How to Apply to Computer Science at Ohio University: Courses, Program Admission Criteria and Change-of-Program Rules for the Russ College BS in Computer Science, with Requirements and Timeline for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

At Ohio University (OHIO), undergraduate computer science is offered by the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in the Russ College of Engineering and Technology. Here is what you need to know, based on the university’s website, for students at high schools in China (including A-Level, IB and AP students), students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver), and transfer students.

1. Degree and courses

• BS in Computer Science (major code BS7241): the complete program is available only on the Athens campus. The department says some students spend a semester or two at a regional campus closer to home before moving to Athens.
• Curriculum (2026-27 catalog): the core covers Computer Science I and II, data structures, programming languages, software engineering tools, databases, distributed and parallel computing, algorithms, formal languages and compilers, operating systems and Software Design and Development I and II, plus introduction to computer engineering, computer organization, introduction to cybersecurity and history of technology. Students add at least 9 hours of technical electives such as computation theory, parallel computing, data science, machine learning, game engine design and software security. The department page refers to 15 required computer science courses.
• Math and science: discrete structures, probability and statistics, Calculus I and II and linear algebra; two science courses or course groups totaling 8 hours from biology, chemistry, plant biology or physics; and one more math or science elective.
• Total hours: the university requires at least 120 semester hours for a bachelor’s degree, and the catalog says this program can be completed within 120 hours.
• Senior design: every computer science major completes a year-long senior design project in teams of four.
• Related options: the school also offers a BS in Artificial Intelligence and a BS in Cybersecurity Engineering. Strong students can apply to the Honors Tutorial College’s Advanced Computing program, which requires extra essays and an interview.

2. Admission

• Admission by program: all applications get a holistic review covering rigor, grades, grade trend, class rank and GPA; test scores, essays and recommendations are optional. Computer science is on the list of programs with more selective guidelines.
• Extra requirements for computer science: four years of college-prep math; at least one year of chemistry or physics; one more year of chemistry, physics or an engineering science such as engineering principles, robotics, computer science or digital electronics; and above-average grades in math and science.
• Guideline: the department page and catalog say students in the top 30 percent of their class with at least an ACT 24 (or comparable SAT) are most likely to succeed in the Russ College. This is a guideline, not a cutoff.
• Testing: freshman applicants to the Athens campus, including selective programs, may apply without SAT/ACT scores, or submit them to be considered.
• Changing into computer science: current students who want to move into an engineering or computer science program need a C or better in a math course equivalent to MATH 1200 or higher and a science course equivalent to CHEM 1210 or higher, or PHYS 2051/2054.

3. Dates and materials (international first-year)

• How to apply: the Common App (opens each August) or OHIO’s own online application, with a USD 75 international fee. The international dates page says you can contact admissions to request a fee waiver.
• Deadlines (no year stated): for fall, early action November 15 and rolling deadline February 1; for spring, November 1. Meeting fall early action gives priority for direct entry to programs, merit scholarships and honors programs, and international merit awards are only for students starting in fall.
• Academic records: records from every secondary school attended, with certified or attested English translations; students admitted on unofficial records must submit official ones before classes start.
• Optional materials: SAT/ACT, recommendations, activities, work experience and credentials.

4. English requirements

• For direct admission you need a test taken within the past year: TOEFL 72 with writing 17 (pre-2026 scale) or 4 with writing 4 (new scale); IELTS 6.0 with no band below 5.5; Duolingo 110; PTE 48; Cambridge English 169; SAT 1060 with 540 EBRW; or ACT 21 with 21 in English and Reading.
• Students without a qualifying score can be admitted to the Ohio Program of Intensive English (OPIE) and move into degree study once proficient.
• Exemptions: students educated in an exempt country (including Canada, except Quebec), or with three years in an English-medium system such as Cambridge or IB including three years of non-ESL English with grades of B or better, usually do not need to submit proof, though the university may ask for it.

5. Students at high schools in China

• Grade expectations: the China entry lists the Senior School Graduation Certificate with grades generally B or 80% or better. Records must be in Chinese and English, certified by the school and sent in sealed, stamped envelopes; notarized copies are not accepted.
• Gaokao: the website does not say how Gaokao results are used. This is not published; ask admissions (admissions@ohio.edu).
• A-Level: decisions are based on GCSE/IGCSE/O-Level results, generally at least six passes at C or higher; AS/A-Level exams may earn transfer credit.
• IB: generally an average of 5 out of 7 in college-prep subjects; HL exams may earn credit.
• AP: scores can be sent as optional material; AP credit rules are not checked here.

6. Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver)

• British Columbia: a secondary school graduation diploma, with grades that vary by school but are generally 73% or B or better. Other provinces are listed on the same page.
• Canada (except Quebec) is on the English-exempt list, so a test is usually not required.
• The extra math and science requirements for computer science still apply.

7. Transfer students

• The international page says applicants with 9 or more university credit hours apply as transfers; coursework from outside the U.S. needs a course-by-course evaluation from a NACES member.
• Transferring into computer science: the transfer selective-programs page requires 20 semester (or 30 quarter) hours, a 2.5 cumulative GPA, and the equivalent of MATH 1200 or higher plus one of CHEM 1210, 1500, 1510 or PHYS 2051.
• The catalog puts it differently: transfers with fewer than 20 semester hours may be admitted directly if they meet general transfer requirements and have four years of college-prep math, a year each of chemistry and physics, and at least an ACT 24 (or comparable SAT); those with more than 20 hours need a GPA above 2.5 and a C or better in the math and science courses. Both versions are given here; confirm with admissions.
• Transfer scholarships are for fall entrants with a full year of study and excellent grades who are admitted by May 15.

8. Costs and scholarships

• International estimate, Athens campus (table labeled 2026-2027): tuition and fees USD 26,792; living expenses USD 16,795 (lodging 8,954, meals 5,582, personal 2,259); health insurance USD 3,239. The page also gives USD 46,826 as the 2027-2028 total you must document for an I-20.
• OHIO Guarantee: residents and nonresidents pay a fixed rate for tuition, housing, meals and fees for four years.
• First-year scholarships: international students must earn direct admission to degree study (not OPIE), start in fall and complete the application by November 15 for full consideration; the admission application is the scholarship application. The fall 2027 OHIO Excellence Awards page lists a Trustee Award for non-Ohio residents of up to USD 7,000 a year, but does not say whether international students qualify; ask admissions.
• The Russ College also awards more than USD 1.3 million a year in renewable scholarships to first-year students.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Aim for the November 15 early action deadline for fall (priority for scholarships and direct entry); the rolling deadline is February 1
• Take four years of math plus chemistry, physics or another science
• Prepare IELTS 6.0 (no band below 5.5) or TOEFL 72 with writing 17 (4/4 on the new scale)
• Have records issued in Chinese and English, certified and sealed by your school

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

• BC grades generally 73% or B or better; Canada (except Quebec) is exempt from English testing

Transfer students:

• 20 semester hours, a 2.5 GPA, and the required math course plus chemistry or physics

Sources: Ohio University, BS in Computer Science; 2026-27 Undergraduate Catalog; Selective program criteria for freshmen; Selective program criteria for transfers; How to apply as an international student; International dates and deadlines; Requirements by country (C); International costs and aid; OHIO Excellence Awards for fall 2027. The international deadline page does not state a year. Check Ohio University’s website for the latest.