APPLICATION FEE
The application will not be considered complete and eligible for review until the application fee has been paid online during the application process. All applications received after the MS priority deadline will be charged an additional $30 late fee for processing.
| Domestic | International | |
| MS | $55 | $65 |
| PhD | Free w/ waiver | $65 |
Application Waiver Qualifications:
– Domestic PhD applicant (defined as a US citizen, PR card holder, asylee, or refugee). Unfortunately, fee waivers are not available to international applicants at this time.
– Applicants that have graduated / will graduate with a 3.5+ GPA from an ABET Accredited Engineering Program
– If you meet these qualifications, email the Graduate Student Coordinator to request a fee waiver
DEADLINES
| Program | Deadline | Fall 2024 | Spring 2025 |
| PhD | Priority Final (All) | January 1 April 1 | October 1 November 1 |
| MS | Priority Final (International) Final (Domestic) | April 1 May 1 June 30 | October 1 October 1 Dec 1 |
Applications for Spring and Fall 2025 will open in August.
- All graduate applications that are received after April 1 will be charged an additional $30 late fee for processing.
- PhD applications received by the PhD first priority deadline will be considered first for funding.
- All applications received after the final deadline may be rejected without consideration or recommended for admittance or re-application to a later semester.
PROGRAM GPA REQUIREMENTS
A 3.0+ GPA is required by the University of Utah. The following GPAs are highly recommended by the ECE department:
| Program | GPA | International |
|---|---|---|
| MS PhD | 3.2+ 3.5+ | China: 86+ percentile India: 80+ percentile Iran: 16.0+ GPA |
Records are not pre-evaluated. If your GPA and/or test scores are slightly below the cutoffs, please do not email asking about your scores. Applicants must make their own decision about whether or not to apply. Domestic applicants that do not meet required university scores should use the process detailed in the FAQ section below.
Please Note: The E-Learning MS degree is only available to domestic candidates.
ACADEMIC HISTORY
You must upload a separate transcript for each institution you have previously attended. Do not upload grade summary reports, degree audit reports, or credential evaluations. For schools that do not issue transcripts, please upload a mark sheet (and degree certificate, if applicable). All documents must be in English. If your original documentation is in a language other than English, please provide a certified English translation in addition to the original documentation.
If you are still in the process of completing a degree during the application process you must upload the most up-to-date transcript possible that show that you are currently enrolled in courses otherwise the system will hold your application and request that you submit a degree certificate.
Each transcript must contain the following information:
- Name of student
- Name of institution
- All semesters of enrollment
- Course numbers and names
- Credit hours
- Awarded grades
- Translations for non-English transcripts
All transcripts submitted with your application are considered unofficial and are used for initial admissions evaluation only. If you are admitted to the University of Utah, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to the end of your first semester of enrollment. Students will not be permitted to continue their enrollment until all official transcripts are received by the Office of Admissions (sent to us directly from the institution). The University of Utah reserves the right to require the submission of official credentials at any time during the admission review process.
Test scores will not be paired with an application until it has been submitted. The process of receiving and pairing official test scores with an applicant’s file can take 10-15 business days from the time that an application is submitted and/or the time that the applicant requests their test scores be sent to the University of Utah.
GRADUATE RECORDS EXAMINATION (GRE)
The GRE is waived for all applicants with a prior STEM degree. If a PhD applicant still chooses to submit GRE results, we recommend the following scores:
- Quantitative = 158+
- Analytical = 3.5+
- Verbal = 150+
Scores may be sent directly to the University of Utah using ETS Code 4853
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY (INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS)
English proficiency test scores must be submitted for all International Applicants.
| Test | Scores | How to Send Scores | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duolingo | Required: 105+ | Select Send Results (next to test results), and select the University of Utah as the receiving institution | – Native English speaking citizens of specific countries – Applicants that have graduated with a BS, MS, or PhD from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university within two years of admittance. This includes University of Utah students moving from one degree to another. READ MORE If you qualify for an exemption: Please email Graduate Admissions (graduate@utah.edu) to waive this requirement once your application has been submitted |
| IELTS | Required: 6.5+ Recommended: 7.5+ | Contact your testing center to have the score sent directly to the University of Utah | |
| TOEFL | Required: 80+ Recommended: 100+ | Scores may be sent directly to the University of Utah using ETS Code 4853 |
If your test scores are slightly below the cutoffs, please do not email asking us acceptance likelihood. Records are not pre-evaluated. After reading our application information, applicants must make their own decision about whether or not to apply.
FUNDING
Graduate Tuition Costs
International Expenses for I-20
The following are options that our graduate program accepts:
- Self-Pay
- Employer Reimbursem*nt
- Palace Acquire Program at Hill Air Force Base
- Scholarships
- Fellowships
- Tuition Benefits through Research / Teaching Assistantship – see below
MS Applicants: While teaching and research assistantships are available, these positions are very limited and competitively awarded. We strongly advise against relying on an assistantship to cover your graduate program expenses.
To be considered for a teaching assistantship, all applicants must complete our department’s TA training course during the semester prior to applying for a position. International students will also need to complete additional training and meet spoken English proficiency requirements. Read more about TA qualifications and prioritization.
PhD Applicants: If your application makes it past the first round of review the faculty will select which PhD applicants they would like to hire as research assistants in their labs. If you are selected by a member of the faculty you will be accepted to our program and will be guaranteed funding through tuition benefits and a stipend.
We understand that funding is a major concern for many students, but we request that you:
- Do not send generic requests for employment to multiple professors
- Do not cold contact faculty repeatedly
If you have concerns about finances or funding, please review the links above.
FACULTY ADVISORS AND AREAS OF INTEREST
Required for PhD applicants, optional for MS applicants – The application will ask which research areas interest you and with whom you might like to work. Applicants may list any ECE faculty members here. Applicants will be considered for assistantships based on the faculty member(s) and/or research interests indicated on the online application. Applicants may contact a research group website with coursework questions. View all ECE professors organized by research area
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
A .5 – 2 page statement or essay describing the applicant’s background, research interests, and reasons for pursuing a graduate degree in the University of Utah’s electrical and computer engineering department.
Applicants whose test scores are below, but close to the recommended score cutoffs, are allowed to use this space to petition the graduate committee for an admission exception by explaining the reasons for their low scores, how they have improved, and plans for how they will meet department graduate expectations if admitted. This process does not guarantee that applicants will be admitted as the department. Applicants that do not meet required university scores should use the process detailed in the FAQ section below.
RESUME / CV
The online admission system will request a resume or curriculum-vitae (CV) detailing your relevant work history and research experience – seestudent resume samples
RECOMMENDATION CRITERIA
- Contact information for 3 recommendation providers
- Recommendations should come from current or former professors who have direct coursework or research experience with the applicant, or a direct supervisor who from a field related to electrical and computer engineering
- Letters of Recommendations can be submitted, but are not required
Our system will contact your recommendation providers directly to submit a recommendation on your behalf through our online system. All recommendations must be completed online.
You are required to have at least 3 individuals submit recommendations on your behalf. If you are concerned that any of the individuals may not complete their recommendation forms in a timely manner, you are welcome to provide contact information for more recommenders. When at least 3 recommenders have completed their online forms then your application will be allowed to move through the system.
APPLICATION PROCESS AND TIMELINE
PhD Decision Deadline: March 18
Please note that our decision deadline applies to all applications received by the ECE department by March 15. Our decision deadline allows our department to support preferred candidates with the April 15 Resolution and allows international candidates the time needed for I-20 processing.
All offers have currently been extended, any new applicants will be denied or wait listed.
