links to CarmenZoom sessions, will be available in your online orientation calendar.
Register for an orientation session (link will be available soon on OIA website)
Please email global-engagement@osu.edu with questions.
General
Please visit the Office of International Affairs (OIA) Web site to obtain their specific instructions for pre-arrival, check-in/orientation, etc. We recommend that you try to arrive at least three weeks before the semester starts in order to allow enough time to complete your required English language testing as well as to discuss your course registration for Autumn term. After you arrive, you will first need to visit the Office of International Affairs (OIA) on main campus. Here you will receive orientation materials and schedule any tests that are needed. They will also give you information about obtaining a social security number.
After you get your permanent social security number, please meet with our Physics Human Resources Professional to update your records. You should also go to the Graduate School and tell the receptionist what your new social security number is.
Regarding taxes, you may qualify for a tax exemption status. The Human Resources person will cover this when you meet with to finish your hiring paperwork.
[PDF] - Some links on this page are to .pdf files. These are designated by [PDF] following the link. PDF files require the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader software to open them. If you do not have Reader, you may use the following link to Adobe to download it for free at: Adobe Acrobat Reader
July 31st- Initial Registration Deadline
Our initial deadline to register online for ALL of your classes for Autumn is July 31st. All incoming (pre-candidacy) students should register for 18 credit hours. Please see below for details on the required courses. Note that you will need to add varied credit hours of Physics 7998 Research with the Vice Chair of Graduate Studies to reach 18 hours. You will be able to adjust and finalize your schedules after your one-on-one advising meeting with Jay Gupta during orientation week.
Mid-August (date tentative)- TA's Receive Teaching Assignments
Teaching Associates (TAs) class schedules are due by July 31st. You will then be emailed a schedule link to use to import your own class schedule as well as you can enter a preference for early or late teaching assignments. With your own class schedules, first year students often end up with an early morning or late afternoon-evening set of teaching assignments.
How to Register
To register for classes, you will access the Student Information System via the link found on BuckeyeLink under “My Student Center”. If you need help logging in to your account, call the IT Help line at 688-HELP (4357).
Register for classes using the link provided above by the fee payment deadline ONE week before classes begin to avoid late fees. It is very important that you are registered FULL TIME by this date. (Again, you will be editing your schedule during orientation but need to be enrolled in at least 8 credit hours by this time to avoid the fees.)
During orientation, incoming students will have a chance to meet with their academic advisor to discuss classes and add or drop courses as needed.
Your initial advisor will be Prof. Jay Gupta, Vice Chair of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs. More information about opportunities to connect with research advisors will be provided during your first semester.
Recommended Classes for Fall Term
- Physics 6780 – Special Topics – TBD
- Physics 7891A - Instructor is TBD
- Physics 7601 Classical & Statistical Physics I
- Physics 7501 Quantum Mechanics I
- Physics 7701 Analytical & Numeric Methods of Physics (E&M I)
You will need to add credit hours of 7998 Research with Prof. Gupta to reach the full credit hour requirement of 18.
Students may also enroll in advanced undergraduate courses in place of one or more core courses, in order to further develop or brush up on certain topics.
For more information about a specific course, please refer to the Physics Semester Courses webpage.
Note: You can change your schedule online through the first week of classes. For the 2nd week, your schedule can be changed by submitting a Course Enrollment form to add a new course. After the 2nd week, you will need to petition to add a new course and the petition is available through the Graduate School’s forms website, gradforms.osu.edu.
If you are coming in with a Master’s degree or have prior coursework you think has covered the curriculum of one or more of our graduate core curriculum, you can request a course waiver. To do so, you’ll need to email the course instructor and copy Jay Gupta and Carly Scopel. The instructor will need to see the syllabus of the relevant course as well as your transcript and may have additional follow up questions for you regarding the course and your preparedness. If you are granted a course waiver, this will be kept on file by the Grad Studies Office.
Later this summer, each of you will receive a Workday link to your OSU email for an application for your position for the coming academic year
Please complete this application as soon as possible to ensure your proper appointment before Autumn Semester. If you do not respond to this information request, we cannot guarantee you will receive your first paycheck on time.
Please note, because your appointment begins in mid-August, your first paycheck will be for half a month’s stipend, since the Autumn semester begins in the second half of August.
Once You've Arrived on Campus
The term starts on Tuesday August 25th, 2026. Please plan to arrive on campus no later than two Sundays before the start of the term, as you need to report for duty by Monday, August 17th, a little over one week before the start of the term. It is highly recommended to arrive before then to hunt for an apartment as most leases begin prior to the start of the semester.
Monday, August 17th
- MANDATORY Report to campus date. You need to be in Columbus by this date, and you will have daily assignments you will need to be on campus to complete.
Monday, August 17th- time TBA
- MANDATORY Orientation Day 1 in PRB room 1080-Smith Seminar Room (SSR): Introduction to OSU, the department, and our graduate studies program.
Tuesday, August 18th- time TBA
- MANDATORY Orientation Day 2 in PRB room 1080-Smith Seminar Room (SSR): Information and resources.
Thursday, August 20th- time TBA
- Physics Department MANDATORY Teaching Associate (GTA) day one training -by peer grad students experienced with being a GTA
- Smith Lab teaching keys to be issued during Thursdays GTA Orientation
- Time & Location TBD: Office Assignments and Office Key pick up from Physics Grad Prog. Coord.
- Last Mandatory International Student Orientation at Office of International Affairs (OIA)
Friday, August 21st- time TBA
- Physics Department MANDATORY Teaching Associate (GTA) day two training by Prof. Andrew Heckler and the Course Coordination staff
Sunday, August 23rd
- Student Involvement Fair, 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm Oval and South Oval
- See website for more details: Student Involvement Fair
Date TBA
- Physics Department MANDATORY Teaching Associate (GTA) 2-hour training and materials pick up for specific teaching responsibilities with your Course Coordinator. Info will be emailed to GTAs from Dr. Nandyala
Tuesday, August 25th
- Classes Begin!
Sierra Brimhall will be sending out emails about office assignments closer to the end of August/beginning of September.
Once you have your room assignment information from her, you will pick up a key request form from the Physics Research Building front desk, and submit it to Building Coordinator, Mark Reed. He will order the key you need.
For TA Lab Keys, Carly Scopel orders them for our new TAs each semester. You will receive an email when it is ready to pick up from the PRB front office.
For our first year TAs, you will receive a message from Dr. Raju Nandyala at the end of the summer, requesting your scheduling information in order to create the TA assignments.
You will also receive some emails about TA Orientation, which will take place on the Thursday/Friday of Orientation Week. (week of August 17th)
- Fees explanations are available online at: Registrar
- Everyone will be charged the following fees per term: COTA Bus fee, Student Activity fee, Recreational fee, Student Legal fee, and 15% of your student health insurance costs (the department covers the remaining 85%). Fee rates can be found on the fees explanations page linked above. Your fees will automatically be deducted from your paychecks throughout the semester.
- Please note that Student Health Insurance (or proof that you already have your own insurance) is required for full-time students.
- Familiarize yourself with the regulations about registering on time--this will save you money. BE VIGILANT EVERY TERM REGARDING REGISTRATION. Not registering on time generates late fees, and late fees are extremely costly at Ohio State—up to $500.
- Everyone will be charged the following fees per term: COTA Bus fee, Student Activity fee, Recreational fee, Student Legal fee, and 15% of your student health insurance costs (the department covers the remaining 85%). Fee rates can be found on the fees explanations page linked above. Your fees will automatically be deducted from your paychecks throughout the semester.
- You can change your schedule online through the first week of classes. For the 2nd week, your schedule can be changed by submitting a Course Enrollment form to add a new course. After the 2nd week, you will need to petition to add a new course and the petition is available through the Graduate School’s forms website, gradforms.osu.edu.
- For preliminary information on Ohio State’s graduate student health insurance plans, please check the Office of Student Life Web site and click on the section for “Graduate Students.” The department covers 85% of the cost and you will cover 15% per Term. this works out to be around $200 per term and is deducted from your monthly paycheck.
- Parking passes can be purchased after you receive your Buck ID. Please visit the Traffic and Parking website for more information.
- After you are issued your Buck ID, we will need for you to fill out a form to request your office key and to activate your ID to allow you into the building after hours. Carly Scopel and Sierra Brimhall will facilitate issuing your office key and activating your building access. Please see Mark Reed, Room 1146 if you have any difficulty using your ID for building entry after the first few weeks of classes.
- Whenever you move, please change your address online at Buckeyelink.
- If you need financial assistance, you can apply for a short-term loan. Please visit the Student Financial Aid website for more information.
- An interactive map of Ohio State’s campus can be found here.
- For more information about your first year as well as other useful information to physics graduate students, please check the Physics Graduate Student Council’s Web site.
- OSU ID Card - as soon as you enroll in classes and/or get on the payroll, you can obtain your OSU ID, also called Buck ID. The Buck ID card is necessary for using the library and for riding the city bus for free. The Buck ID center is located in the Ohio Union on the 3rd floor. For more information, please visit The BuckID website.
- Office and desk assignment will be determined by the Graduate Studies Program Coordinator and the Vice Chair of Graduate Studies. You will be notified of your location sometime during the week of your reporting to campus but no later than by the last Friday before the start of the term. All 1st and some 2nd year students are usually assigned to offices located on the 3rd floor.
- Your mailbox will be located in the main office in PRB room 1040. We recommend that you please check your mailbox regularly. You will only be able to access your mailbox during regular University business hours Monday - Friday 8 AM to 5 PM.
- Your initial advisor will be Prof. Jay Gupta, Vice Chair of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs. More information about opportunities to connect with research advisors will be provided during your first semester.
Resources
*Dates have been updated for the Autumn 2026 semester/incoming class
Financial Responsibility Statement
The Financial Responsibility Statement (FRS) is required to be completed each term before enrollment in courses can be initiated. Information on the Financial Responsibility Statement can be found on the Office of Business and Finance site.
To complete the FRS:
Go to buckeyelink.osu.edu
Select My Buckeye Link under Quick Links
Log in with your Ohio State username (lastname.#) and password
Select Financial Responsibility Statement under the To Do List
Agree to the three required statements
Select Submit
Student Center Account Holds
If you are unable to register for classes, there might be a hold on your account. Please check to see if you've signed the Financially Responsibility form as well as checking off your vaccination status.
Taxes
Please reach out to the Tax office with any specific questions: tax@osu.edu
The Tax Office assists the university community with requests for information and guidance related to university tax compliance issues.
How do I get paid?
All grad students are paid via direct deposit. Please see the instructions above for setting up direct deposits in BuckeyeLink AND Workday! Students are paid on the last business day of the month, so you will receive your first stipend payment on August 31st.
Changing Residency
Please visit the Registrar website for information on qualifying for and applying for Ohio state residency: Ohio Residency for Tuition - The Ohio State University
Important Contacts
Grad Studies Office
Jay Gupta, Vice Chair of Grad Studies, gupta.208@osu.edu
Carly Scopel, Graduate Program Coordinator, scopel.6@osu.edu
Sierra Brimhall, Academic Program Services Specialist, brimhall.7@osu.edu
HR Needs
Kelly Spitz, HR Specialist, spitz.49@osu.edu
Student Life Health Insurance, shi_info@osu.edu
Office of International Affairs, oia@osu.edu
Tax Office, Tax@osu.edu
Bursar Office, bursar@osu.edu
Student Life Disability Services, slds@osu.edu
Civil Rights Compliance Office, civilrights@osu.edu
Graduate School
Grad School Registration Services, Grad-SchoolRegistrationServices@osu.edu
Grad School Fellowship Office, Grad-SchoolFellowships@osu.edu
The graduate and professional student (GPS) ombudsperson is an independent, confidential, impartial, and informal resource for all graduate and professional students for resolving issues and conflicts, and for exploring options and making important decisions.
Professor Rebeka Campos-Astorkiza, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Spanish and Portuguese
More information can be found on the Office of Ombuds Services website.
The graduate school and university offer many opportunities to apply for funding, and we encourage you to check these out:
- Graduate School Grants page: Grants | Graduate School
- Alumni Grants for Grad Research and Scholarship: Alumni Grants for Graduate Research and Scholarship | Graduate School
- Office of Research and Sponsored Programs: Find Funding | Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge at Ohio State
- Council of Graduate Studies funding: Funding, Awards & Resources : Council of Graduate Students
- Career Development Grant: About the Career Development Grant : Council of Graduate Students
- Ray Travel Award for Service and Scholarship: Ray Travel Award for Service and Scholarship (up to $1000 per academic year) : Council of Graduate Students
- General Resources: General Grad Student Resources : Council of Graduate Students
- College of Arts and Sciences Small Grants Program: Graduate Student Funding | College of Arts and Sciences
- Rickover Fellowship Program: Rickover Fellowship Program in Nuclear Engineering - SCUREF