Applying to MechSE Graduate Programs

Applicants should have or be in their final year of a BS in Mechanical Engineering or a closely-related field from an accredited college in the United States or an approved institution of higher learning abroad. Other Engineering disciplines, Math, and Physics are considered closely-related fields. 



Deadlines to know

The final deadline to apply to MS and PhD programs for Spring 2024 is October 2, 2023.
The final deadline to apply to MS and PhD programs for Fall 2024 is January 22, 2024 (with priority deadline of December 15, 2023).

The final deadline to apply to M.Eng.ME programs for Fall start is May 15, 2024.
The final deadline to apply to M.Eng.ME programs for Spring start is October 1, 2023.

International students needing visa support should apply early to ensure time for visa processing to occur. 

Announcements

Application Fee Waiver Programs

Domestic PhD applicants (US citizens and USLPRs) who have a current GPA of 3.5/4.0 or above will receive an application fee waiver for their PhD applications. Please select "application fee waiver" when you submit your application and cite 'GPA' as the reason for the request.

Applicants with outstanding qualifications and limited financial resources are encouraged to inquire about waivers of the application fee. 

Please contact mechse-grad@illinois.edu if you have any questions about application fee waivers for PhD programs.

Big 10 Alliance also has an application fee waiver program. Please see this link for more information:
https://btaa.org/resources-for/students/freeapp/eligibility

MS/PhD Admissions Deadline for Fall 2024 Applications
The MechSE Department will continue to accept applications to our MS and PhD programs until 11:59 PM Central Standard Time on January 22, 2024 (final deadline).  F1 visa holders should apply several weeks earlier to allow time for visa processing.

GRE Policy 
Currently, the Mechanical Science and Engineering Department is not accepting or reviewing GRE scores for any applicants for any of our graduate programs.

PhD Remote Registration Policy
MechSE does not have a distance PhD program. We allow one semester of remote registration during the academic career of a PhD student. Should a second remote semester be necessary, a written appeal would need to be submitted to the Graduate Programs Office and it would be reviewed on an individual basis.