It is recommended that both masters and doctoral applicants to the Mechanical Engineering program apply for the Fall semester, as extremely limited funding is available during the Spring. Any spring funding that may be available is reserved for doctoral students. Competitive spring applicants are only granted admission under special and rare circumstances.
Note: This does not apply to current students seeking admission to the BSME/MSE Integrated program.
GRE Update: Applications to the M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Mechanical Engineering no longer require the submission of GRE scores. Submitting these scores is optional. The admission committee uses a holistic approach to admissions, reviewing all parts of the application to get a picture of each applicant’s academic and professional background, life experiences, interests and goals, and fit with our program offerings.
Note: The GRE is required for M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering.
Requirements
To be eligible for graduate study in mechanical engineering, students must satisfy the following minimum requirements:
- Have a minimum 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average (GPA) in junior- and senior-level work and in any graduate work already completed.
- Hold a bachelor of science degree in physical sciences (e.g., chemistry, physics) or in an engineering discipline from an accredited institution.
- TOEFL or IELTS (international students only)
- Submit official transcripts from previous colleges or universities
- Statement of Purpose - Make sure you upload your Statement of Purpose and Resume (or CV) when you come to those sections on the application. Your Statement of Purpose should describe your reasons for pursuing graduate study and your academic and professional interests and goals. Please make sure these documents are edited to your liking before you upload them, for they cannot be deleted once they have been uploaded to your application.
- Three Letters of Recommendation - Make sure you enter the valid e-mail address of each referee you want to submit a recommendation for you when you get to that section on the application. Please use the university domain address for each professor you are requesting a reference. Once you have completed this section of the application, a notice will be sent to each referee showing them where to complete a recommendation for you in our online system. Three is the minimum number of recommendations required to accompany your application. You are welcome to add more.
Deadlines
The application process may take several weeks to complete; you should apply well in advance of the deadline to ensure adequate time to submit all required items. After you apply, keep up with it all by monitoring MyStatus.
Fall Semester
ALL materials are due by: December 1st
Fall 2025 International Applicants Only: Because the availability of testing centers is sparse in some regions of the world, we accept official TOEFL/IELTS & GRE scores until January 15th. This means they must be submitted by then, not that you can take your exam until January 15th.
Spring Semester
ALL materials are due by October 1st.
ME Application Process
Applicants are required to review a complete overview of the application process on the Graduate School Website. The process below should be used as a general guideline for what to expect when applying.
Step 1: Complete the ME application form
Please note that applications can take 2-3 business days to load to the University of Texas at Austin system after submission of the application form.
Step 2: Pay the Application Fee
You will pay your application fee via your MyStatus 2-3 business days after submission of the application form. You will not be able to submit any required materials (test scores, transcripts, etc.) until you have paid the application fee.
If you plan to use an application fee waiver, make sure to apply early as the waiver can take 3-4 weeks to process.
Step 3: Submit Transcripts
After satisfying the application fee, provide an official transcript from every senior college you have attended. Unofficial transcripts are not accepted.
Step 4: Submit Test Scores
International students applying to UT Austin must submit an official score report demonstrating an adequate knowledge of English. The university generally receives scores four to six weeks after a test is taken if the university is designated as a score recipient at the time of testing. Plan ahead!
Step 5: Submit Additional Departmental Requirements
See above for a complete list of requirements for the ME program.
