Electrical engineering

Applicants for the M.S. in electrical engineering must meet the following admission requirements:

Program availability: 

• Concentration: Thesis
• Semester intake: Spring or Fall
  • Open to international applicants
• Deadlines: General application deadlines
• Start dates: View the academic calendar to see start and end dates 

University requirements: 

• Education level: Bachelor's degree in a similar or related field from an accredited or recognized institution (earned or expected before the start of the graduate program)
  • Transcripts for all post-secondary education will be required. Unofficial transcripts may be used for initial admission review. Official transcripts sent by the issuing institution(s) will be required if admitted. View more information on the Graduate Admissions page. 
• GPA: 3.0 (Applicants with a lower undergraduate GPA who have relevant professional experience in the field, have already earned a graduate degree, or have completed graduate-level credits may still be considered for admission with approval from the academic program.)
• GRE: Not required
• Letters of recommendation: Three
• Resume
• Statement of purpose
• Other requirements: Students are encouraged to secure a commitment from a faculty for admission to the program.
• Valid picture ID (required to verify students’ identity and will be kept confidential)
• English proficiency (for applicants whose education was completed in countries where English is not an official language).
  • Accepted tests: TOEFL: 4.5, IELTS: 6.5, Duolingo: 115, PTE-A: 58. Learn what qualifies as proof of English proficiency.  
• Application Fee: $50 

Application and admission process:

Applications are submitted online and are specific to the program and term selected. Applicants seeking admission to multiple programs must submit a separate application for each program.

Before submitting an application, applicants must provide personal and academic information from all post-secondary institutions attended, recommender information, required program-specific materials, and their intended program and start term.

Applicants seeking admission to the thesis concentration are encouraged to identify and contact a potential faculty advisor or major professor during the application process. Early identification of an advisor can help ensure that a faculty member in the applicant’s area of interest has capacity to supervise the student and appropriate research opportunities are available. Applicants should consult the College of Engineering website to identify faculty whose research aligns with their academic and research interests.

Applications are reviewed for admission by the academic program. Only complete applications, including required letters of recommendation and payment of the application fee, will be forwarded for evaluation and admission decision. Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete their applications early to allow sufficient time for a thorough review.

International students seeking F-1 or J-1 visas must provide financial documentation demonstrating their ability to cover the cost of attendance. This documentation is required only after admission. 

Visit Graduate Admissions to learn more and start your application. 

Electrical Engineering contact: Brian Johnson (bjohnson@uidaho.edu)

Potential faculty advisors:

Graduate Admissions contact: graduateadmissions@uidaho.edu, 208-885-4001

University of Idaho is awarded more than $100 million in annual grants, contracts and research appropriations annually Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Graduate Fellowship Program — Recipients of this competitive fellowship receive full payment of tuition and fees by U of I during their first three years of graduate school. INL covers tuition, fees, and a $60,000 annual salary during the final two years of their doctoral research, to be conducted at INL.

• National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Graduate Fellowship Program — These year-long salaried assignments offer hands-on experience in nuclear security and nonproliferation. Administered by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and open to all engineering disciplines.
• NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium (ISGC) — $25,000 fellowship programs that contribute to NASA’s mission of exploration and discovery. Open to full-time graduate and doctoral students.
• National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) — For outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees.
• National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship — Three-year fellowship with full coverage of tuition and all mandatory fees, including a monthly stipend and up to $1,000 a year in medical insurance.
• DAAD Research Internships in Science and Engineering (RISE Professional) Programs — RISE Professional offers summer research internships in Germany to master’s and Ph.D. students at companies and non-university research institutions with strong relations to industry.
• Faculty provide funding through a variety of external agencies and industry partners. Contact our faculty to learn more about these funding opportunities.

For more funding options, visit the College of Graduate Studies’ funding website.

Recognized STEM Program

This program is recognized as a STEM program by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and may be eligible for the 24-month STEM optional practical training extension for international students.

Learn more about STEM approved CIP/degree codes

This program will be a good fit if you:

• Hold a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering
• Are proficient in chemistry, physics and math
• Want to conduct research in the field
• Like to solve complex problems
• Work well independently and as part of a team

Related clubs and organizations

Our college offers 20+ clubs and organizations tied to international and national engineering organizations, including national competition teams.

Clubs related to your major:

• Association for Computer Machinery (ACM)
• Humanitarian Engineering Corps (HEC)
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
• International Microelectronics and Packaging Society (IMAPS)
• National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
• Power and Energy Society (PES)
• Robotics Club
• Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
• Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
• Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
• Tau Beta Pi - Engineering Honor Society (TBP)
• Vandal Atmospheric Science Team (VAST)