Early Admission for Cornell Undergraduates

Our Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) programs are professionally focused graduate degrees designed to help you deepen your technical expertise, accelerate your career, or pivot into new industries, all with only 30 additional credits. With hands-on, industry-connected learning you’ll build advanced skills and meaningful connections right here at Cornell, where you already thrive. Eligible undergraduates can take advantage of the Early Admit Pathway, beginning graduate coursework in their final semester and typically completing the degree with just one additional semester on campus.
Masters of Engineering students Sruti Yanamandra, ’23, stripped shirt, Ini Adeleye, ’23, Cornell sweatshirt, and Nathaniel Garcia, ’23, blue shirt, give a presentation to students at Geneva High School on the Internet of Things on Thursday, May 11, 2023.

  • Build Where You Belong

    Continue your Cornell journey without losing momentum. Seamless academic progression means you can focus on advancing your expertise rather than adjusting to a new setting.

  • Shape Your Career Path

    With hands-on, industry-orientated projects, deeper technical training, and customizable specializations, the M.Eng. prepares you for advanced roles and faster career growth.

  • Time it Right

    Earn both your bachelor’s and master’s with only one or two additional semesters at Cornell , giving you a head start and the credentials to step confidently into your next role.

  • Grow Your Network

    Connect with faculty, driven peers, M.Eng. alumni, and industry partners to build relationships that open doors long after graduation.

Two students work in Judy Cha's lab
Kathryn Caggiano gives lecture and points to screen

Our M.Eng. Degree Programs

Early Admit Pathway

Cornell undergraduates with only a few classes remaining may be eligible to apply for the Early Admit Pathway to the Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) degree. This option allows you to get a head start on your M.Eng. coursework and potentially complete your degree on an accelerated timeline.

Early Admit students have a head start in transitioning to professional master’s status and can fully engage in their subsequent experience as a Master of Engineering student. Students from any undergraduate college at Cornell may apply as long as they meet the eligibility requirements.

Note: Early Admission is only an option for the Ithaca-based M.Eng. programs and not for the Cornell Tech M.Eng. programs.

Eligibility for Early Admission

To be eligible for early admission to the M.Eng. program, you must:

  • Apply before your final undergraduate semester.
  • Need 8 or fewer credit hours to complete your bachelor’s degree during your final undergraduate semester, including any special designations (double major, minor, Honors, etc.).
  • Demonstrate the academic aptitude, maturity, professionalism, and commitment that are expected of all M.Eng. students.
  • Meet all requirements outlined in the Application Guide, as well as all prerequisites and other admissions requirements of your intended Master of Engineering program.
  • Apply and be admitted to the M.Eng. program in the semester prior  to the start of your Early Admit semester.

Planning for Your Early Admit Semester

  • Start planning for the Early Admit Pathway as soon as possible. Talk to your undergraduate advisor and schedule an appointment with the M.Eng. Director or coordinator to discuss your plans.
  • You will maintain official status as an undergraduate student until you receive your bachelor’s degree. If you receive undergraduate financial aid, please contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@cornell.edu to discuss your plans for Early Admission since there may be potential implications for your financial aid package.

In planning your course schedule, please note:

  • Carry-Forward Credit

    Early Admit students may carry forward a maximum of 15 credits into the M.Eng. degree program. This includes graduate-level credits completed during the Early Admit semester and any graduate-level transfer credits completed prior to the Early Admit semester.

  • No Double-Counting

    Any 5000+ level coursework that counts towards the undergraduate degree may not also be counted towards the M.Eng. degree.

  • Transfer Credit

    Programs may allow up to nine transfer credits for graduate coursework taken prior to the Early Admit semester. Check with your program of interest to see if this is possible.

  • Enrollment Limit

    M.Eng. students may not enroll in more than 20 credits in a semester. This is a hard limit.

    You should plan to complete at least 10 M.Eng. credits by the end of your Early Admit semester. Otherwise, it may take longer than one additional semester to complete your M.Eng. degree.

  • Transcript

    On your Cornell transcript, the grades for all courses that you take during your Early Admit semester will factor into your undergraduate cumulative GPA, even though the credit for some of these courses may be counted towards your M.Eng. degree.

Early Admission Application Process

To be considered, you will need to complete these two required steps by the M.Eng. program’s deadline:

  1. Complete the online Early Admit petition form.

    For this form, it is important to have the following information available:

    • The names of your major advisor(s) and undergraduate coordinator(s)
    • The number of undergraduate credits you have remaining for your final undergraduate semester
    • The course names and titles for your undergrad course(s) and your proposed M.Eng. courses for your final undergraduate semester (best guess)
    • The course names and titles for any graduate-level course(s) you wish to have considered for transfer credit (maximum of 9 credits)

    Note: We are no longer accepting the PDF petition form.

  2. Complete an application for admission to the M.Eng. degree program online through the Graduate School. Please make sure to specify on the application that the requested admission term is the semester AFTER your Early Admit semester, i.e., your full M.Eng. semester.

Application Deadlines and Program-Specific Requirements

To pursue Early Admission, you must apply and be admitted to the M.Eng. program in the semester prior to the start of your Early Admit semester.

Review the admissions webpage for the M.Eng. program of your choice for application deadlines and requirements specific to your field.