We place a strong emphasis on research. Students begin work on research projects as soon as they arrive, and we encourage them to work with several different research advisors during the course of their graduate education. Our graduating students have typically authored or co-authored 8-15 refereed journal articles. Our 1st- and 2nd-year students are already active researchers: publishing papers, attending conferences, giving talks, going on observing runs, and working in the instrument lab. Students typically publish one or two papers, usually at least one first-author, before completing their second year.

Astronomy is a close-knit department with a lively atmosphere and a great deal of daily contact between students and faculty. Faculty contact comes naturally through research supervision and classes, but also through Daily Astronomy Coffee, weekly journal clubs and colloquia, student-organized reading groups, and many informal events. Students at Ohio State have more opportunity to learn from close interaction with faculty than they would in virtually any other astronomy program. As a result, many students work in more than one area before (and after) settling on a dissertation topic.