Admissions

Thank you for your interest in the Joint Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering program. Refer to the application information on this page as you apply to earn your master's degree.

Start Your Application

Who Should Apply?

Applicants with BS degrees in mechanical engineering, materials science and engineering, civil engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, physics, and chemistry will be considered.

Application Deadline

The application deadline for fall admission is July 15, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. CDT.

Application Requirements

All applications are evaluated based on a number of factors, including:

  • Completed online application form, including submission of the following documents:
    • Undergraduate and/or graduate grades
    • Academic Statement 
    • Two letters of recommendation
    • TOEFL or ILTS score, if applicable
    • Resume with prior work experience, if applicable
    • Optional: 
      • Personal Statement
      • Any other information (such as published research papers) that make your application stronger should also be uploaded online
  • $95 non-refundable application fee, paid via credit card through the online application process

Test Scores

GRE

Results of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE general test) are not required.

TOEFL

All international students whose degrees are not from institutions where the majority of instruction is in English or those whose native language is not English must also supply Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores with a minimum of 577 or higher on the paper-based text, 233 or higher on the computer-based test, and 90 or higher on the Internet-based test. An International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 7.0 also fulfills this requirement.

Northwestern University's school code for TOEFL is 1565. If you are taking the TOEFL be sure to include this number on your test form.

Additionally, you should reference department code 01 when submitting TOEFL scores. IBT test takers should, when prompted, request that their scores be sent to the graduate office (versus undergraduate) and then select the program name that most closely matches their program of interest. If no match is available, the test taker may choose option 99.

Funding

All MS students must pay full tuition unless covered by an external source of funding. Visit The Graduate School website for information about tuition, fees, and cost of living as well as to learn more about funding resources such as fellowships, grants, and students loans specially for graduate students. 

MS students do not qualify for department fellowships, research assistantships, or teaching assistantships.