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Applications and Admissions

• Admission Requirements
• Master's Program (Including Distance Learning)
• Ph.D. Program
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
• How to Apply
• Application Status
• Admission Decisions/Deadlines

Admission Requirements

The School of ECE offers admission to applicants who appear to have the highest potential for successful graduate level study and are the most likely to contribute substantially to their academic fields through teaching, research, or professional practice.

Most students who are accepted into ECE's graduate program have a degree in electrical and/or computer engineering. Applicants with degrees in other engineering disciplines, computer science, or physics are eligible to apply. Qualified applicants with degrees in disciplines other than electrical and/or computer engineering should expect to take undergraduate ECE courses as prerequisites before enrolling in ECE graduate courses. Persons with engineering technology (EET) degrees or degrees or persons with non-engineering degrees not mentioned above must first earn a B.S.E.E. or B.S.Cmp.E. before applying to our graduate program.

Entrance to either graduate program is very competitive and meeting the minimum requirements outlined below does not guarantee acceptance.

Students who meet the minimum requirements outlined below and wish to apply to the School of ECE must complete the online application. Applications for admission are accepted by the deadlines listed below for entrance at the beginning of any of the fall and spring semesters. For master of science students, fall term admission is recommended for optimum course availability. Summer semester admissions are very limited and not encouraged.

Master's Program (Including Distance Learning)

Students with a Bachelor of Science degree as described above and with a minimum grade point average of 3.25 out of 4.0 from a recognized school of engineering are eligible to apply for admission.

Ph.D. Program

Students with bachelor of science or master of science degrees as described above with a minimum grade point average of 3.5 out of 4.0 from a recognized school of engineering are eligible to apply for admission.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

The GRE is required of all applicants. All applicants must submit scores for the following three parts: Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical Writing. Your GRE test scores are an important part of your application and you should strive to submit the best possible scores. The average GRE scores for applicants accepted into our graduate program for the fall 2009 semester are:

Verbal: 572

Quantitative: 778

Analytical Writing: 4.3

The admission committee considers several factors when making admission decisions. Your academic performance at prior institutions (GPAs), your GRE test scores, your statement of purpose, and your letters of recommendation. All of these factors are important. Your application will be strengthened if your GRE scores are at or above these average values. If your GRE scores are lower than these averages, your chances for admission will be reduced and, if your scores are very low (ie., below 400V, 700Q, and 3.5AW), your application will be declined. Furthermore, meeting or exceeding these average numbers for GRE scores does not guarantee admission.

GRE test scores that are more than 5 years old will not be accepted. If your GRE scores are more than 5 years old, you will be required to retake the GRE test. Do not send photo copies of your GRE test scores; we will only accept official GRE scores received from ETS.

How to Apply

Start the application process by going to:
http://www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu/apply/apply_now.php

You will be asked to select a major. When you enter Electrical and Computer Engineering, you will be routed to detailed instructions for completing and submitting the application, online letters of recommendation, and mailing required documents. You should print these instructions so you can refer to them anytime.

Step 1. Complete the online application on CollegeNet.

The online application includes:

• The general Georgia Tech application. On this form, you will enter general information about yourself, your contact information, and your academic qualifications. You will also enter your statement of purpose while completing the online application. You must submit your statement of purpose online. Do not mail the statement of purpose as a separate document.
  Note: It is critical that you accurately enter your personal contact information in the online application. The email address you enter must be correct and active during the entire application review process as this is the primary means the ECE Graduate Affairs Office will use to contact you.
• Georgia Residency Application
• Information from Non-Citizens Form (International applicants only)
• ECE Specific Information
  It is important to both the admissions process and financial aid decision to include information on the area of concentration for graduate studies that you intend to pursue. Applicants to ECE are required on the online application to identify two of the ECE Technical Interest Groups in which graduate studies will be concentrated. Please review each of the groups under the research section for complete descriptions. Additional descriptive terms, such as "computer vision" or "robotics," may also be included in the statement of purpose. Descriptions should be brief and use generally accepted key words to aid in database searches. The statement of purpose is important in the admissions process. This statement should be concise, outline a plan for graduate studies, and indicate why Georgia Tech is the right graduate program to meet this plan. It is important to include technical interest area information in the space allotted (4000 characters) on the in the online form. If applicable, faculty with similar research interests, who may be a potential research advisor, should also be noted as well.
• Submission and application fee payment.

Step 2. Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation are required, and it is recommended that at least two of your recommendations come from faculty who are familiar with your academic performance. The letters of recommendation are submitted online.  Information regarding the submission of the letters is given in the directions for submitting your online application. ECE requires online letters of recommendation.  Paper or downloadable recommendation forms are not accepted by ECE.

Step 3. Mailing supporting documents

Instructions for mailing required documents are included in the directions you are given at the beginning of the online application process.

Documents to be mailed should be sent to:

Graduate Admissions Office
631 Cherry Street
Savant Building (Room 318)
Atlanta, GA  30332-0321

For all applicants:

• Official transcripts from all schools attended after high school. Transcripts must be in envelopes sealed by the issuing office in order to be considered official.
• Official GRE scores sent directly to us by ETS for the basic skill GRE exam consisting of verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing tests. Only official score reports will be accepted, no photocopies. The GRE subject examination is not required. GRE test scores that are more than 5 years old will not be accepted. If your GRE scores are more than 5 years old, you will be required to retake the GRE test. Do not send photo copies of your GRE test scores; we will only accept official GRE scores received from ETS.
  • The GRE institution code for Ga Tech is 5248
  • The GRE department codes for ECE are 1201-1204 (any of these codes are valid).
• Resume (optional).

For international applicants only:

• This form should be completed by international applicants only: Information from non-citizens (pdf, 121 kb)
• TOEFL scores are mandatory for international students. Georgia Tech requires a minimum TOEFL score of 213 (computer based), 550 (paper based), or 79 for the iBT TOEFL. The TOEFL requirement is waived for international students who have received a bachelor's degree from an accredited school in the U.S. or have completed one year of graduate studies in the U.S. International students need to review this additional important information regarding your admissions process and financial aid.
  • The TOEFL institution code for Ga Tech is 5248.
  • The TOEFL department code for ECE is 66.
• Proof of financial support.

Application Status

After completing your online application, you will be permitted to check the status of documents sent to GA Tech.  You may follow the progress of your application by logging into Status Checking found at www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu. Because some of the documents must be processed and certified by more than one office, please be patient. During high peak time, (December and January) it may take several weeks for some confirmations to appear.

Note: To inquire about or report any discrepancy in application documentation, please contact ECE’s Graduate Affairs Office at ECE Graduate Affairs Office Contact Form for Application Questions and Prospective Students.

Admission Decisions

Online applications must be completed and submitted and the application fee paid by the dates shown below to be considered for that term. An admission decision will not be made on an incomplete application.

A Note to International Applicants: The deadline dates listed below are the latest that we will accept applications. However, it is strongly recommended that international students residing in and outside the U.S. submit their applications as early as possible. These applications should be submitted six months prior to the desired date of matriculation.

FALL
U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents -- December 1
International Applicants (includes those residing in the U.S.) -- January 1

SPRING
U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents -- September 1
International Applicants (includes those residing in the U.S.) -- August 1

SUMMER
U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents -- December 1
International Applicants (includes those residing in the U.S.) -- January 1

Last revised on November 9, 2009.