Admission to the ME Program

Mechanical Engineering Graduate Admission

Mechanical Engineering Department requirements for graduate admission

The minimum requirements to enter any of the graduate programs in mechanical engineering are:

Undergraduate degree in M.E. or closely related field from an ABET accredited U.S. program, does not include technical degrees; cumulative GPA of 2.8 on a 4.0 scale.
GRE General Exam is recommended but not required for students with an undergraduate degree from a U.S. ABET accredited program. The GRE General Exam is required for all other applicants. Minimum scores required: Verbal 470, Quantitative 680, Analytical Writing 4.5.
TOEFL (minimum score: internet based 79, paper based 550) is required for all students whose primary language is not English.
All applicants are required to submit 3 letters of recommendation, a 1-2 page Statement of Career Objectives and a 1-2 page Curriculum Vitae/Resume (see the Definitions & Example Page).

Applicants to any of the graduate programs are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the department's Graduate Committee. Some applicants who have a baccalaureate degree in a field other than mechanical engineering may be required to complete certain undergraduate deficiency courses before they will be allowed to take graduate level courses.

Engineering Outreach - The University of Idaho’s Engineering Outreach program, founded in 1975, uses video production, satellite broadcasts, compressed video conferencing, and the Internet to deliver graduate programs, certificates of completion, and courses for professional development to more than 400 students worldwide each semester.

Financial Support

Degrees Offered

The graduate degrees offered in the UI Mechanical Engineering Department are the Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (M.S.M.E.), the Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering (M.E.M.E.), and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

The Master of Science degree is a research-based degree culminating in a master's thesis. Students completing this degree would be well prepared to work in a national laboratory, or in an industrial research and development (R&D) setting. The degree requires a minimum of 30 credit hours, and normally takes 1 1/2 to 2 years to complete.

The on-campus Master of Engineering degree is a more design-oriented degree. A master's thesis is not required. However, all M.E. students must complete a 3-credit design project. Students completing this degree would be well prepared to work as a project manager or project engineer in an industrial setting. The degree requires a minimum of 30 credit hours and normally takes 3 to 4 semesters to complete.

The off-campus Master of Engineering degree is designed for engineers with industrial experience and a master's thesis is not required. Students completing this degree would be better prepared to work as a project manager or project engineer in an industrial setting.

The Doctor of Philosophy degree is an advanced research-based degree. The results of the research done are summarized in a doctoral dissertaion. The research completed in this degree is expected to be original and innovative. Students completing this degree are well prepared to work in a research-oriented position, such as those at national laboratories, industries, or universities. The program requires a minimum of 78 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree and normally takes 3 to 5 years to complete.

In addition, the Ph.D., M.S., and M.Engr. in nuclear engineering are offered at the UI/Idaho Falls Center for Higher Education.

For additional information, the Graduate Student Handbook is available for download, or please feel free to contact Molly Steiner at 208-885-4279 or by e-mail mollym@uidaho.edu.