Prospective MSE Student FAQ
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Frequently Asked Questions
To complete your application, you must:
- Complete all relevant sections of the online application.
- Fill out a personal statement.
- Upload one unofficial transcript for each college or university attended; international students must provide official English translations. Admitted students will need to submit an official transcript prior to matriculation. The official transcript should be sent to: Graduate Admissions, Research and Academic Services, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6391.
- Send official score reports from the Educational Testing Service (GRE, TOEFL) as applicable.
- Submit at least two letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a faculty member familiar with your academic performance. Recommendations must be submitted online.
- Include your application fee.
You do not need to send any additional information than what is stated in the application. You can choose to send additional information if you think that it would strengthen your application.
MEAM Master's Programs have two Application Cycle Deadlines for Fall:
November 15
March 15
In addition, the deadline for Integrated Product Design is February 1.
Applications that are full and complete will be reviewed only after each cycle has ended.
Typically, the department provides no financial aid for master's students. Learn more...
The Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
The GRE exam is required for applying to the MSE program. The GRE exam will not be waived for any reason. We do not have a firm minimum score to apply. Admission is competitive.
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
Foreign students whose native language is not English are recommended to submit an official TOEFL examination 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.
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 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.
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.
Motivated students whose bachelor's degree is not in mechanical engineering must have taken all of the following courses (or equivalent) in order to be eligible to apply:
- Math 104 Calculus I
- Math 114 Calculus II
- Math 240 Calculus III
- ENM 251 or MATH 241 Calculus IV
- MEAM 110 (or PHYS 150) Intro to Mechanics
Successful applicants to our program typically also have had undergraduate coursework in all or most of the following areas:
- Thermodynamics
- Solid Mechanics
- Fluid Mechanics
- Dynamics
- Heat and Mass Transfer
- Vibrations
In our graduate curriculum it is assumed that students have had all of the above coursework. Students who have not completed most of this coursework are unlikely to have the preparation needed to succeed in our program. Students with undergraduate majors in other Engineering disciplines or in Physics are most likely to be competitive applicants to our program.