Student Resources
The Ohio State University has many resources that graduate students can take advantage of.
If you can't find what you are looking for, please contact your Graduate Coordinator, Ivy Luft, for assistance: luft.44@osu.edu.
Dennis Learning Center - 614-688-4011. Support for test anxiety and related challenges.
Graduate School - Offers many resources to graduate students, such as funding, support, research help, and holds departments/colleges accountable for an excellent graduate student experience.
Guidelines for Academic Success - Tips and tools for academic success.
University Registrar - The registrar keeps the academic calendar for each semester and is a vital resource for forms.
Political Research Laboratory - The Political Research Laboratory (PRL) is a faculty, graduate student, and staff resource for the Department of Political Science. Department labs provide access to expensive statistical software and high-end computational machines to give graduates the ability to research without heavy financial investment. The PRL also maintains an experiment lab for running research with actual participants. The Program in Statistics and Methodology (PRISM) group is available for advising and helping students with statistical and computational questions in many modern software packages (e.g. R, Stata, SPSS).
Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning - The Drake team hosts very useful GTA Toolkits that cover topics such as inclusive learning environments, creating a teaching portfolio & teaching statement, etc.
University Libraries - The Ohio State University Libraries collaborates with students, faculty, and staff to offer a dynamic resource of collections, services, and spaces to enhance learning, teaching, and research at the university. The library provides all types of media for work in political science, such as digital and printed books and journals, digital databases, statistical data, and film. OSU Libraries offers access to the holdings of regional and national sources, such as Ohiolink and research collections from the Center for Research Libraries. Also, Interlibrary Loan and Article Express enhance quick access to resources inside and outside the library. OSU Libraries is a publisher in the form of the Knowledge Bank, and a source of research and teaching support in the form of the individual and class research consultation, the Research Commons, and the Copyright Resource Center. For assistance with the Libraries consult Political Science Resources or contact the Political Science Librarian.
These resources include the The Ohio State University Emergency Department and hotlines to call for help. Some also offer chat services.
Ohio State Emergency Room Department - 614-293-8333, 410 W. 10th Avenue
Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization (BRAVO) - 614-294-7867 or 1-866-862-7286
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1-800-273-8255 (chat available)
OhioHealth Sexual Assault Response Network of Central Ohio (SARNCO) - 614-267-7020
Text Crisis Line - Text “HOME”, “START”, or “HELLO” to 741-741
Trans Lifeline - 877-565-8860
Trevor Project - 1-866-468-7386
Off-Campus and Commuter Student Engagement – Provides students with the means to find housing and roommates, resources to encourage safe practices in the off-campus area, and support in finding a home off-campus
The Ohio State University Off-Campus Housing Network - Establishes certain criteria (PDF) for off-campus property owners. Those property owners that commit to meeting these criteria will be considered in-network.
Medical
Student Health Services - A Joint Commission accredited outpatient facility providing a variety of health care services to the student population. All graduate students working a 50% FTE position have access to 100% health care coverage out of this facility.
Insurance
Student Health Insurance - Access the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) and benefits (Q&A form for common questions)
Mental Health & Therapy
Counseling and Consultation Service (CCS) - Provides individual and group mental health services, psychoeducational prevention, and outreach programs to students.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy Clinic - At the Psychological Services Center, and through a medical referral, they provide evidence-based treatment for depression and anxiety
Department of Psychology’s Psychological Services Center (free for adults in Central Ohio)
Education Human Ecology’s Stress Management and Resiliency Training Lab (SMART)
OSU Employee Assistance Program - Open to all faculty and staff, as well as graduate students on appointment as a GTA, GRA, or GAA.
Dennis Learning Center - 614-688-4011. Support for test anxiety and related challenges.
Buckeye Food Alliance - A nonprofit, student-run pantry that offers free groceries and food to any student, 5 days a week without limitation. Order groceries pickups here.
OSU Meat Shoppe - OSU’s college of food & agriculture sells a number of meat products at reasonable prices. Order via email by Weds and pickup Friday.
Student Wellness Center - Schedule a free 45 minute nutrition, financial, and/or wellness assessment, education, and goal setting meeting.
OSU Employee Assistance Program - Open to all faculty and staff, as well as graduate students on appointment as a GTA, GRA, or GAA.
University Libraries - The Ohio State University Libraries collaborates with students, faculty, and staff to offer a dynamic resource of collections, services, and spaces to enhance learning, teaching, and research at the university. The library provides all types of media for work in political science, such as digital and printed books and journals, digital databases, statistical data, and film. OSU Libraries offers access to the holdings of regional and national sources, such as Ohiolink and research collections from the Center for Research Libraries. Also, Interlibrary Loan and Article Express enhance quick access to resources inside and outside the library. OSU Libraries is a publisher in the form of the Knowledge Bank, and a source of research and teaching support in the form of the individual and class research consultation, the Research Commons, and the Copyright Resource Center.
For assistance with the Libraries consult Political Science Resources or contact the Political Science Librarian.
Mershon Center for International Security Studies - The Mershon Center for International Security Studies supports research on topics of international security and focuses its research on four key areas: (1) The use of force and diplomacy in international relations. (2) The study of political and economic decision-making that affects war and peace. (3) Culture and Identity and their impact on national security. (4) Law and institutional management of violent inter-group conflict that might arise from a variety of causes, including conflicting material interests, normative beliefs or resource scarcity and usage.
The Mershon Center supports research conducted by Ohio State faculty and students and hosts several competitions each year. The Mershon Center offers Mershon Research and Study Abroad Grants for Undergraduate and Graduate Students and an annual Faculty Grant Competition. In addition to supporting university faculty and student research, the Mershon Center routinely hosts speakers for talks, conferences, and symposia.
Area Studies Centers - The Area Studies Centers advance knowledge and awareness of international cultures and world regions. The centers work with departments to identify programmatic needs, sponsor a wide range of academic activities, including lectures, symposia, conferences, and library resources, as well as conduct outreach activities for P-12 students and teachers. Area Studies Centers are funded through the U.S. Department of Education's Title VI National Resource Center (NRC) and Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships.
Ohio State has five Area Studies Centers, four with full Title VI NRC and FLAS funding, they are listed below.
- Center for African Studies
- Center for Latin American Studies
- Center for Slavic and East European Studies
- East Asian Studies Center
(Institute for Chinese Studies, Institute for Japanese Studies, Institute for Korean Studies) - Middle East Studies Center
The Kirwan Institute for Study of Race and Ethnicity - As a university-wide, interdisciplinary research institute, the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity works to deepen understanding of the causes of—and solutions to—racial and ethnic disparities worldwide and to bring about a society that is fair and just for all people.
Decision Sciences Collaborative - Over 100 Faculty Members and Graduate Students at Ohio State are actively engaged in research and teaching related to Decision Sciences.
The Decision Sciences Collaborative awards small grants to faculty and graduate students to support behavioral decision-making research at Ohio State. The goal of these competitive grants is to foster new decision sciences research activity and collaboration.
The Center for Ethics and Human Values - The Ohio State University Center for Ethics and Human Values is a research center that aims to advance the understanding of these questions by encouraging research and writing on topics of ethics and value, including the history of thought on these questions, and by providing a resource for public discussions of foundational and applied moral questions. It provides a venue and resource for ongoing discussions of ethical issues within and across disciplines at Ohio State University, including issues that arise within the academic contexts of research and education, as well as issues that confront us all as human beings and citizens aspiring to live worthwhile and rewarding lives.
Research Commons - Support and physical space designed for graduate student researchers. Workshops, referrals, networking, and expert consultations.
Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum - Annual research forum co-sponsored by the Council of Graduate Students, the Graduate School, and the Office of Research. Students enrolled in any graduate degree program are invited to participate.
The Office of Research - The Office of Research supports the development, submission, management and integrity of research at Ohio State. Animal Care and Use, Human Research Protections, Biohazards, Research Compliance, Business and Industry Collaborations, Resources for Inventors & Entrepreneurs, and Sponsored Programs.
Copyright Resource Center - Provides education and guidance to graduate students, faculty, and staff regarding copyright law and identifying, using, and creating copyrighted content.
Graduate Student Code of Research and Scholarly Conduct - Graduate students are expected to familiarize themselves about appropriate standards for ethical research and scholarly conduct and are responsible for following all university policies related to ethical research and scholarly conduct.
Department Research Workshops
American Politics Seminar - This workshop serves as a forum for the presentation and discussion of research by graduate students and faculty in American Politics. For graduate students, the seminar is an opportunity to hear and present practice job talks, dissertation chapters, and conference papers. Occasional sessions will feature research presentations by faculty from Ohio State and major scholars from other universities.
Comparative Politics Workshop (CPW) - This workshop serves as a multi-disciplinary forum for the presentation and discussion of research related to comparative politics. Past seminars have examined political identity, presidential power, voting rules, consolidation of party systems, economic sanctions, language politics, and ethnic mobilization. All methodologies, including case studies, statistics, formal theory, and interpretivist approaches are welcome. We encourage papers with a specific geographic focus, as well as broad cross-regional analyses. The mission of the workshop is to foster a vibrant intellectual exchange among comparativists, to bring students and faculty into contact with nationally recognized figures in the field of comparative politics, and to create a comfortable, professional environment for the development of faculty and graduate student research at all levels.
Political Psychology Workshop - The political psychology workshop explores the role of psychological processes in the unfolding of political behavior, and the impact of political events on psychological processes.
Political Theory Workshop - The OSU Political Theory Workshop is a forum for theorists from Ohio State and other universities to present and to discuss their research in progress. We meet three or four times per quarter, autumn through spring, usually at noon time on Fridays. The Political Theory Workshop is pluralist in its approach and interdisciplinary in its orientation. We are open to a wide range of contributions, including historical, analytic, interpretive, and critical theory, as well as theoretically engaged empirical research. We welcome interested faculty and graduate students from all fields and all departments.
PRISM Speaker Series - The PRISM Speaker Series provides a unique forum to present cutting-edge methodological work.
Research in International Politics (RIP) - This forum serves as a venue for the presentation and discussion of international relations research primarily (though not exclusively) by graduate students and faculty of Ohio State's Department of political science. Approximately four times each quarter, speakers present on a topic and engage in a spirited dialogue with the participating audience. The program is meant to showcase research in IR at Ohio State as well as provide students with experience making extended presentations in a friendly yet critical professional environment. All topics, ontologies and methodologies are welcome.
Graduate School - Offers many resources to graduate students, such as funding, support, research help, and holds departments/colleges accountable for an excellent graduate student experience
Graduate/Professional Student (GPS) Ombudsperson - 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.
Student Advocacy Center (SAC) - Provides referrals and direct resources for issues including legal services, health or personal-crisis emergencies, financial need, and academic issues. Home to the Student Emergency Fund and the Mental Health Care Grant
Student Legal Services - Provides confidential, legal advice and representation for a wide range of legal issues that Ohio State students typically encounter
Human Resources - Supports new and current employees at OSU, as well as provides avenues for careers at OSU
Office of International Affairs (OIA) - Supports international students and those who wish to student aboard (Pre-Arrival Information/Messages for International Students)
OSU Counseling and Consultation Service’s Community Provider Database - A resource to search for non-University employee private mental health care providers in the communities surrounding The Ohio State University campuses. Provider profiles are completed and updated independently of CCS and are not endorsed by The Ohio State University.
Student Life Disability Services (SLDS) - Collaborates with and empowers students who have disabilities to coordinate support services and programs that enable equal access to an education and university life
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator’s Office - Processes accommodations for staff, faculty, and visitors to the University, and addresses accessibility issues and reports of disability-based discrimination on campus (Feedback and Concerns Form)
OSU D-Tix – Great resource to purchase super discounted raffled Event Tickets and both raffled/always available general tickets (museums, restaurants, theme parks etc.)
Ohio Union Activities Board – OUAB holds hundreds of events, many specifically targeted to grad/professional students. Some are open, like the picnic above, others require raffles
Upcoming Events at OSU broken up by arts, performances, exhibitions, student events, etc.
Recreational Sports – Offers a variety of recreational activities, including group workouts and safety training and certifications
College of Arts and Sciences Technology Services - ASCTech provides IT and technical assistance to all of the instructors within the College of Arts and Sciences. For immediate assistance: (614) 688-4447.
Office of the Chief Information Officer - The OCIO is the broad university tech support provider. They have walk in hours at the Thompson Library and the Tech Hub, offer online and phone assistance, and provide classroom IT assistance. Main line: (614) 688-4357 Classroom help line: (614) 247-4357.