MIT Graduate Admissions Policy Update

The department of Mechanical Engineering will not require GRE scores for applications for graduate admission for 2024, nor will we use GRE scores as a basis for evaluating candidates for admission in the 2024 application process. The exception is for applicants to the 2N program (Naval Construction and Engineering). Please refer to 2N admissions information or faculty for admissions details as this program may have additional requirements.


General Admissions Information

Applications to the Mechanical Engineering (MechE) Graduate Program are accepted from persons who have completed, or will have completed by the time they arrive, a Bachelor’s degree.  Most incoming students will have a degree in mechanical engineering or ocean engineering. However, the department’s admission criteria are not specific in this regard, and talented students with backgrounds in other branches of engineering or in science may apply.
 
To qualify for a graduate degree, applicants are expected to have at least an undergraduate-level exposure to most of the core MechE disciplines (solid mechanics, dynamics, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, materials, control, design and manufacturing), and to be familiar with basic electric circuits and electromagnetic field theory.  Admitted students who are deemed deficient in these areas may be asked to make up courses in certain areas before they graduate.  The make-up courses may be at the undergraduate-level (in which case they are relatively elementary and usually cannot be applied toward graduate credit), or at the graduate-level (in which case they carry graduate credit).
 
The processing of applications for graduate study is done entirely by the Department. The MechE Graduate Admissions Officer, together with a faculty committee, reviews all applications, rank-orders them, and admits the number of applicants that the Department expects it can accommodate.

A completed application consists of:

  1. The completed application form
  2. Statement of Objectives
  3. Minimum of three letters of recommendation
  4. Uploaded official/unofficial copies of transcripts.  We will require official transcripts upon admission.
  5. GRE Not Required except for applicants to the 2N program (Naval Construction and Engineering). Please refer to 2N admissions information or faculty for admissions details as this program may have additional requirements.
  6. IELTS (preferred) or TOEFL for international students whose native language is not English. Note, we accept the Academic IELTS only (not General Training). Minimum acceptable score for IELTS = 7.0; TOEFL = 100 IBT.  Please ask British Council to send us the official IELTS score or ETS to send us the official TOEFL score (Inst. code 3514 and Dept. code 68). We will accept the TOEFL Home Edition as long as the result is officially sent to us from TOEFL directly.  
    The IELTS/TOEFL will be waived for any student graduating from a US school. Students whose citizenship is from India are exempt from taking the IELTS or TOEFL exam.

Application Process

The application website (see link below) is now available as of September 15, 2023 for students who wish to apply for graduate admission in September 2024. The deadline for submitting completed applications is December 15, 2023.

Applicants to the MIT MechE graduate program should apply using the MechE online admissions site: https://apply.mit.edu/apply/

For any questions not answered by the FAQs, please send inquiries to megradoffice@mit.edu.

Graduate Degree Programs

The department offers the following degrees:

  1. Master of Science (SM)
  2. Master of Engineering in the discipline of Manufacturing Only (MEng) 
  3. Naval Engineer’s Degree
  4. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Doctor of Science (ScD)

Early Admission for MIT MechE Seniors

The intent of the Early Admission program is to allow MIT undergraduate students who are seniors with a high GPA, and who are ahead of the eight-term graduation schedule, to spend time in the Spring Term of the senior year to start on their graduate work. We encourage applications from seniors with a GPA of 4.8 and above. An important part of the application will be a statement explaining how you intend to use the Spring Term in preparation for Graduate School. All applications should include a separate statement (although this can be a paragraph or two included at the end of your statement of objectives) that outlines how you will spend the Spring Term. It should include:

  1. The remaining undergraduate commitments that you will need to satisfy during the Spring Term.
  2. How you will use the Spring Term to make a start on your Graduate work, either by taking graduate classes and/or by working with a faculty member on a potential thesis project. It would be very helpful if you are able to identify a faculty member who has agreed to work with you.

The application website will open on September 15. GRE scores are not required for the 2024 admissions period. The deadline for submitting your application for Early Admission is November 1, with decisions made by December 1. When requesting letters of recommendation, please let the letter writer know that the deadline is November 1. All applications for Early Admission that are not accepted will be automatically entered into the regular admission process, unless explicitly withdrawn by you. Applicants to the MIT MechE graduate program should apply using the MechE online admissions site.