MS Express
The MS Express application is a simplified process of applying to Columbia Engineering's Master of Science programs available to currently enrolled juniors and seniors at Columbia Engineering, Columbia College, Barnard, General Studies and young alumni (young alumni are students who graduated from Columbia Engineering, Columbia College, Barnard, or General Studies within the last five years).
Columbia Engineering undergraduates and young alumni may apply to any engineering MS program using the express application.
Applicants from Columbia College, Barnard, or General Studies may apply to select engineering MS programs based on their undergraduate major and minor.
Check Your Program Eligibility
A minimum cumulative 3.30 GPA is required.
Applying to MS Express: Admissions in Waves
MS Express now reviews applications in four waves, so you can apply at the point that best fits your timeline, as early as the end of your junior year.
Wave | Deadline | Decisions |
|---|---|---|
Wave 1 — Junior Early Application | Late spring (end of junior year) | Summer before senior year. Students receive a direct admit or an admit pending review of first-semester senior-year grades. |
Wave 2 — Early Fall | October 26 | Before Thanksgiving |
Wave 3 — Priority | February 15 | March–April |
Wave 4 — Final | April 15 | May–June |
Juniors: the Junior Early Application (Wave 1) opens in Spring 2027. Seniors and young alumni apply through Waves 2–4.
Why apply through MS Express?
Apply up to 15 credits earned while an undergraduate toward a Columbia Engineering Master’s degree, provided these credits are not applied toward their Bachelor’s degree—thereby reducing the time required to complete the graduate degree.
New: If you don't transfer undergraduate credits, you may receive a tuition credit waiver of up to 6 credits, so every admitted student receives a meaningful tuition benefit:
0 credits transferred → 6-credit tuition waiver
3 credits transferred → 3-credit tuition waiver
6–15 credits transferred → you're already receiving the full credit-transfer benefit
During your senior year, you may save tuition by taking graduate courses at the undergraduate rate.
Advanced courses share prerequisites you may have already fulfilled in your undergraduate science and engineering coursework.
No application fee.
Application Requirements
- Official transcripts
- Personal statement
- Resume or CV
- Contact information for three reference providers
- No application fee required
Explore Accelerated Pathways
Columbia Engineering offers two accelerated pathways to graduate study.
- MS Express offers broader flexibility across disciplines and graduate program options, including recent alumni.
- Integrated BS/MS is designed for current students in certain majors pursuing both degrees in the same field.
Both pathways provide an efficient route to advanced study.