Frequently Asked Questions
- How can I check the status of my application?
- How do I pay the $75 application fee?
- What is the cost of tuition and fees?
- What are the annual living expenses for graduate students?
- What kind of financial aid and scholarships are available?
- Do international students have to send their Certification of Finances by the application deadlines, or can they wait until after being admitted?
- Should I apply for the M.S. or the Ph.D. program?
- If I am not accepted into the Ph.D. program, will my application be considered for the M.S. program?
- If my test scores/transcripts/letters arrive after the deadline, will my application still be considered?
- I sent my transcripts/test scores in already. Why has my application not been updated?
- Is there a quota on how many international students are accepted for a given term?
- I am an international applicant; should I convert my GPA to the U.S. scale?
- What is the University of Maryland institution code for submitting GRE and TOEFL scores? Which department code should I use?
- What are the minimum TOEFL and IELTS score requirements?
- Who is exempt from taking the TOEFL?
- What is the minimum GRE score requirement?
- My GRE or TOEFL will expire on XXX date. Do I need to retake it?
- What are the average GRE scores of admitted students?
- How can I make changes to my recommenders?
- How can I resend recommendation requests?
- What should I do if my recommenders do not have institutional email addresses?
- Can my recommenders send in paper recommendation letters?
- What is the difference between the Professional Master of Engineering program (PMEE) and the Electrical and Computer Engineering program (ENEE)?
- Where can I find my UID number?
1. How can I check the status of my application?
You may access your record by logging back into your graduate application. At this site you can determine the status of your application materials and view your decision letter.
2. How do I pay the $75 application fee?
Applicants may pay the $75 non-refundable application processing fee in three ways:
• Through the online application
• Credit card/ATM debit card after applying by using this form
• Check, money order or international money order after applying by using this form
Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit the $75 nonrefundable application processing fee online with a credit card during the electronic application process. You may access the online payment screen by logging into your online application and selecting the “Click Here to Pay” link in the Payment Status section. Make sure you have your credit card available before you start so that the system does not time out during the transaction.
If you are unable to pay your application fee online, you must submit one of the above forms. Please include your full name and date of birth on the memo line if submitting a check or money order. All check and money order payments must have encoded routing and transit numbers, and be drawn on a U.S. bank.
3. What is the cost of tuition and fees?
Please refer to the website of the Office of the Bursar for information regarding tuition and fees.
4. What are the annual living expenses for graduate students?
The Office of International Services provides an estimated cost of living on their Certification of Finances form.
5. What kind of financial aid and scholarships are available?
Please refer to the Financial Aid section of the ECE Graduate Handbook for details about financial support and scholarships.
6. Do I have to send my Certification of Finances by the application deadline, or can I wait until after I am admitted? (International students)
You do not need to submit your Certificate of Finances by the application deadline in order for your application to be reviewed, but you will not be officially admitted by the Graduate School until your finances have been certified. To avoid delays, we strongly encourage early submission of your financial documents. For more information, please see the website of the Office of International Services.
7. Should I apply for the M.S. or the Ph.D. program?
Students interested in carrying out a major research project towards writing and defending a Ph.D. dissertation should apply for the Ph.D. program. For more information about the Ph.D. degree, please refer to the Ph.D. Degree Requirements in the ECE Graduate Handbook.
Students who are unsure whether they wish to carry out significant research work should apply for admission to the M.S. program, not to the Ph.D. program. For details about the M.S. degree, please refer to M.S. Degree Requirements in the ECE Graduate Handbook.
Students admitted to the M.S. program may later apply for admission to the Ph.D. program without necessarily first completing the requirements for the M.S. degree. Courses taken while in the M.S. program can generally be counted towards the Ph.D., whether or not the M.S. has been obtained. Students who apply to the M.S. program but have later aspirations for the Ph.D. should explicitly state so in the Statement of Purpose. Please note that most financial support is allocated to Ph.D. students.
8. If I am not accepted into the Ph.D. program, will my application be considered for the M.S. program?
If the admissions committee determines that you would be more suited to the M.S. program, your application may be considered for admission to the M.S. program. If you wish, you may also include a note in your Statement of Purpose indicating that you would like to be considered for both programs.
9. If my test scores/transcripts/letters arrive after the deadline, will my application still be considered?
No, your application will not be considered if your materials arrive after the deadlines (February 1st for international applicants and May 1st for US citizens). Please plan ahead to complete your tests, send your scores, and submit all supplemental materials by the application deadline. If you are applying to be considered for financial aid, your application materials may still be considered if they arrive a little past the December 1 deadline, but there is no guarantee.
10. I sent my transcripts/test scores in already. Why has my application not been updated?
It can take up to two weeks after we receive your materials for them to be processed and attached to your application. If your applicaton status has not been updated two weeks after we receive your application materials, please email us at ecegradstudies@umd.edu. Your materials could have been misplaced and may be easily located. Please do not send us another copy of your materials unless requested.
11. Is there a limit to how many international students are accepted for a given term?
No, we do not have a limit on how many international applicants are accepted for a given semester. Admission is granted competitively to top applicants, regardless of country of origin.
12. I am an international applicant; should I convert my GPA to the U.S. scale?
No, please do not convert your GPA to the U.S. scale. Please refer to your original GPA in your application materials.
13. What is the University of Maryland institution code for submitting GRE and TOEFL scores? Which department code should I use?
The University of Maryland institution code is 5814. Use this code when submitting your GRE and TOEFL scores to the Graduate School. The department code is not important. Using the code for “Electrical Engineering” or “Other” is fine.
14. What are the minimum TOEFL and IELTS score requirements?
The minimum TOEFL and IELTS score requirements are set by the Office of International Services and are available on the OIS website. Our admissions committee will take into consideration international applicants’ TOEFL and IELTS scores. If you do not meet the minimum requirement, you may still apply to our department.
15. Who is exempt from taking the TOEFL?
Students who will be awarded a degree from the U.S., United Kingdom, Anglophone Africa, Anglophone Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and the Commonwealth Caribbean prior to enrolling in the University of Maryland are not required to submit TOEFL or IELTS. For US citizens or permanent residents with foreign credentials, if your native language is not English and you do not hold a degree from an institution in the US or one of the Anglophone countries and areas previously listed, you will be required to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores.
16. What is the minimum GRE score requirement?
Our department does not have a minimum GRE score requirement. Our admissions committee will consider all aspects of your application.
17. My GRE or TOEFL will expire on XXX date. Do I need to retake it?
We will accept your test score if we receive it before it expires.
18. What are the average GRE scores of admitted students?
We do not keep statistics on average test scores, but most applicants score high on the Quantitative section and moderately on the Verbal section. Your Quantitative score is more important than your Verbal score.
19. How can I make changes to my recommenders?
You may make changes to your recommenders at any time until the recommendation process is complete. Log back into your graduate application and go to the ASF. In the "Letters of Recommendation" screen, you may add or remove a recommender. If you need to make changes to your recommender's email address, you should create a new recommendation request and enter the new email address.
20. How can I resend recommendation requests?
To resend recommendation requests, you should log back into your graduate application and go to the ASF. In the "Letters of Recommendation" screen, click "resend" next to the name of the recommender who has not received the request. You may resend recommendation requests up to three times.
21. What should I do if my recommenders do not have institutional email addresses?
Recommenders may use their personal email address if they do not have an institutional email address but they should use official University letterhead when writing their recommendations.
22. Can my recommenders send in paper recommendation letters?
Yes, they can send recommendation letters to Enrollment Services Operations. However, we strongly recommend that they submit online letters in order to expedite completion of your application.
23. What is the difference between the Professional Master of Engineering program (PMEE) and the Electrical and Computer Engineering program (ENEE)?
Unlike the research-oriented ENEE program, the PMEE program is a professionally-oriented, part-time program designed to help working engineers gain the skills they need to advance in the industry. For more information about the PMEE program, please consult the Office of Advanced Engineering Education.
24. Where can I find my UID number?
You can find your UID in your ASF under “Verify Contact Information.” It is listed below your email address. |
