Ranked #16 among America’s public universities by US News and World Report, Ohio State University, USA’s 15 colleges offer its massive cohort of 64,868 students a rich menu of study programmes: SUMMIYA YASMEEN Established in 1870 as a land-grant university, the Ohio State University (OSU) is a top-ranked publicly-funded research varsity with a massive enrolment of 64,868 students. The US News & World Report ranks OSU #16 among public universities in the United States, and #52 among all universities countrywide. Internationally too, the 145-year-old varsity is routinely ranked among the world’s Top 100 by the Times Higher Education (THE) and Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). A member of the Association of American Universities, OSU is also ranked #4 among all universities for industry-sponsored research by the US National Science Foundation. Sprawled across 1,900 acres in the heart of Ohio’s administrative capital Columbus, OSU’s 15 colleges (see box) offer a rich menu of bachelor’s, Masters and doctoral study programmes. OSU is also one of few American universities to offer multiple area studies programmes under the Comprehensive National Resource Center funding programme of the US department of education. The most notable of these are the schools of Slavic and East European, Middle Eastern and East Asian Studies. Columbus. Ohio’s administrative capital Columbus (pop. 835,957) is a mix of modern high-rises and century-old buildings lining the banks of the River Scioto. The largest city of Ohio state, it offers a smorgasbord of leisure and entertainment options ranging from concerts to museums and sporting events. The city’s main attractions include the Center of Science and Industry; a Santa Maria replica docked in the downtown riverfront; three historic downtown theatres (the Ohio Theatre, the Palace, and the Great Southern); Columbus Zoo; numerous restaurants and nightspots, and specialty shops, outlets, and malls. Hosting numerous corporate headquarters and government agencies, Columbus also offers academically-enriching employment opportunities to students during vacations and after graduation. The city’s urban districts provide unique opportunities to shop, dine, and explore. Just south of downtown is German Village, the nation’s largest privately restored historic neighbourhood. Columbus’ climate is humid continental characterised by warm, muggy summers and cold, dry winters. Summer temperatures range from 17.5-29oC and in winter from -5.2-7.2oC. Campus facilities. OSU’s main Columbus campus was established in 1870 around a natural spring (now Mirror Lake). Today the campus is a mix of green spaces, historic buildings and hi-tech facilities. Among the 570 buildings offering state-of-the-art academic, sports and recreation facilities, are Hayes Hall (1893), which houses the department of history of art; Mirror Lake Hollow which includes the Browning Amphitheatre, Bucket and Dipper Rock, the Faculty Club, and Pomerene Hall. Among other campus landmarks are the Knowlton School of Architecture featuring gallery space for exhibitions, two computer labs, digital image library, and cafe, and the imposing Thompson library. The OSU library system comprises 55 separate libraries and collections. Of them the Thompson library — built in 1913, and extensively renovated in 2009 — is the largest, housing over 1 million volumes, special collections, archives and electronic…
