Graduate Admission Overview

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering graduate program considers several factors in admissions decisions including:

• A bachelor of science degree in electrical or computer engineering or related fields is required for admission.

• For the master’s program, an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale is required.

• The average GPA for admitted students is 3.55 on a 4.0 scale.

•  The GPA from all completed undergraduate and graduate work are used for the admission review.

• There are two tracks to pursue the PhD: BS to PhD, or MS to PhD. Please refer to the ECE Graduate Handbook for details.

• The quality of the school(s) where the applicant has studied, grades in technical courses (vs. nontechnical courses) and the applicant’s recommendation letters are considered.

• GRE scores: ALL APPLICANTS who seek University Fellowships must have an official report of GRE scores sent directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to the OSU Graduate Admissions office. Please see below for MS applicants.

  • No GRE subject tests are required.

  • If GRE and/or TOEFL scores are required, they must be received directly from ETS prior to the Graduate Studies Committee review. Self reported GRE and TOEFL scores are not accepted.

• The TOEFL score in English comprehension is required for applicants who graduate from schools outside the U.S. Internet based test (IBT) preferred score is 92, computer based test (CBT) preferred score is 237 and paper based test (PBT) preferred score is 580. For information about the IELTS and MELAB, please see FAQ #9.

The GRE is required for the MS admission application.

Exception to the GRE requirement: OSU undergrads who meet the following criteria:

• 100% of credits completed at OSU with a
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher
•  60 or more OSU credits completed with an
  • OSU cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher and
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher
• 30 to 59 credits completed at OSU with an
  • OSU cumulative GPA of 3.6 or higher and   
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher

2016 MS Admission Statistics:

• 1249 total applications received for autumn 2016
• Approximately 10% admission rate
• Those offered admission in 2016 include:

Other factors that influence an admission outcome:

• Undergraduate program and institution
• Applicant’s additional experience
• English proficiency scores if applicable
• Letters of recommendations
• The competitiveness of the pool of applicants for the year

ECE strives for diversity including underrepresented US applicants, and a balanced international population.