Frequently Asked Questions

• Masters: An MSE with Thesis requires 30 credit hours (24 coursework hours + 6 thesis hours)
• Doctorate: The number of hours required to receive a Ph.D. vary based on the program of work that a student's dissertation committee decides on.
• For more information of the degree requirements please refer to our Student Handbook.

• Coursework can be reviewed here. For more information please review the University of Texas Course Schedule.

• Please see the “People” tab above and choose “Faculty Directory”. If looking for faculty who specifically supervise MS&E program students, please see "Graduate Studies Committee".

• Graduates of the MS&E Program at UT Austin have an exceptional range of job opportunities within the high technology sector, academia, or at national laboratories throughout the US and abroad.

• No, all of the necessary information can be found here on our website. If you have any questions that we have not addressed please feel free to e-mail the MS&E Graduate Coordinator: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

• Since our program is heavily research-based, we tend to admit only Ph.D. students. Only under special circumstances and when initiated by faculty members, M.S. degrees may be granted. At this time, M.S. students are not being admitted and M.S. inquiries might go unanswered. It is the responsibility of the applicant to reach out to faculty and inquire about such positions.

• Yes, both degree plans are open to domestic and international students.

• No, there is no pre-admission screening process. We cannot tell you whether or not you will likely be admitted. Our admissions committee reviews completed applications immediately following the deadlines.

• There are no specific requirements for admission to the MS&E program but applicants would benefit greatly from having a B.S. degree in physical sciences (chemistry, physics) or engineering disciplines. Generally, these majors have similar requirements for math (calculus and differential equations), chemistry and physics (for scientists and engineers) that are the underpinnings of MS&E. Biology and non-science majors usually have not completed these courses.

• The Graduate School requires a 3.0/4.0 in upper-division courses to apply. GPAs below a 3.0 may, in rare cases, be admitted with conditions. GPAs above the minimum do not guarantee admission to the program. For more information on admissions requirements visit the Office of Graduate Studies Requirements of Graduate Admission.

• No. We do not admit students who already have a graduate degree in a similar field for a duplicate second degree. Masters students interested in a PhD are welcome, but students seeking a second Masters or second PhD who already hold that degree in a similar field (metallurgy, materials, ceramics, polymers, etc.) should not apply.

• There is no minimum score required by MS&E and we do not require any special subject tests.
• Keep in mind this score IS NOW REQUIRED for 2024 admissions (Spring/Fall 2024, Spring 2025) and so on. The COVID-19 waiver no longer applies. 
• For more information on test scores see the Graduate School

The Graduate School requires:

• A score of 79 (internet based test) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

OR

• A 6.5 on the Academic Examination of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
• Scores above the minimum do not guarantee admission and please keep in mind that TOEFL scores are only valid for 2 years following the test date. Our program does not accept expired test scores.

• For purposes of the TOEFL or IELTS requirement, international applicants are exempt only if they are from a country where English is the sole official language and the primary conversational language of the country. In some countries, English is but one of the officially recognized languages or it is not the primary language used to communicate outside of the classroom.

  Students from the following countries are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement:

  • American Samoa
  • Australia
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Canada (except Quebec)
  • Dominica
  • Ghana
  • Grenada
  • Grand Cayman
  • Guyana
  • India
  • Ireland
  • Jamaica
  • Kenya
  • Liberia
  • New Zealand
  • Nigeria
  • Singapore
  • Trinidad/Tobago
  • Turks and Caicos Islands
  • United Kingdom
  • U.S. Pacific Trus
• GRE scores CAN NO LONGER BE WAIVED.  

• Spring admissions: October 1st of the previous year
• Fall admissions: December 15th of the previous year
• These deadlines are for both domestic and international students.
• These deadlines are for *all* application materials. Because of the highly competitive nature of our program we cannot accept late materials. Please plan accordingly and begin your application well before the deadline.

• No, we do not. We only accept transfers from other UT Austin programs in very rare circumstances. Generally speaking you will need to complete your current program and apply to ours like everyone else.

• No, we do not have a required page or word limit for the Statement of Purpose.

• As a department, we do not offer fee waivers. Our Graduate and International Admissions Center handles all other fee waivers. You can find more information here.

• We require three (3) letters of recommendation for your application. Please be mindful that all letters must be submitted via the application portal, so emailed or mailed letters will not be accepted.

• Please visit the Cockrell School of Engineering Graduate Admissions page. There is a checklist and detailed instructions.

• If you are reapplying within one year of your previous application, you will need to complete a new application, send new transcripts, and pay another fee. However, your test scores and recommendation letters will carry over from the previous application. You are more than welcome to update them if you like. If it has been over a year since you last applied, you will have to resubmit everything.

• Use the GPA Calculator on the Registrar’s page.
• All GPA information should be provided on a 4-point scale. Only upper division undergraduate and graduate courses should be used in this calculation.
• Keep in mind that the Graduate and International Admissions Center will calculate your official GPA for official purposes. 

• You will upload your supporting documentation via the online application portal. 

Can I submit any paper versions of application materials?

• No, we will not accept any paper copies of application materials. Please follow the instructions online carefully to ensure your application is completed by the deadline.

• No, to complete your application the fee must be paid.
• The Office of Graduate Studies may grant a fee waiver in rare cases based on documented financial need. Please visit their site for more information on requesting a waiver.

• You will be prompted to set one up during the application process. 
• For issues with an existing EID, please visit the UT EID site.
• Please do not create multiple EIDs for yourself. Only the EID that is sent to you via email acknowledging receipt of your application will be linked to your academic record. Your EID will be used as an identifier from this point forward so please include it in emails to the program so that we can better assist you.

• There is no separate financial application. Because we are a highly competitive program, all of our students generally receive funding. For most of our students, funding generally includes tuition benefits, healthcare, and a stipend.

• No, any outside financial support you apply for will be your responsibility.

• No, your application needs to be completed by the deadline. We will not allow edits after the fact. The application is open for months before the deadline, giving ample time to complete the requirements.

• Check your MyStatus page for all application updates and decisions.

• Using the “People” tab above, choose the faculty member whose research most closely resembles your interests. You are more than welcome to email the faculty member to introduce yourself and indicate your interest in their research group. Keep in mind that they will not give you any application assessment but they do control admissions. Be courteous and mindful that our faculty are very busy and may not reply immediately.

• For Fall admissions, we finalize all decisions by May 15.
• For Spring admissions, we finalize all decisions by November 15.
• You can monitor the status of your application via the MyStatus site and can email any questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
• All admitted applicants will be contacted directly via email notifying them of their admission and requesting further information. Students denied admission will be notified via the MyStatus site.

• Unfortunately no. We receive an incredibly large number of applications each year and due to legal restrictions, we cannot provide any additional information to applicants that are not offered admission. We receive and must turn away many highly qualified applicants each year.

• Check the MyStatus site for application updates and completion status. You can also use this site to remind your references of missing letters of reference.
• Keep in mind that it can take several weeks for your test scores to be matched with your online application. If you have received confirmation from ETS or IELTS that your test scores have been received by the university and processed, but you do not see them on MyStatus, the university is probably still in the matching process.

• Any updates must be submitted through the online application portal. Updates made after the deadline will not be viewed by the admissions committee so please be mindful of this when submitting your application.

• 20-40 students based on many factors including but not limited to faculty availability, quality of applicants, and funding.
• We do not have a set number or percentage of domestic or international students that we admit.