Frequently Asked Questions

How can I learn more about a program?
For information regarding a specific program, we suggest speaking with the program’s department directly.

What types of programs do you offer?
We invite you to review our list of available full-time and part-time programs. Please be sure to search by "Degree" type.

Will I be admitted with my background and experience?
We cannot make any guarantee of an actual offer. Our faculty review committees want to ensure that admitted applicants will be successful in their chosen program.  Our review committees typically look at your performance in courses that are applicable to the program you are applying. The review committees also look for research experience, as this is valued in prospective PhD students.

Do you offer spring admission for PhD students?
PhD applicants may only enter in the fall semester. Unless specifically requested by faculty, new PhD applicants cannot enter in the spring semester.

Do you offer a non-degree candidate option?
Yes, we offer a non-degree candidate options for fall and spring entry.  Summer entry is only available for a few programs. Applicants apply via our part-time application. An application must be complete and submitted by our part-time application deadline.  Students in this category may take a maximum of 9 units, and they may later apply to a degree program and transfer these units to meet degree requirements.  Please contact us for any additional application requirements.

What is the total cost of program?
Tuition for the 2024-2025 academic year is $64,500.

Additional estimated costs for one academic year:
Health Fee: $646
Health Insurance: $2,580
Activity Fee: $30
Living Expenses: $22,880

Tuition and fees are not yet determined for the following years so we cannot provide an exact cost of an entire program.

Do I need a master’s degree to apply to a PhD program?
You may apply directly to the PhD program from your undergraduate degree. It is not necessary to hold a master’s degree to apply to our PhD program.

Do you consider PhD applicants for master’s programs?
Some PhD programs give applicants an option to be considered for the Master of Science program. The list of PhD programs that offer this within the application are below. Please review our support options for doctoral and master's programs within the Financial Support FAQ section.   

PhD in Electrical Engineering,
PhD in Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering
PhD in Imaging Science
PhD in Materials Science and Engineering
PhD in Mechanical Engineering
PhD in System Science and Mathematics

Can I apply to more than one program?
Yes, you are allowed to apply to multiple programs. A new application must be completed. Supporting documents and an application fee must be submitted for each new application. Test scores only need reported once, unless you would like to report new updated scores for your application(s). Note, admission into one degree program is not transferable to another program.

Do I need to contact faculty prior to applying to a PhD program?
It is not necessary to contact faculty. Within the application you will be asked to provide your faculty mentor interests. If a faculty member has questions, they will reach out to you during the review process.

What are the application deadlines?
Please refer to our published deadlines.

Why am I being asked to provide a PIN number?
When creating an application account, applicants will be sent an PIN number to enter into their account to verify identity. Be sure to check your junk and spam folder for this email delivery.

Can I submit additional documents in support of my application?
No. We do not accept any materials that are in addition to our listed required application materials.

Will you accept my materials submitted after the application deadline?
An application must be submitted, and all required payments must be received, by the published deadline. Typically, we allow those applicants a grace period for remaining materials to be submitted after the deadline. We will notify eligible applicants of an official grace period offer.  After a grace period, any remaining incomplete applications will be ineligible for review.

How can I check the status of my application materials?
You can log into the application account, select your application, and view your Status Page.

What are my financial support options?
PhD applicants: All full-time PhD applications are reviewed for full financial support (tuition and health fee remission, stipend). Most offers of financial support are guaranteed as long as the student is making progress toward completion of the degree. Each engineering department may offer specific fellowships.

• Fellowships for graduate students

Master’s applicants: Master’s students are expected to be self-supporting, but may be eligible for limited institutional financial assistance.

Do you offer Master’s Fellowships or Research Assistantships?
Yes, we offer a Department Chair’s Master’s Research Fellowship. Please review the eligible requirements and information on how to apply. We recommend admitted full-time students speak to their department about any opportunities available after beginning their studies too. Note, Master's Fellowships and Research Assistantships are extremely limited.

How can I apply for scholarships for master’s programs?
Admitted master’s applicants will be notified of any scholarships awarded within their admission letters. There is no separate application process to be considered.

Where can I find more information on graduate financial assistance options?
Please see our financial assistance website.

Can you tell me the status of my application?
We do not provide a step-by-step tracking feature for the application. Department review committees do not include our admissions office in their reviews. You can check the status of your materials from the application status page.  Once a decision is released you will be emailed.

How will I know when a decision has been made?
You will receive an email notification stating that a decision has been made. The email will provide instructions to log into your application to view the decision letter. All decisions will be released by the published deadlines.

Why have other applicants received decisions already?
Each department manages their admissions a little differently. Some review committees make decisions earlier than others. We do not always know when they will begin making decisions. We can only guarantee that you will receive a decision response by our published deadlines.

Do you require my transcript be evaluated by a transcript evaluation service?
No. We do not require applicants use these services.

Do you accept transcript evaluations from third-party services?
You may submit a "course-by-course"+ degree evaluation from a third-party evaluation service but if you do so, you must also submit the transcript from your institution. We suggest World Education Services (WES) or another evaluation service who is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).

When should I send my official transcript(s)?
Official transcripts should be sent only after an offer of admission is accepted. We will request official transcripts and send instructions for submission to admitted students.

Can I submit my official scores after an admission offer?
No. Official scores should be sent by the application deadline.  We will not give an admissions decision without first receiving the official test scores.

What is the minimum GRE score?
There is no specific minimum GRE requirement.

Can I report the best score in each subject from multiple GRE tests?
No. You should not mix and match various scores from multiple tests. You must list each test date separately in the application.

Do you accept TOEFL MyBest scores?
No. We do not accept MyBest scores.

Do you accept the Duolingo English Test?
No. We do not accept this test for our application.

When will official scores appear on my application?
Official test scores will link to your application once your official scores are available from the testing agency.

Note: The application system will not link scores to an application in which the name or date of birth is entered differently than the information shared with the testing agency. If you believe there is a discrepancy between your application and the testing agency information, please contact us so we can check your scores.

Can I submit my application before my recommenders submit their letters?
Yes, but the letters of recommendation must be received by the application deadline or before the end of any allotted grace period. Note, it is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure all letters of recommendation are received by the deadlines.

How do I resend a letter of recommendation request?
Log into your application account. Select the application, and then click “Open Application”. Select the recommendations page link, choose your recommender's name, and click “Send Reminder”.

My recommender did not receive the recommendation link. What should I do?
First, have your recommender check their junk/spam folder. If their email account has protections in place to block the email delivery, you may need to ask your recommender for a secondary email address to use.

To update the email address, log into your application account. Select the application, and then click “Open Application”. Select the recommendations page link, choose your recommender's name, and click “Exclude”. Then you will be able to add your recommender to your application with the updated email address.

How do I change a recommender once I submit my application?
Log into your application account. Select the application, and then click “Open Application”. Select the recommendations page link, choose the recommender's name you wish to remove, and click “Exclude”. Then you will be able to add your new recommender.

Why is the letter of recommendation status showing as “Awaiting” after my recommender submitted their letter?
The letters of recommendation status does not update automatically after submission; thus there may be a short delay of up to 1 business day before the status is updated.