GRADUATE ADMISSIONS
To qualify for study in any of the graduate programs in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, a student generally must have earned an accredited baccalaureate degree in mechanical engineering. However, a student with good preparation in another engineering discipline or a related field, such as physics, may qualify by taking the appropriate prerequisite undergraduate courses. These courses are determined in a case-by-case basis by the Department's Graduate Admissions Committee/Director.
Regular Status
For admission to regular status, the student must have an undergraduate grade point average of at least B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale). For students whose undergraduate GPA is below 3.0, but no lower than 2.75 on a 4.0 scale, admission on probational status will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Graduate Record Examination scores are required.
Provisional Status
An applicant may be admitted as a provisional graduate student when either the quality or type of undergraduate preparation is deficient, i.e., the student's undergraduate grade-point average is below 2.75 on a 4.0 scale or the student has not met the prerequisite to do graduate work in the department or program to which he or she has applied.
After the equivalent of one semester of full-time study as a provisional graduate student, the department reviews his or her performance and recommends that the student be (1) transferred to regular status, (2) dropped from the Graduate School or (3) allowed to continue the equivalent of another semester as a provisional student. It is ordinarily expected that provisional status will not exceed two semesters. The transfer from provisional status is not automatic as it is in the case of probationary status.
Foreign Student English Proficiency
Following are the acceptable means of verifying English proficiency for purposes of admitting non-native speakers of English and/or international students to graduate studies. These guidelines also apply to U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are not native speakers of English; they are subject to change by official action of the appropriate governance bodies.
1) Verification that the applicant is a native speaker of English from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, an English-speaking province of Canada, or an English-speaking Caribbean country.
2) Graduation with a baccalaureate degree or higher earned in residence from an accredited U.S. institution of higher education or from such an institution in one of the countries listed above whose medium of instruction is English. This does not apply to degrees earned online.
3) Graduation with a baccalaureate degree or higher from a program taught in English at an international institution. Verification of English instruction from the university is required as part of the application and must be included in the application package. Verification can be from a catalog or program description brochure or an official letter from a department chair, dean, or other university official stipulating English as the language of instruction.
4) Receipt of an official copy (not student's copy) of the applicant's Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores (academic format) achieved no more than two years before the semester of admission.
All foreign students who are not native speakers of English must be screened by the Applied English Center on arrival, regardless of their TOEFL or other test scores, and according to the Rules and Regulations of the Faculty Senate, such students must enroll in the English courses specified for them by the Applied English Center.
All graduate students in the School of Engineering who are required to take courses at the Applied English Center must complete that requirement within three semesters of their initial enrollment by passing the AEC's English Proficiency Examination. Failure to complete the English proficiency requirement within this time limit will result in dismissal from the graduate engineering program.
Required Application Documents
Before an application is submitted for review, all supplemental documents must have been received by the Department. A list of the documents for both International and Domestic students can be found below.
International Applicants
1. Online Application (follow the link at the top of the page)
2. Application Fee (this is paid while you are completing the online application)
3. Financial Statement
4. TOEFL Scores
5. GRE Scores
6. Proof of Graduation
7. One Official Transcripts
8. Three letters of RecommendationDomestic Applicants
1. Online Application (follow the link at the top of the page)
2. Application Fee (this is paid while you are completing the online application)
3. GRE Scores
4. One Official Transcripts
5. Three Letters of RecommendationApplication Deadlines
Application Deadlines when applying for the Fall semester
Application Deadlines when applying for the Summer semester
Application Deadlines when applying for the Spring semester