Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, international students are eligible for CPT and OPT. For an overview, please thoroughly review the ISSS homepage. This program is considered a STEM program and therefore, students are eligible for a STEM extension on their OPT. Please note, the M.Eng.ME on-campus advisor serves in the role of department contact for any necessary approvals for CPT, OPT, program extensions, reduced course loads, and other requests. 

On-campus students typically have a maximum of 3 semesters to complete their degree. Extensions may be considered on a case-by-case basis as needed with the on-campus academic advisor. Course planning with an academic advisor will help each student with their individualized academic plan. Students enrolled in the online program typically study part-time while working full-time and therefore have up to 5 years to complete the program. If an online student needs an extension beyond 5 years they may request an extension through the Graduate College petition process.

Students in the M.Eng.ME program may not hold an RA or TA position, as they are ineligible for Board of Trustee (BOT) tuition-waiver-generating assistantships at the University of Illinois. The department does not offer scholarships or fellowships for M.Eng.ME students; however, students are welcome to apply for external fellowships or scholarships. In addition, M.Eng.ME students are eligible for hourly work on campus. Students may learn about on campus job opportunities on the virtual job board. Another good job source is the Research Park Virtual Job Board. Engineering Career Services is a center devoted to assisting Grainger Engineering students with their career development. We highly recommend students utilize this valuable resource as much as possible. 

Please refer to the Graduate College's Quick Guide for information on essential first steps!

You will find information about each class on Course Explorer. This information describes the type of class (i.e., online, Lecture-Discussion, Lab), who can take the class (under Restrictions), prerequisite coursework, and Section Type. Under "Type," it should describe if a class is online or in person (Lecture-Discussion). Further, some classes are offered online and may have sections that are designated only for online students, while other sections may be for on-campus students. An example of this is TE 460. Looking at CRN 56934, one can see that this is an in-person synchronous class because there is a meeting time and class location. CRN 69707 is an online class and section letters ONC mean that it is designated for on-campus students, while CRN 60408 is an online section, and section letters ONL mean that it is restricted to online students. Students will receive an error message if they try to register for the wrong section. Please contact your program advisor at mechse-meng@illinois.edu if you are having registration problems. 

Admitted students may defer admission for up to one calendar year. For example, if you have been admitted for Fall 2025 and are unable to attend during that semester, you may make a request to defer to Spring 2026 or Fall 2026. To defer admission, please go to your Application portal and you will have the option of electing to defer your admission to a future term. Please select the term to which you would like to be enrolled. You must also email the M.Eng.ME program advisors (mechse-meng@illinois.edu) to notify them of your decision to defer.