Admission Requirements

Please visit the M.Eng. Admissions Page for general information about applying to an M.Eng. program.
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Application Deadlines – M.Eng. On Campus

  • Fall Semester

    May 31

  • Spring Semester

    Not Available

Early Admit Pathway Deadline (for Cornell Undergraduates only)

If you are a Cornell undergraduate who wants to pursue an M.Eng., we offer an early admission option that allows you to get a head start on your graduate work. You may apply during your last semester as an undergraduate if you have no more than eight credits remaining to complete your bachelor’s degree.

For more information, visit Early Admission for Cornell Undergraduates.

  • Spring Early Admit

    (Apply for fall semester M.Eng. admittance.)

    November 1

  • Fall Early Admit

    (Apply for spring semester M.Eng. admittance.)

    May 31

Requirements

Minimum of a Baccalaureate Degree

  • Your undergraduate degree should be preferably in engineering, mathematics, or science, and conferred by an accredited college or university. For students with foreign credentials, the equivalent from a college or university of recognized standing. See the Graduate School’s International Degree Equivalencies for more information.
  • As an undergraduate, you should have taken at the minimum, differential calculus, integral calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations as math courses. For Cornell undergrads, MATH 1910, MATH 1920, MATH 2930, MATH 2940, and a mathematics course chosen by the major are required.

Course in Probability and Statistics

  • An undergraduate course in probability and statistics is required to matriculate into the System Engineering program.
  • If not already completed at the time of admission, this requirement may be satisfied by completing ENGRD 2700 or CEE 3040. 
  • Students may complete a similar course at another university upon approval of the Curriculum Committee. You will be required to submit a transcript as verification that this course has been completed before the end of your first semester in the program.
  • Please review these additional guidelines regarding the probability and statistics requirement for incoming students.

Please see the Graduate School’s Admissions page or the Cornell Engineering’s M.Eng. Application Guide for more information, and click the title of each section below for detailed instructions from the Graduate School.

Academic Statement of Purpose

Your Academic Statement of Purpose should state your reasons for undertaking graduate work, as well as an explanation of your academic interests, including their relation to your undergraduate study and professional goals. Visit the Graduate School’s Academic Statement of Purpose page for detailed instructions

Personal Statement

Your Personal Statement should provide the Admissions Committee with a sense of you as a whole person, and you should use it to describe how your personal background and experiences influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree.

Unofficial transcripts 

  • Include transcripts from each college or university previously attended.
  • Please note that there are only up to three fields for listing schools attended. If you attended more than three colleges or universities, you must upload those transcripts in the writing sample portion of the application.
  • If you have appropriate supplemental documents such as an undergraduate research paper, resume and awards, upload them in the writing sample portion of the application.

Letters of recommendation

  • Two letters of recommendation are required for the M.Eng. degree.
  • Additional letters are accepted.
  • Recommenders may submit their letters online. Once an application is submitted, recommenders receive an automated email soliciting their letter (you will be prompted to provide their contact information before you submit your application).
  • Recommenders may also email systemseng@cornell.edu letters to the Systems Engineering Office.

Official GRE general test scores

  • The GRE is currently not required.

English Language Proficiency

Scores from either TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic are required to assess the student’s proficiency with the English language. For the M.S., TOEFL is not required from international applicants who have previously studied for at least four years in an English-speaking country. (is this true for all degrees?)

We require minimum scores for each section plus a minimum cumulative score:

  • TOEFL
    • M.Eng. – We require an overall minimum score of 105 plus the following minimum scores for each section. For further information on this requirement as well as exemptions, please see the Cornell Engineering’s M.Eng. Application Guide
      • Speaking – 22
      • Reading – 20
      • Listening – 15
      • Writing – 20
  • IELTS
    • M.Eng. Overall minimum band score of 7.5

Financial support 

  • The Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) degree is self-funded. Financial aid for professional graduate students at Cornell is limited and based wholly on merit. Find out about the funding sources available to M.Eng. students by visiting the M.Eng. Paying for Your Degree page.

Application fee of $105

  • Cornell University expects all applicants to complete their application materials without the use of paid agents, credentials services, or other paid professional assistance. The use of such services violates university policy and may lead to the rejection of application materials, the revocation of an admissions offer, cancellation of admission, or involuntary withdrawal from the university.