How to Apply to Business at Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business: First-Year Admission Directly into the Major and Specialization, the 3.10 GPA Internal Transfer Route, and Requirements for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

At The Ohio State University’s Columbus campus, undergraduate business is taught by the Max M. Fisher College of Business, which awards the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA). Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on Ohio State’s official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver students), and transfer students.

1. How first-year students get into Fisher

• No separate business application: Fisher says students apply to Ohio State and indicate business as their intended area of study; requirements, deadlines and testing policies are set by Undergraduate Admissions.
• Direct enrollment: Ohio State first decides admission to the university, then enrollment in a major. The first-year enrollment criteria state that Fisher admits are enrolled directly in the major and specialization.
• International students: the international enrollment criteria page simply refers applicants to Fisher’s website; international students cannot enroll in University Exploration and must choose a degree-granting major.
• High school preparation: Fisher suggests pre-calculus and calculus, statistics, economics, English composition and oral communication; college coursework in high school is not required.

2. Specializations and curriculum

• 12 specializations: Accounting, Aviation Management, Business Management (regional campuses only), Economics, Finance, Human Resources, Information Systems, International Business, Logistics Management, Marketing, Operations Management and Real Estate. Accounting offers an accelerated BSBA/MAcc path.
• Structure: General Education, Business Foundation, Business Core, specialization and electives. Fisher notes that new BSBA requirements take effect in autumn 2027; the version that applies depends on when you start.
• Business Foundation (spring 2027 and earlier): English composition, advanced writing, calculus (MATH 1131/1151), statistics, micro- and macroeconomics, computer science, financial and managerial accounting, statistical techniques and business analytics; English 1110 and calculus need a C or better.
• Changing specialization: business students email their advisor by 31 January (summer), 1 June (autumn) or 15 September (spring).

3. Deadlines and application (international first-year)

• Early Action (non-binding): all materials by 1 November 2026; international applicants hear on 22 January.
• Regular Decision: 15 January 2027, decisions on 5 March; confirm by 1 May.
• Apply through the Common App with official grade 9–12 transcripts (translated if needed); up to two optional recommendations.
• SAT or ACT required for all Columbus first-year applicants, superscored with no minimum. The middle 50% of admitted students scored ACT 27–33 and SAT 1280–1470 (university-wide, not business-specific).

4. Students at high schools in China

• English minimums: TOEFL 4.0 on the new scale (79 before 21 January 2026), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 120, ACT English 21 or SAT ERW 550.
• Gaokao: no Gaokao policy is published; your four-year transcript and SAT/ACT are reviewed.
• A-level, IB, AP: may earn college credit, which can cover some business foundation courses such as calculus, statistics or economics, subject to Ohio State’s credit policies.

5. Students at Canadian high schools

• Same deadlines; the SAT or ACT is still required.
• English waiver by citizenship: Canadian citizens (except Quebec) are exempt; students at Canadian high schools who are not Canadian citizens must still submit scores.
• BC curriculum: no Canadian or BC-specific grade requirements are published.

6. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-27 international estimate (USD): tuition and fees 47,374 (including a 3,103 international undergraduate fee), housing and food 15,630, books 1,020, student health insurance 4,108 and personal costs 4,046, for about 72,178.
• Business fees: Fisher says students admitted to a business major pay a professional program fee and technology fee each term, reviewed annually; see the registrar’s fee tables for amounts (not listed here).
• Scholarships: Ohio State merit scholarships are not open to international students, and the National Buckeye Scholarship is limited to US citizens and permanent residents.

7. Transfer students

• Current Ohio State students must meet all of the following:
  • Ohio State GPA of 3.10 or higher;
  • English 1110 (or any WIL GE) with a C or better;
  • MATH 1131 or 1151 (or equivalent) with a C or better;
  • 26 semester hours (transfer, AP and exam credit count), including at least 12 Ohio State letter-graded hours after high school.
  Application windows: 1 May–1 June (autumn), 15 August–15 September (spring), 1–31 January (summer); decisions four to six weeks after the deadline. Admission is not guaranteed and may be competitive; you may reapply. New business students take BUSADM 1200 or a Major Change Workshop.
• Transfer from another institution: deadlines are 1 March 2027 (autumn) and 1 October 2026 (spring), with a USD 70 fee. With 30+ semester hours, admission rests mainly on college performance and major-related courses; with fewer, high school records and SAT/ACT also count. Autumn 2025 transfers averaged a 3.25 GPA. The transfer enrollment criteria page refers business applicants to Fisher, whose future-student page requires a login, so whether external transfers enter business directly is not stated on public pages; ask futureundergrad@fisher.osu.edu.
• Chinese university records must be verified by CSSD and sent directly to Ohio State.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply through the Common App with business as your intended major by 1 November (EA) or 15 January (RD)
• Take the SAT or ACT; TOEFL 4.0 (new), IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 120
• Budget about USD 72,000 a year plus business program fees; no university merit scholarships for international students

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Same deadlines with SAT or ACT; Canadian citizens (except Quebec) are exempt from English tests

Transfer students:

• Internal: 3.10 GPA, English 1110 and calculus at C or better, 26 hours, within the application window
• External: 1 March for autumn; confirm with Fisher whether you can enter business directly

Sources: The Ohio State University, Fisher undergraduate admissions; Current Buckeyes; High school resources; Specializations; BSBA curriculum requirements; First-year enrollment criteria; International enrollment criteria; International first-year applicants; International first-year steps; Who gets in (international); International transfer steps; International transfer admission criteria; Basic costs; 2026-27 undergraduate tuition and fees. Information is for fall 2027 entry. Check Ohio State for the latest details.