ECE Graduate Program Application Notes
Important notes about the application process
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
- Deadlines: JANUARY 15 for Fall admissions and OCTOBER 1 for Spring admissions
- The application for M.S. and Ph.D. programs in ECE can be accessed via the Graduate School's website. Only completed applications (with transcripts, resume, personal statement and recommendation letters) will be reviewed for admission by the ECE department.
- Processing of your application will be DELAYED if:
- you send it to our department
- you request a waiver of the fee
- all required materials are not submitted
- If you would like to be considered for an assistantship or fellowship, be sure to complete the relevant portion of the application form.
- TOEFL scores must be sent by Educational Testing Services (ETS) directly to UMass Amherst Graduate School, code: 3917, no departmental code.
- GRE is waived for Spring 2025 and Fall 2025 applications
- Due to the large volume of applicants to our graduate programs, we are UNABLE to give informal preliminary assessments or respond to status inquiries before April 15th for fall applicants.
- All final admissions decisions are made by the Graduate School. The Graduate School is solely responsible for informing all graduate applicants by letter of this decision.
- We have a large and extremely well-qualified applicant pool. Emphasis for admission is put on GPA, the personal statement (specified area of research interest), letters of recommendation, and previous degree curriculum. GPA's of our admitted applicants are generally above 3.25/4.0. Our faculty are looking for applicants with the highest potential for academic and research success.
- Current M.S. ECE students are expected to reapply for the Ph.D. degree, but current students do not need to submit credentials or pay the application fee. However, if there is a break in attendance between degree levels, payment of the application fee will be required. M.S. ECE students should submit current reference letters and a current statement of purpose. They may wish to submit any other credentials they want bring up to date.
Financial Assistance
It is the goal of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department to provide assistantships and/or fellowships to most graduate students whose degrees will culminate in the completion of a research project, thesis, or dissertation. Though limited in number, teaching assistant positions may be available for those either interested in teaching as a career, or involved in research projects that don’t have funding. Typically, tuition credits are part of the assistantship contract.
Employment
Our graduate education prepares students for academic positions or leadership positions in industry. Our alumni are sought after by leading companies such as General Electric, Microsoft, Google, Intel, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, MIT Lincoln Labs, MathWorks, Oracle, Qualcomm, Samsung, Opnet, Cisco, EMC Corporation, Microsoft, Motorola, Verizon, and Lucent Technologies, and government agencies such as NASA.