Electrical and Computer Engineering
GRADUATE ADMISSIONS
Applications for Spring and Fall 2025 are now open!
DEADLINES
Read the application fee/deadline section for more information on PhD tiered priority deadlines.
SPRING 2025
PRIORITY FOR EARLY PROCESSING
October 1
FINAL
October 1 – International
December 1 – Domestic
FALL 2025
PRIORITY FOR EARLY PROCESSING
December 1
FINAL
May 1 – International
June 30 – Domestic
APPLICATION FEE
The application will not be considered complete and eligible for review until the application fee has been paid online during the application process.
Domestic | International | |
MS | $55 | $65 |
PhD | Free w/ waiver |
$65 |
APPLICATION WAIVER QUALIFICATIONS
MS
McNair Scholars are eligible to have the application fee waived and be considered for additional funding opportunities by uploading proof of status to the graduate application. For additional questions email graduate@utah.edu.
PhD
Waivers are available for domestic PhD applicants who have graduated/will graduate with a 3.5+ GPA from an ABET accredited program. Email the Graduate Student Coordinator to request a fee waiver if you meet these qualifications.
Domestic is defined as a US citizen, PR card holder, asylee, or refugee. Unfortunately, fee waivers are not available to international applicants at this time.
DEADLINES
MS
Deadline | Spring 2025 |
Fall 2025 |
Early Processing |
October 1 | April 1 |
Final – International | October 1 | May 1 |
Final – Domestic | December 1 | June 30 |
PhD
Deadline | Spring 2025 |
Fall 2025 |
1st Priority | October 1 | December 1 |
2nd Priority | November 1 | January 1 |
Final | December 1 | March 1 |
- PhD applications received by the PhD first priority deadline will be considered first for funding. Decisions for PhD Fall 2025 applications will be released by March 15 and by December 20 for Spring 2025. Please note that most faculty only hire for the fall term. As such, the majority of spring term applicants will not be reviewed by faculty. If you are notified that you have not been extended an offer for the spring term, you may ask to have your application considered for the upcoming fall term without re-applying.
- All applications received after the final deadline may be rejected without consideration or recommended for admittance or re-application to a later semester.
PROGRAM GPA REQUIREMENTS
A 3.0+ GPA is required by the University of Utah. The following GPAs are highly recommended by the ECE department:
Program | GPA | International |
---|---|---|
MS PhD |
3.2+ 3.5+ |
China: 86+ percentile India: 80+ percentile Iran: 16.0+ GPA |
Records are not pre-evaluated. If your GPA and/or test scores are slightly below the cutoffs, please do not email asking about your scores. Applicants must make their own decision about whether or not to apply. Domestic applicants that do not meet required university scores should use the process detailed in the FAQ section below.
Please Note: The E-Learning MS degree is only available to domestic candidates.
ACADEMIC HISTORY
You must upload a separate transcript for each institution you have previously attended. Do not upload grade summary reports, degree audit reports, or credential evaluations. For schools that do not issue transcripts, please upload a mark sheet (and degree certificate, if applicable). All documents must be in English. If your original documentation is in a language other than English, please provide a certified English translation in addition to the original documentation.
If you are still in the process of completing a degree during the application process you must upload the most up-to-date transcript possible that show that you are currently enrolled in courses otherwise the system will hold your application and request that you submit a degree certificate.
Each transcript must contain the following information:
-
- Name of student
- Name of institution
- All semesters of enrollment
- Course numbers and names
-
- Credit hours
- Awarded grades
- Translations for non-English transcripts
All transcripts submitted with your application are considered unofficial and are used for initial admissions evaluation only. If you are admitted to the University of Utah, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to the end of your first semester of enrollment. Students will not be permitted to continue their enrollment until all official transcripts are received by the Office of Admissions (sent to us directly from the institution). The University of Utah reserves the right to require the submission of official credentials at any time during the admission review process.
Test scores will not be paired with an application until it has been submitted. The process of receiving and pairing official test scores with an applicant’s file can take 10-15 business days from the time that an application is submitted and/or the time that the applicant requests their test scores be sent to the University of Utah.
GRADUATE RECORDS EXAMINATION (GRE)
The GRE is waived for all applicants with a prior STEM degree. If a PhD applicant still chooses to submit GRE results, we recommend the following scores:
-
- Quantitative = 158+
- Analytical = 3.5+
- Verbal = 150+
Scores may be sent directly to the University of Utah using ETS Code 4853
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY (INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS)
English proficiency test scores must be submitted for all International Applicants.
Test | Scores | How to Send Scores | Exemptions |
---|---|---|---|
Duolingo | Required: 110+ | Select Send Results (next to test results), and select the University of Utah as the receiving institution | – Native English speaking citizens of specific countries
– Applicants that have graduated with a BS, MS, or PhD from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university within two years of admittance. This includes University of Utah students moving from one degree to another. READ MORE If you qualify for an exemption: Please email Graduate Admissions (graduate@utah.edu) to waive this requirement once your application has been submitted |
IELTS | Required: 6.5+ Recommended: 7.5+ |
Contact your testing center to have the score sent directly to the University of Utah | |
TOEFL | Required: 80+ Recommended: 100+ |
Scores may be sent directly to the University of Utah using ETS Code 4853 |
If your test scores are slightly below the cutoffs, please do not email asking us acceptance likelihood. Records are not pre-evaluated. After reading our application information, applicants must make their own decision about whether or not to apply.
FUNDING
The following are options that our graduate program accepts:
-
- Self-Pay
- Employer Reimbursement
- PALACE Acquire (PAQ) Program at Hill Air Force Base
-
- Scholarships
- Fellowships
- Research Assistantship w/ faculty funding
MS APPLICANTS
While assistantships are available, these positions are very limited and competitively awarded. We strongly advise against relying on an assistantship to cover your Master’s program expenses.
To be considered for a teaching assistantship, all applicants must complete our department’s TA training course during the semester prior to applying for a position. International students will also need to complete additional training and meet spoken English proficiency requirements. Read more about TA qualifications and prioritization.
Non-Resident, full-time, MS students may qualify for reduced tuition through the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP). Applicable students should contact the Graduate Student Coordinator for more information.
PhD APPLICANTS
If your application passes the first review round, the faculty will select which PhD applicants they would like to hire as research assistants in their labs. If a member of the faculty selects you, you will be accepted to our program and will be guaranteed funding through tuition benefits and a stipend.
We understand that funding is a major concern for many students, but we request that you:
- Do not send generic requests for employment to multiple professors
- Do not cold contact faculty repeatedly
If you have concerns about finances or funding, please review the links above.
FACULTY ADVISORS AND AREAS OF INTEREST
Required for PhD applicants, optional for MS applicants – The application will ask which research areas interest you and with whom you might like to work. Applicants may list any ECE faculty members here. Applicants will be considered for assistantships based on the faculty member(s) and/or research interests indicated on the online application. Applicants may contact a research group website with coursework questions. View all ECE professors organized by research area
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
A .5 – 2 page statement or essay describing the applicant’s background, research interests, and reasons for pursuing a graduate degree in the University of Utah’s electrical and computer engineering department.
Applicants whose test scores are below, but close to the recommended score cutoffs, are allowed to use this space to petition the graduate committee for an admission exception by explaining the reasons for their low scores, how they have improved, and plans for how they will meet department graduate expectations if admitted. This process does not guarantee that applicants will be admitted as the department. Applicants that do not meet required university scores should use the process detailed in the FAQ section below.
RESUME / CV
The online admission system will request a resume or curriculum-vitae (CV) detailing your relevant work history and research experience – see student resume samples
RECOMMENDATION CRITERIA
Our system will contact your recommendation providers directly to submit a recommendation on your behalf through our online system. All recommendations must be completed online so please provide contact information for recommendation providers:
- 1+ for MS applicants
- 2+ for PhD applicants
Recommendations should come from current or former professors who have direct coursework or research experience with the applicant, or a direct supervisor from a field related to electrical and computer engineering. Letters of Recommendation can be submitted, but are not required
If you are concerned that any of the individuals may not complete their recommendation forms in a timely manner, you are welcome to provide contact information for more recommenders. When the minimum amount of recommenders have completed their online forms then your application will be allowed to move through the system.
APPLICATION PROCESS AND TIMELINE
PhD Decision Deadline: March 18
Please note that our decision deadline applies to all applications received by the ECE department by March 15. Our decision deadline allows our department to support preferred candidates with the April 15 Resolution and allows international candidates the time needed for I-20 processing.
All offers have currently been extended, any new applicants will be denied or wait listed.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
No, while our program is designed to be completed by full-time MS students in 3 semesters of coursework we do have a significant portion of our graduate students who complete the program part-time while working out in industry.
Every student has different goals and challenges as well as strengths and capabilities. Because of this we offer students the ability choose each semester how many courses they wish to take to augment the pace of their learning. We do not use cohorts so students are not locked in to any schedule.
We understand that many students are eager to move through their studies and complete their degree quickly. Students can graduate in fewer calendar years by transferring previously earned graduate credits and/or choosing the project option and completing it during the summer term. For further advisement, please contact our program’s Graduate Student Coordinator.
Length of Time | Per Term | ||
Terms | Years | Courses | Credits |
3 | 1-1.5 | 3-4 | 9-12.0 |
5 | 2-2.5 | 2 | 6.0 |
9 | 4 | 1 | 3.0 |
Students with allied STEM degrees (All other Engineering, CS, Math, & Physics) are welcome to apply! Here are the steps to ensure you are admitted and properly prepared to be successful in our ECE graduate program:
- Schedule an appointment with the Graduate Student Coordinator to discuss your background and review the proficiency requirements.
- Based on your background, you will either be recommended to apply to our graduate program or apply as a non-matriculated student to complete per-requisites.
- After completing the per-requisite courses with a B+ grade or higher you may apply to the graduate program
If an applicant has completed the pre-requisites:
They can be directly admitted to the ECE Grad program but will need to complete proficiency requirements as part of their degree. Applicants are strongly recommended to meet with an ECE member of their committee (see MS Areas of Emphasis and Default Committees). The purpose of this is to discuss additional courses that may be beneficial to meet student goals.
If an applicant has earned a prior STEM degree, but did not complete all of the per-requisites:
Students should meet with their committee to determine which courses would be important prerequisites to be able to succeed in their desired courses. Once this discussion has taken place, then it can be determined whether they are eligible for admittance or must take undergraduate courses as a non-matriculated student.
If do not meet initial admissions requirements (3.0 GPA or higher) there is an alternative pathway that you can take to be considered for the MS Program. This option is only available for domestic applicants or international applicants already residing in the United States on an F2 or H4 visa (we cannot sponsor an F1 visa for non-matriculated students).
- Please schedule an appointment with the Graduate Student Coordinator
- Apply as a non-matriculated student for the upcoming semester
- After being accepted, the Graduate Student Coordinator will enroll you in 6 credits/2 courses of ECE graduate coursework
- After completing the courses with a B+ grade or higher you may apply to the graduate program.
- Any 5000- level or above courses that have been taken (including non-matriculated credits) can be counted toward your MS degree requirements. – see Graduate Transfer Credit page for more details.
Unfortunately, our online program is only available for applicants residing within the United States. We are not authorized to charge tuition and conduct classes for individuals residing outside of the United States. If an international candidate is already living in the US with a valid visa they are welcome to apply.
Yes! We understand that things come up and whether it is for visa, work, personal issues, we can defer your start term 1-2 semesters.
If you need to be deferred please contact the Graduate Student Coordinator as deferment requests need to be processed by the first day of the term you were originally admitted to. If you do not request your deferment in time, this will cause your student file to be discontinued and you will have to re-apply and be re-admitted.