The Graduate School of Engineering at Northeastern is a top-ranked and highly selective R1 research university, with an innovative educational approach that combines rigorous academics with experiential learning, including our signature cooperative education program. We invite you to learn about the Graduate School of Engineering, and our MS, PhD and Certificate programs offered across our global network of campuses.
Apply today to join our community of talented engineering graduate students and begin your journey to advancing your career in your chosen field.
Early Action Deadline | Final Deadline | |
Fall Semester Entry | ||
PhD Applicants (All) | December 1 | June 1 |
International (MS) Applicants (outside the U.S. and Canada) | December 1 | June 1 |
International (MS) Applicants (inside the U.S. and Canada) | December 1 | July 1 |
Domestic U.S. and Canada (MS) Applicants | December 1 | August 1 |
MS Applicants to Online Programs | N/A | August 1 |
Spring Semester Entry | ||
All international applications to Toronto and Vancouver | N/A | August 15 |
All international applications outside of the United States to the United States campuses | N/A | October 1 |
All domestic and international applications inside the United States | N/A | December 1 |
All domestic students inside of Canada | N/A | December 1 |
Applications submitted by the above referenced dates will receive full consideration for the referenced term.
In order to be minimally qualified to pursue admission through the Graduate School of Engineering, a candidate must have successfully completed or is in the process of completing an undergraduate bachelor’s degree in engineering or a technology degree in a closely related major from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, or its equivalent from a foreign college or university. Students with non-engineering bachelor’s degrees are eligible for some graduate engineering degree programs. View available programs and eligibility requirements.
Any offer of admission is contingent upon a candidate’s successful completion of an undergraduate bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, or its equivalent from a foreign college or university.
The application is to be completed online. (Paper applications are not accepted.)
$100 USD to be paid online by credit card for PhD applicants.
The application fee is waived for all new applicants applying to any of our Master of Science or Graduate Certificates for the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 application terms.
Note to PhD applicants from Iran: For inquiries related to difficulties and delays regarding payment of the application fee, please send an inquiry and include a copy of your resume/CV via email attachment to email@example.com.
Two letters of recommendation are required. Letters of recommendation may be either academic or professional in nature but should be from individuals familiar with technical, professional, and personal qualifications.
At the time of application submission, we require unofficial copies of your transcripts from all institutions in which you earned a Bachelor’s degree equivalent or higher. Official transcripts and degree certificates will be required if and after admission to the Graduate School of Engineering.
To upload unofficial transcripts to your application properly, follow the below steps:
- Create scanned versions of your transcripts in PDF format (up to 500 KB in size)
- When prompted to do so in the application, upload and attach transcripts to the online application
- Transcript Upload Requirements:
- Scanned transcripts must be readable and include all courses, grades, (i.e. marks, scores, etc.) and credits completed to date.
- If a transcript(s) and/or degree certificate(s) are issued in a language other than English, an English translation must accompany the native language documents. An English translation only will not be deemed sufficient. For those who have completed a four-year undergraduate degree program, a minimum of six semesters of course, grade, and credit information must be present; for those who have completed a three-year undergraduate degree program, a minimum of four semesters must be present.
- Include the reverse side of the transcript when uploading to your application. Any additional grading scale information or transcript legends included on the transcript should also be included in the scanned copy. Typically, such grading scale information is on the backside of the documents or is on a separate page.
- For students whose degree program is currently in progress, if the degree program is not indicated on the transcript provided, please upload an official Enrollment Verification. This will be a letter issued from your institution on letterhead that will include the following: Name, degree program currently enrolled in, and expected graduation date.
- For country specific document requirements, please visit this site.
Include a Statement of Purpose.
Include your resume.
Northeastern University is GRE test-optional and does not require applicants to submit standardized testing to be considered for admission. Northeastern is committed to partnering with you, your family, and your educational institution to support your individual needs. Please note if you decide to self-report the GRE on your application, it will be considered as part of the admissions review process, and you will need to submit official verified test scores to complete your application file.
As of fall 2023, the Department of Chemical Engineering will not accept or review the GRE if submitted.
Applicants who are non-U.S. citizens or non-U.S. permanent residents, regardless of the applicant’s undergraduate language of instruction must submit official TOEFL, IELTS, and/or Duolingo scores. TOEFL iBT and TOEFL Home Edition are acceptable.
Applicants are exempt from the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo exam requirement if they are citizens of, hold, or will hold a degree from an accredited institution located in Anguilla, Antigua, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada (except Quebec), Cayman Islands, Dominica, Ghana, Grenada, Greenland, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica , Kenya, Liberia, New Zealand, Nigeria, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, South Africa, Tanzania, Tobago, Trinidad, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States of America, US Virgin Islands, Zambia, or Zimbabwe.
Minimum Score Requirement:
TOEFL: 79 overall (internet-based)
IELTS: 6.5. overall
Note: Applicants to the Electrical and Computer Engineering department are required to submit the minimum score requirement:
Note: The Computer Science concentration of the Robotics program is offered jointly with Khoury College of Computer Sciences and follows Khoury’s English proficiency requirements. The Computer Science concentration does not accept the Duolingo English Test and has higher thresholds for the IELTS and TOEFL. Please visit Khoury’s Master’s Apply webpage for specific minimum score requirements. Prospective students interested in the Robotics program who have taken the Duolingo English Test are encouraged to apply to the Electrical and Computer Engineering or Mechanical Engineering concentrations.
TOEFL: Send scores via ETS, Institution code is 3665; no department code is needed.
IELTS: Please have your official scores sent directly from the testing center to Northeastern University.
Duolingo: Upon completion of the test, please select College of Engineering at Northeastern University to receive your scores
If you do not meet the minimum TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo requirements and you are intending to apply to a graduate engineering program at the Master of Science level, you are encouraged to apply first to Northeastern University’s Global Pathways Program, where you can boost your English language skills and academic knowledge before beginning your engineering coursework.
NOTE: Students applying to our Canadian campuses who are eligible for, and wish to apply for, a Study Permit via Student Direct Stream (SDS), please ensure you meet the four language abilities requirements: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Visit the Government of Canada’s Student Direct Stream – Language test for more information on in-person language test options.
Students not applying via SDS are welcome to apply with TOEFL or IELTS.
Note that every element of any applicant’s background is considered in the admissions process, that there is no single factor that determines whether or not a candidate is admitted, that there are no guarantees of admission for any applicant, and the decision rests solely with the appropriate faculty admissions committee.
Students with non-engineering bachelor’s degrees are eligible for some graduate engineering degree programs. View available programs and eligibility requirements.
To contact an International Recruitment Global Representative, use the following email addresses:
- firstname.lastname@example.org (China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Mongolia)
- email@example.com (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bhutan)
- firstname.lastname@example.org (Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, and the Philippines)
- email@example.com (anything south of the US/Mexico border)
- firstname.lastname@example.org (Middle East and North Africa)
- email@example.com (rest of world)
Lingyun Sun will host weekly drop-in office hours for admitted Chinese students (conducted in Mandarin) starting on Tuesday, May 14th at 7:00-8:00pm Beijing Time.
Have questions on your application? View frequently asked questions and also please feel free to contact us through Graduate Student Support Center.
Are you interested in admissions consideration to more than one graduate level Master of Science program offered by the College of Engineering? Note that the graduate application will allow applicants to select their primary program of interest, but applicants can also indicate their interest in one to two additional, alternative programs. Before you apply, we encourage you to explore our entire menu of Master of Science programs to determine your programs of highest interest so you can make the most appropriate selections within the application.