Q. How will I be notified if I am accepted or not?
A. You will be informed of an admissions decision by email. You can also check your status in the application: http://www.grad.gatech.edu/status-checking Please note that acceptance into the program is not final until confirmed by Graduate Studies. Once they have made their review of your application and noted any final documents needed, you will receive notification of official admission to Georgia Tech.
Q. When will the decision be made on my application?
A. Most of our students are admitted for the fall semester, which begins in mid-August. Most decisions for fall admission will be made in March or April, although some will be made earlier. To view an academic calendar, visit www.registrar.gatech.edu.
Q: Is it acceptable if my supporting materials (recommendation letters and official test scores, etc.) are received after the application deadline?
A: It is preferable to have all items available when you apply. However, please note: In order to have time to review your application for a timely decision, all items must be received within 3 weeks of the application deadline (for Fall semesters); all items must be received within 1 week of the application deadline (for spring semester). If you have not taken the required Language Proficiency test yet at the time of your application, please enter the date that you plan to take it. You may upload an unofficial copy of your test scores in the application; we will use this while initially reviewing your application until the official scores are received. We will make a decision on your application as soon after receiving the official scores as is possible.
Q. Should I upload unofficial transcripts and test scores?
A. YES. If you do not have official transcripts, please upload unofficial transcripts when you apply. Should you be admitted, you will be required to provide official transcripts. Also, please upload unofficial test scores during the application, and request for the testing company to send official scores to Georgia Tech after taking the test. For TOEFL & IELTS, send scores to Georgia Institute of Technology, "Graduate". Georgia Tech will accept either the standard IELTS Academic test scores or the IELTS Indicator Academic scores. Please see https://grad.gatech.edu/english-proficiency for detailed Language proficiency requirements.
Q. Is my application complete?
A. With the online application system you can check your application status. Please see: http://www.grad.gatech.edu/status-checking for instructions on how to check your status. If you have further questions email inquire@mse.gatech.edu
Q. Is the GRE exam mandatory?
A. No. MSE no longer requires the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) general test scores of graduate applicants.
Q. What if I sent my GRE OR TOEFL scores to the incorrect (or another) department code, or only to the Institute code?
A. If you had your scores submitted to Georgia Tech, all departments will have access to them.
Q. Are there any additional requirements for international students?
A. Georgia Tech requires that all applicants demonstrate proof of English language proficiency at the time of application. Georgia Tech accepts both the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the IELTS. We do not accept Duolingo as proof of English proficiency.
- To satisfy the English Proficiency requirement, International applicants can provide:
- Proof of citizenship from an approved country, or
- Evidence of degree earned from a regionally accredited (or international equivalent) university or college where English was the sole language of instruction*, or
- Successful completion of GTLI Upper Advanced 700 Level Intensive English Program, or
- Valid Test score as outlined at https://grad.gatech.edu/english-proficiency in the Test Score Requirements section
The Graduate Education office will verify whether English is the sole official language of instruction at your institution. Please note that a transcript stating English as the medium of instruction is not sufficient. If they determine that English is not the only language of instruction, you will need to meet the English Language Proficiency Requirements through one of the approved methods listed on their website at https://grad.gatech.edu/english-proficiency
TOEFL Requirements (Departmental minimums, which are higher than Institute minimums ) Scores must be sent via the ETS electronic score delivery service to Georgia Institute of Technology, "Graduate", institute code 5248
- Institute Code: 5248
- Department Code: 69
- Minimum total TOEFL score: 100 (with a minimum of 19 in each category, and a minimum of 26 in the speaking category)
IELTS Requirements: (Institute & departmental minimums) Scores must be sent via the IELTS electronic score delivery service to Georgia Institute of Technology, "Graduate"
- Georgia Tech will accept either the standard IELTS Academic test scores or the IELTS Indicator Academic scores.
- Minimum IELTS scores: Reading: 6.5, Listening: 6.5, Speaking: 6.5, Writing: 5.5, Overall: 7.
Please see the Graduate Education website for detailed information regarding the Institute’s English proficiency requirements: https://grad.gatech.edu/english-proficiency **Please note that the department has higher minimum requirements than the Institute for the TOEFL.
We recommend that you achieve acceptable scores prior to submitting your application. If you have further questions regarding English proficiency, please contact Graduate Education at: grad.ask@grad.gatech.edu
Q. Can you give me an idea of my chances for admission?
A. We cannot provide preliminary evaluations of chances for admission. The Admissions Committee carefully studies the entire application before reaching its decision.
Q. I cannot afford to pay the application fee. Can I defer the fee until I am admitted, or can the fee be waived?
A. A non-refundable application fee must be remitted with your application. It cannot be deferred until an admissions decision is made. Georgia Tech's graduate application fee is $95 per application for domestic applicants, and $105 for international applicants. Applications submitted without payment will not be processed. For more details on submitting the application fee, see https://grad.gatech.edu/faq/knowledgebase.php?article=120
Application Fee Waivers: Georgia Tech (the Institute) offers Institute-level application fee waivers to qualifying applicants (Applicants with Financial or Other Hardship; Applicants from Qualifying Programs; Applicants from Qualifying Societies, Conferences, & Recruitment Events; and Other Qualifying Applicants. Please see https://grad.gatech.edu/admissions/application-fee-waivers to determine if you qualify for an Institute level application fee waiver. If you qualify for and are granted an Institute-level waiver, the Office of Graduate Education will send you an email notification on the next steps. Please DO NOT contact the department regarding Institute-level waiver requests.
The department of Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) may have a limited number of department-level application fee waivers available. Preference will be given to qualified PhD applicants with excellent academic credentials and financial need. To apply for an application fee waiver, please send a copy of your resume or transcript to inquire@mse.gatech.edu at least 10 business days prior to the stated application deadline. If you are granted a department-level waiver, the MSE academic office will provide you with instructions with the next steps. Requesting a fee waiver will have no bearing on admission decisions.
If you request either an Institute-level or department-level waiver, DO NOT pay the application fee prior to submitting your fee waiver request. Georgia Tech does not issue application fee refunds, so make sure you have received a decision on your application fee waiver request prior to making payment.
Q. I can only attend graduate school if I receive financial aid during my studies. Is aid available?
A. Financial aid in the form of Graduate Assistantships is available to all qualified students who are admitted to our PhD graduate program. The Assistantships will include a tuition waiver and will provide a competitive stipend. However, you are encouraged to seek outside fellowships (such as NSF, EPA, etc.) to help finance your graduate studies. Students admitted into the MS graduate program are typically not provided with financial aid. Exceptions are only possible where faculty have a specific requirement for a MS student on a research project and have funding available. International students typically have to be able to show that they have around $52,000 USD available for their first year of studies in order to get an I-20 for studies at GT. Tuition amounts can be found at: http://www.bursar.gatech.edu/content/tuition-fees
Q. If I apply for the PhD program, will I be considered for an M.S (and vice-versa)?
A. No. Your application will only be considered for the degree level that you apply for.
Q. I am interested in completing my PhD under a specific faculty member. Should I send my application directly to him/her?
A. No. You must apply to the School, and not a specific faculty member. Decisions regarding admissions are made by an Admissions Committee and are based on many factors. Qualified doctoral applicant information is provided to all MSE faculty; faculty with possible openings in their group will contact the students that they are interested in. Most students must be selected to work for a specific faculty member before they will be admitted.
Q. What courses are offered and when?
A. To view the classes offered each semester visit www.registrar.gatech.edu. Most courses are usually offered in the same semester each year. To view a PROJECTED tentative list of MSE Graduate Level courses, please go to Projected Tentative Graduate Course Offerings (found at: Graduate Syllabi )
Q. Can I transfer from another school to your graduate program?
A. No, we do not accept transfer students from other graduate programs into Materials Science and Engineering.
Q. How many students are accepted each year?
A. This number fluctuates greatly from year to year depending on the amount of financial assistance available.
Q. I want to apply as an MS with thesis. What do I need to do before applying?
A. Before applying, students applying to pursue an MS with thesis must identify a faculty member willing to advise the thesis and cover the research costs before being considered for admission. In order to do this, students must reach out to potential faculty members.The graduate office must receive written notice from the faculty member that they agree to advise the thesis. Please note that funding is typically not available for students pursuing an MS. Exceptions are only possible where faculty have a specific requirement for a MS student on a research project and have funding available. International students typically have to be able to show that they have around $52,000 USD available for their first year of studies in order to get an I-20 for studies at GT. Tuition amounts can be found at: http://www.bursar.gatech.edu/content/tuition-fees These amounts do not include living expenses.
