Bulletin

Graduate Admissions

Office of Graduate Student Services
The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science
Columbia University
524 S. W. Mudd, Mail Code 4708
500 West 120th Street
New York, NY 10027

Phone: 212-854-6438 Fax: 212-854-5900
E-mail: seasgradmit@columbia.edu
Apply online at: www.engineering.columbia.edu

The basic requirement for admission as a graduate student is a bachelor's degree received from an institution of acceptable standing. Ordinarily, the applicant will have majored in the field in which graduate study is intended, but in certain programs, preparation in a related field of engineering or science is acceptable. The applicant will be admitted only if the undergraduate record shows promise of productive and effective graduate work.

Students who hold an appropriate degree in engineering may apply for admission to study for the Ph.D. degree. However, students are required to obtain the master's degree first. Applications for admission as a doctoral candidate may be made after completion of 15 points of work as a candidate for the master's degree.

Students may be admitted in one of the following six classifications: candidate for the M.S. degree, candidate for the M.S. degree leading to the Ph.D. degree, candidate for the professional degree, candidate for the Doctor of Engineering Science degree, candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy degree (see also the bulletin of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences), or special student (not a degree candidate). Note: Not more than 15 points of credit completed as a special nondegree student may be counted toward a degree.

Application Requirements

Application materials may be obtained by contacting the Office of Graduate Student Services (see address above), or from our Web site (also above). The forms obtained should be filed in accordance with instructions accompanying the application. When filing the application, the candidate should obtain one official transcript from each postsecondary institution attended and submit them in the original sealed envelope with the application forms. Consideration for admission will be based not only on the completion of an earlier course of study, but also upon the quality of the record presented and upon such evidence as can be obtained concerning the candidate's personal fitness to pursue professional work.

Additionally, candidates must provide three letters of recommendation and the results of required standardized exams. The Graduate Record Examination (general) is required for all candidates. GRE scores are valid for five years from the test date. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of all candidates who received their bachelor's degree in a country in which English is not the official and spoken language. TOEFL scores are valid for two years from the test date. Applicants can only apply to one degree program per admission term.

English Proficiency Requirement

Admitted graduate students who are required to submit official TOEFL results must attain levels of proficiency as described below. Students will not be cleared for graduation unless they satisfy the following requirements:

• M.S. and Professional Degree candidates must reach level 8 on the English Placement Test (EPT) offered by Columbia's American Language Program (ALP).
• Ph.D. and Eng.Sc.D. candidates must attain level 10 on the English Placement Test (EPT) offered by Columbia's American Language Program (ALP).

The EPT is administered in two parts. Part I is a multiple-choice exam and Part II is an essay. Students are required to take both parts, and a level 8 must be scored on Part I in order to take Part II.

The EPT must be taken at Orienta-tion (the fee for this administration of the exam will be covered by SEAS). A student who misses this administration of the EPT must take the exam at his or her own expense at the beginning of the first semester enrolled and submit the official score to the Graduate Student Services Office. (CVN students are exempt from the EPT.)

A student who does not pass the EPT at the required level of proficiency must retake it at his or her own expense until the required level of proficiency is achieved. The ALP may regulate how often the examination is taken.
It is strongly recommended that students enroll in an appropriate ALP course if they have not achieved the required proficiency after the first examination. For more information on the administration of the EPT, please contact the Graduate Student Services Office.

Application Fees

A nonrefundable application processing fee of $60 is required of all degree and nondegree applicants who apply using a hard-copy or online application. Failure to submit the application fee can delay processing of application materials.
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Graduate Admission Calendar

Applicants are admitted twice yearly, for the fall and spring semesters.

• Fall admission application deadlines: December 1, for Ph.D., Eng.Sc.D., and M.S. leading to Ph.D. programs, and applicants to the M.S. program in financial engineering. February 15, for professional, M.S. only, and nondegree applicants.
• Spring admission application deadlines: October 1, for all departments and degree levels.

Applicants who wish to be considered for scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships should file complete applications for fall admission.

One-Term Special Student Status

Individuals who meet the eligibility requirements, who are U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents, and who wish to take courses for enrichment, may secure faculty approval to take up to two graduate-level courses for one term only as a one-term special student. This option is also appropriate for individuals who missed applications deadlines. Applications for special student status are available at the Office of Graduate Student Services and must be submitted during the first week of the fall or spring semester.

If a one-term special student subsequently wishes either to continue taking classes the following term or to become a degree candidate, a formal application must be made through the Office of Graduate Student Services.