Excellent Choice for your Graduate Studies
- A highly dynamic faculty with highly recognized professors who have a multitude of national awards.
- Cutting-edge research at the forefront of mechanical engineering in:
- Funding opportunities through graduate research assistantships. Most Ph.D. students in our School are funded through research assistantships.
- UConn is ranked as one of the best public universities in the country and the best in New England, and our graduate program is in the top 50 in the country according to the 2023 US News Report Graduate Programs ranking.
- High quality of life thanks to affordable housing on or near campus, green spaces and a sustainable campus, student organizations, great sports, good public transportation on campus and surrounding areas, cultural diversity, and proximity to major urban centers (Hartford, Boston, NYC, Providence) and to the sea.
Application Process
1. Apply to the graduate program.
2. Once the application is submitted and the fee fulfilled, the application is received by the graduate school for initial review/audit.
3. The application is routed to the school for internal evaluation/program audit.
4. Once all application materials have been received, the application can be accessed by any faculty member in the school, and it is reviewed by the school's graduate admissions committee.
5. Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis contingent on funding offers.
6. A final decision on all application is made by the deadline set forth by the graduate school.
Funding
Application Fee Waivers: The school has a limited number of application fee waivers for exceptionally qualified applicants with a financial need. If you would like to apply for a School waiver, please send an email to engr-me-dgs@uconn.edu requesting the waiver. In your email, please explain the financial reasons you are requesting the waiver and a copy of your CV that includes a GPA for all your university degrees. Also, please include your application number in the body of your email if you have initiated the application process in the application system. Please do not submit your application before requesting the waiver; once the application has been submitted to UConn’s application system, we cannot apply the fee waiver.
Graduate Assistantships: Most of our graduate students receive financial support in the form of a Graduate Assistantship, which can be a Research or a Teaching Assistantship. Graduate Assistantships provide a tuition waiver, reduced fees, and a bi-weekly stipend. Research Assistantships consist of research work that is often (but not necessarily) associated with the student’s graduate research. Teaching Assistantships consist of work in support of course instruction that includes, for example (but not limited to), grading, holding office hours, and preparing materials for and participating in laboratories. With occasional exceptions, incoming graduate students in our School that receive support in the form of a Graduate Assistantship do it in the form of a Research Assistantship. Funding for Research Assistantships is directly provided by individual faculty. We encourage interested applicants to directly contact faculty members in our department that work in areas where the applicant is interested in doing research to inquire about funding opportunities. Please note you can contact our faculty even before submitting your application to our programs.
Graduate Fellowships: The University of Connecticut also offers Graduate Fellowships to exceptionally qualified applicants. The Graduate School Distinguished Doctoral Fellows (DDF) are available to outstanding young scholars who have been admitted to doctoral programs at the University of Connecticut. The Graduate School Distinguished Masters Fellows (DMF) is available to outstanding young scholars who have been admitted to master’s programs at the University of Connecticut. After submitting your application to The Graduate School, you will be able to submit the form to request consideration for the Fellowship from your Application Management Page: http://connect.grad.uconn.edu/apply. To learn more about these fellowships and the criteria used to select recipients, please visit the UConn Graduate Fellowships page.
Loans: Qualified students can also apply for loans. Details and descriptions of application procedures can be found on the financial aid website.
Eligibility
Can I apply directly to the PhD Program without an M.S. degree?
Yes.
Can I apply to the program if I do not have a degree in Mechanical Engineering?
Yes, if your previous coursework relates to specific research areas in the department, such as a background in physics or math.
What criteria are used to evaluate applicants for admission?
Our admissions committee conducts a holistic review of applications that includes elements such as academic preparation, undergraduate GPA, transcripts, personal statement, research experience (research statement), and letters of recommendation.
Application Process
What are the deadlines for submitting completed applications?
For both M.S. and Ph.D. applications, we strongly recommend submitting your application no later than January 1st for Fall semester admission and August 1st for Spring semester admission. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until all openings are filled or the admission deadline set forth by the Graduate School has been met. Please find here the important admission deadlines.
Where do I send my supporting documents?
All supporting documents should be sent to the Graduate School gradadmissions@uconn.edu or uploaded into the Graduate School Application Status Portal by the applicant.
Do you accept changes to submitted applications?
Our program does not allow changes to an application once it has been submitted. You can provide this document to any faculty member you are corresponding with for their review. Unfortunately, there are no exceptions to this policy, as it is our priority to make the application process equitable for all applicants.
How can I check the status of my application? When can I expect a decision regarding my application?
The deadline for programs to make admission decisions for each semester can be found here. If an applicant is contacted by a faculty member who is interested in being the applicant's major advisor and supporting the applicant through a research assistantship, and if the faculty member has made a verbal offer to the applicant, we process the admission decision early. Otherwise, we wait until the deadline Graduate School to make a final decision.
Please be aware that the review process may take longer than expected, as this is dependent on the volume of applications. Until a final decision has been made, you may continue to follow the progress of your application through your Application Status Portal.
Can I defer my admission?
With approval from our program, you may defer your admission up to one full academic year from the original term your application was submitted for. A request to defer your admission should be made through the Accounts & Forms area of your Application Status Portal.
May I defer payment of the application fee until after I am admitted?
Your application is not considered complete or submitted until your application fee payment is fulfilled, either by the applicant or through a fee waiver.
When can I apply for a fellowship?
The form to Request Consideration is available immediately after application submission and fulfillment of the application fee on the “Accounts and Forms” section of the applicant’s “Application Status Page”. Please note a prospective candidate must have the support of a School of MEAM faculty member to be considered for a fellowship nomination.
Application Materials
How many letters of recommendation are required, and is there a standard form?
Three letters of recommendation are required, one of which should be from your major advisor (if you have previous graduate studies). Letters of recommendation must be uploaded into the graduate school application database directly by your recommenders.
Are GREs required, and what is the required score? Is a GRE subject test required for admission?
The GRE subject test is no longer required by our school—neither the General Test nor any Subject Test.
Is an English Proficiency test required for all international students?
Regardless of visa status, students whose primary language is not English must show evidence of proficiency in the English Language by submitting either TOEFL, IELTS, PTE or Duolingo scores. A primary language is defined as a language used to communicate since childhood. Applicants who have received a degree from a post-secondary institution outside the United States whose language of instruction for the entire degree is English, or who have completed one year or more of full-time coursework at a post-secondary institution in the United States may apply for a waiver of the language proficiency examination.
TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, and Duolingo scores are only valid for two years (from original test date to submission of UConn application). Scores that an applicant self-reports or uploads to an application are considered unofficial. Official scores that meet our English proficiency requirement must be received directly from the testing agency.
Are there any criteria or guidelines for the writing samples?
There are no criteria or guidelines for the writing sample; this content is up to the applicant to decide.