Admissions

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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’s 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

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.

Application Fee Waiver for Graduate Applicants

In addition to the application fee waiver provided by Graduate School, the ME Department has a limited number of awards to encourage applications to the Department. These awards are mainly financial need based but could also be given to outstanding candidates who are applying to or have received certain fellowships. Preference will be given to those applicants interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in Fall 2027.

You may request a waiver of the application fee between August 1, 2026 – November 1, 2026 here.

Please note this is an opportunity separate from the Graduate School application fee waiver. You may apply to both Graduate School and the ME Department. If you have any questions about this survey, please contact the ME Graduate Office at graduate-office@me.utexas.edu. Do not contact the Graduate School Admissions Office as they do not manage this application.
 

Guidelines for Credit Transfer towards a Graduate Degree

To begin, review the Graduate School policy on credit transfer.  In compliance with the graduate school policy, the ME Department guidelines for graduate credit transfer are as follows.

For MS degree:

A maximum of six semester hours of graduate coursework in which the grade is A or B may be transferred to the Program of Work from another institution, but only on the basis of a petition by the Graduate Studies Committee and with the approval of the graduate dean. Detailed requirements for transfer of credit for MS degree can be found at: https://gradschool.utexas.edu/academics/policies/transfer-credit 

For PhD with a Master’s degree:

The doctoral Program of Work normally includes no more than six semester hours of courses transferred from another university. The Graduate School recognizes that the academic background of each doctoral student is different, and exceptions to the six-hour maximum may be granted with approval of the Graduate Studies Committee.

Department of Mechanical Engineering does not allow course transfer towards PhD degree, unless the student transfers with his/her supervisor, in which case more than six hours of credits may be transferred with the approval of the GSC through a GSC vote. If such a student petitions no more than six credits, a GSC vote is not needed.

For Direct PhD degree:

If the student is a direct PhD student, the rule is to be compatible with course transfer for the MS degree, which allows six credits transferred from another institution. A petition needs to be submitted and approved by the GSC Chair.