Graduate Students FAQ

We encourage you to begin early and prepare all documents needed to support your application. Contact three (3) of your academic or other references regarding letters of recommendation. Letters should speak to your academic, research, work ethic, and other factors that can indicate your educational and research potential and prowess. International applicants should request official transcripts early and have official translations prepared. Applicants from countries where English is not the official language must demonstrate proficiency in the English language at a level necessary to be successful in a graduate program at NC State. There are many tests accepted for this purpose (TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo) and the exact requirements are listed in the NC State Graduate Handbook (2.4.B). Students applying for admission should use NC State’s Graduate School Online Application. Information on all required documents can be found in 2.1 of the NC State Graduate Handbook.

No, we do not require the GRE. Scores may be submitted and reviewed as part of the application but they are not required.

Graduate students are admitted in both the Spring and Fall semesters. 

For full financial consideration please submit applications for admission by September 15th (Spring) and January 6th (Fall). Applications submitted after these dates will still be considered. The graduate school also has final deadlines for admission decisions. These can be found in the NC State Graduate Handbook (2.2).

Yes. The minimum requirements for admission are set by the Graduate School. These are published in the Graduate Handbook and are available for domestic and international students. For full graduate standing, applicants should have above a 3.0 GPA.

The application fee is set by the NC State Graduate School and published on their “how to apply” website. The application fee can be paid via major credit and debit cards.

If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and can demonstrate financial need, you may be eligible for a waiver of the application fee. Please contact the department for more information. At times, the department has advertised merit-based waivers. These will be advertised on our department website and through other social media accounts.

There are many proficiency tests accepted for this purpose (TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo) and the exact requirements are listed in the NC State Graduate Handbook (2.4.B). International applicants living in a country where English is not the official language in education are required to submit proficiency exam scores.

The institution code for NC State University is 5496. You can enter any departmental code. As long as you enter the correct institutional code for NC State University your scores will be matched with your submitted application.

The Graduate School Online Application System sends a confirmation email after your online application is submitted. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is submitted and all supporting documents are received by the appropriate deadline. Your application will not be reviewed until all materials have been received. Please do not contact our office to check on the status of your application. Due to the large volume of applications processed by our department, we are unable to check on individual applications.

The department offers financial support in the form of Fellowships, Research Assistantships, and Teaching Assistantships to admitted Ph.D. students. Masters students are typically self-supporting. In limited cases, MS students have been provided with financial support as Research or Teaching Assistantships during their time in MSE.

Application review begins shortly after our priority deadline. Offers are made as soon as a couple of weeks after this deadline but in some cases later as funds become available. Initial rejection is also processed shortly after the priority deadlines.