Frequently Asked Questions

The field of mechanical engineering offers a Master of Science program; the fields of aerospace engineering and theoretical and applied mechanics do not.

Yes. This is the typical application path.

This is rare, but can happen. The student must still complete the full Ph.D. application process to do so. This typically only occurs if a student has completed a strong M.Eng. or M.S. degree, with high grades in courses and a good project/thesis with a faculty member.

The areas of interest on the application are roughly aligned with the areas of research. You have to select at least one area, but can select up to three. These areas give us an idea of what you are most interested in studying. While the areas of interest are typically aligned with the area(s) you will eventually work in, this is not a requirement and can change if you come to Cornell.

No, there are no set minimums. However, the application process is quite competitive such that most students have a GPA>3.5 (4.0 scale), and GREs are at least 153 (500) Verbal, 160 (760) Quantitative, and 5.0 Analytical.

Applications are due on December 1. Initial decisions are made by the end of February, and all decisions are complete by April 1. Students must notify Cornell of their acceptance decision by April 15. All applicants will receive an admission decision via email.

No. Students in the mechanical and aerospace fields have undergraduate degrees in all areas of engineering, mathematics and physics.

No. We do not accept applications for admission in the spring semester. We only accept applications for consideration for fall admission.

Yes, you can use a professional reference for your application. It is preferred that at least two of your letters be academic references since faculty are more familiar with the type of information graduate programs are looking for in a recommendation letter. A professional reference is fine if you feel they can provide you a stronger letter than a faculty member can.

The field only admits applicants with funding, and that funding will continue for the full time the student is in good standing with the field. Students are admitted with either a one-semester fellowship or a teaching assistantship in their first semester in order to allow them to find advisors. A smaller percentage of students come in on funded graduate research assistant positions and immediately start working with a faculty advisor. After the first semester, students are funded typically with one of three ways: 1) fellowship (NSF, NDSEG, Sloan, Cornell, Hertz, etc), 2) graduate research assistantship, or 3) teaching assistantship.

Yes, each Ph.D. student must serve as a teaching assistant for two semesters during their program. Students typically do not serve more than two semesters.

There are no specific course requirements. The selection of courses is a joint decision between the student and their Special Committee, including their minor advisor.

To summarize: 1) passing the Q , A , and B Exams; 2) serving as a TA for two semesters; and 3) completing at least one minor. See the field rules for more details.

To start, please see the rules for your field. Next, you have multiple resources, including: 1) Sam Benson, the assistant director for graduate affairs; 2) the director of graduate studies for your field; 3) your advisor; and 4) fellow students, including the SIGMA organization.

It is recommended that you look over the faculty websites and papers to answer as many questions as possible, and to gauge interest in the faculty member’s research. If you have questions for a specific faculty member that you cannot find answers to online, then ask. However, most faculty members receive several inquiries each day from prospective students, so many faculty cannot answer all of these. Please do not get discouraged if you do not get a response. Many faculty members focus their recruiting efforts in the January-February time frame only.

No. We can only evaluate full application packages, which include letters of recommendation, grade reports, GRE and TOEFL scores (if required) and statements of interest.

maephd@cornell.edu
Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
343 Upson Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
(607) 255-5250