Admission Requirements & Information

Application Waiver: As of 9/15/2023, all PhD applicants can have their applications reviewed without paying the application fee. To be considered for a fee waiver: 1) fill out an application and 2) submit the application but do not pay the fee. After the application deadline (December 15), completed applications will undergo committee review (typically by the second week in January), and the application fee for admitted candidates will be waived. Please note: if you pay the application fee, you cannot be reimbursed.

Thank you for your interest in the Materials Science and Engineering (MSEG) graduate program at the University of Delaware. The MSEG graduate program offers world-class research and degree programs to equip students with the tools to solve some of the most pressing problems of the 21st century. Please visit our website for a short video about our program, as well as more information on our faculty and our many research areas: https://mseg.udel.edu/students/graduate/.

Admissions into MSEG is a holistic process, designed to consider all aspects of the applicant’s leadership, experience, training, and background. Typical applicants have a cumulative GPA (Grade Point Average) of 3.2 or above and must have a bachelor’s degree in the sciences, engineering, or mathematics fields from an accredited institution. The application requires 1) short-answer responses to a few questions, 2) unofficial transcripts, 3) resume/CV, 4) recommendation letters, and 5) personal statement. The application link below will describe what is needed for each item. The MSE Department does not require GRE scores. While completing your application please choose ‘Test Waivers’ then the ‘continue’ button to progress through the application.

The application deadline for fall admission is December 15th – Priority Consideration – and March 1st – Final Deadline. While the priority deadline ensures prompt review, all applications will be continually considered up until the March deadline. The number of offers extended depends on the number of open positions and availability of financial support. PhD applicants are typically admitted with full support (competitive stipend, tuition, and health benefits). Unfortunately, we do not offer support to master’s students. The application deadline for spring admission is November 1st.

The application forms and electronic processing instructions can be found at: https://grad.udel.edu/apply/. All information must be uploaded into your application while you are completing it. You DO NOT need to mail in any information/papers at this time. If you are admitted, you will be asked to send your “Official” transcripts at that time.

For those whose first language is not English: a required minimum TOEFL score of 79 (IBT) with a minimum speaking of 18 or 550 for paper-based. All students whose first language is not English and who have not received a degree from a college or university in which English is the primary language of the country MUST TAKE the TOEFL test.

Note that UD now offers a few alternatives to the TOEFL test: TOEFL Essentials, with a minimum requirement of 8.5 for admissions with a minimum speaking score of 7.0; IELTS (International English Language Testing System), with a minimum requirement of 6.5 for admissions with a minimum speaking score of 6.0; and iTEP Academic Plus (International Test of English Proficiency). The minimum requirement is 3.7 for admissions with a minimum speaking score of 3.5.