Prospective PhD Student FAQ

Yes. You are welcome to send e-mail to meam@seas.upenn.edu.  Be sure to include your name, research area and contact information in the e-mail and we will have a student here at Penn contact you via e-mail.

All applications must be completed online. The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania no longer sends out paper applications. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. Click here to begin an online application. (Please note that you do not have to fill in the entire application in one sitting. You may come back and modify your application at any point of time before you submit it. When you finish the application please remember to submit your application.)

Please visit the following webpage for a complete list of application materials:

http://www.seas.upenn.edu/prospective-students/graduate/admissions.php

Online applications must be complete, with all required items received, by January 2.
** Please note that if you are applying to our Ph.D. degree program we only accept application for the fall semester.

Master's Degree
Typically, the department provides no financial aid for master's students. Learn more...

PhD Degree
A single application covers both admission and financial aid. A complete application including admission fee, which partially covers the processing cost of the admission materials, must be submitted by June 1 for fall semester candidates. However the deadline for financial aid consideration is January 2, hence those with financial needs must abide by this earlier application deadline. Learn more...

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
The GRE exam is required for applying to the MSE and PhD program. The GRE exam will not be waived for any reason if you are applying to the PhD program. The recommended GRE score, for PhD applicants, is a combined score of 2000 out of a possible 2400. GRE scores are evaluated as (Verbal Reasoning + Quantitative Reasoning + (133.33 * Analytical Writing)) which makes it a total of 2400. 

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
Foreign students whose native language is not English are required to submit an official TOEFL examination, recommended score of 100, 250 or 600 (depending on which test was taken) or better unless they have spent at least three years at an academic institution in an English speaking country. The requirement can be waived if the candidate has completed at least three years of academic work on a full-time basis at an institution in the United States or in another nation in which English is the official language.

Test Score Reporting Codes
The GRE & TOEFL reporting code is 2888.

You can apply to our graduate program in your senior year of undergraduate studies. You do not need an MSE degree to apply to our PhD degree program.

Master's Degree
MSE students may obtain credit for up to two courses taken at another institution. These courses are referred to as transfer courses. Transfer courses must be graduate level courses in which at least a B grade has been earned. Transfer credit will only be considered for courses taken prior to matriculation in the graduate program in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics. For further information please check guidelines here.

PhD Degree
A maximum of nine graduate-level course units (out of the 20 required) taken at another university may be accepted provided that the grade received in each course was at least a B, and subject to approval by the Graduate Group Chair and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and in accordance with the rules of the University at the time of admission, as found in the current SEAS catalog. The student who wishes such credit transfer must petition to the Graduate Group Chair. For further information please check guidelines here.

Applicants may reapply to the program in any year. Reapplying applicants will need to fill out a new application. If you wish to reuse prior application documents (such as transcripts) from your previous application please send e-mail to apo@seas.upenn.edu with your request. If you are reapplying, we recommend that you discuss how your qualifications have changed over the past year in your personal statement.

All applicants are required to submit at least two letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a faculty member familiar with your academic performance. If your graduation date was over five years prior to this application you may request a waiver of the faculty recommendation.

Master's Degree
If you were admitted to our MSE degree program, you may request a deferral of admission for up to one year. First you would need to submit the Admission Decision form, pay the acceptance fee, and include a brief letter requesting the deferral of admission. You will be notified in writing if your request is approved.

PhD Degree
Typically we do not grant deferral of admissions if you were admitted to our PhD degree program. All requests for deferral of admission should be sent to the Graduate Group Chair.

If your school does not use the GPA system please include your percentage (marks) and the scale in which it is based.

Normally we do NOT accept applications to our PhD program for the spring semester.  However, we do make exceptions for exceptional students.  You must first contact your potential advisor and get his permission.  After which you will apply to our program for the fall semester and then send e-mail to mebg@seas.upenn.edu requesting that your application be changed to the spring.