Admission Requirements

Application Requirements

• Work Experience

  Applicants must document at least one year of work experience in a relevant field to be eligible to enroll in the distance learning degree program.

• Minimum of a Baccalaureate Degree

  Your undergraduate degree should be preferably in engineering, mathematics, or science, and conferred by an accredited college or university. For students with foreign credentials, the equivalent from a college or university of recognized standing. See the Graduate School’s International Degree Equivalencies for more information.

  As an undergraduate, you should have taken at the minimum, differential calculus, integral calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations as math courses. For Cornell undergrads, MATH 1910, MATH 1920, MATH 2930, MATH 2940, and a mathematics course chosen by the major are required.

• Course in Probability and Statistics

  • An undergraduate course in probability and statistics is required to matriculate into the System Engineering program.
  • If not already completed at the time of admission, this requirement may be satisfied by completing ENGRD 2700 or CEE 3040.
  • Students may complete a similar course at another university upon approval of the Curriculum Committee. You will be required to submit a transcript as verification that this course has been completed before the end of your first semester in the program.

  Review the additional guidelines regarding the probability and statistics requirement for incoming students.

• Letters of Recommendation

  Two required; additional letters are accepted.

  Recommenders may submit their letters online. Once an application is submitted, recommenders receive an automated email soliciting their letter (you will be prompted to provide their contact information before you submit your application).

  Recommenders may also email letters to systemseng@cornell.edu.

• Academic Statement of Purpose

  This short essay should have a forward-looking focus. Tell us about your professional goals and how they relate to Systems Engineering and the M.Eng. degree. Include why the degree is a good fit for you, what you intend to study and why and how you will apply what you learn in your career after graduation. Use this as an opportunity to demonstrate that you have researched the Systems Engineering M.Eng. program and have developed a plan to include it in your professional development. Include how your academic background prepared you for the M.Eng. program.

• Personal Statement

  This short essay complements your academic statement of purpose and should be reflective, describing your personal motivations and sharing insights into your potential contributions to the Cornell M.Eng. community. Explain how your background has influenced your decision to pursue a professional degree.

• Unofficial Transcripts

  • Include transcripts from each college or university previously attended.
  • Please note that there are only up to three fields for listing schools attended. If you attended more than three colleges or universities, you must upload those transcripts in the writing sample portion of the application.
  • If you have appropriate supplemental documents such as an undergraduate research paper, resume and awards, upload them in the writing sample portion of the application.

• GRE

  Currently not required.

• English Language Proficiency

  Scores from either TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic are required to assess the student’s proficiency with the English language. Please see the M.Eng. Application Guide for exemption criteria.

  We require minimum scores for each section plus a minimum cumulative score:

  • TOEFL

  An overall minimum score of 105 plus the following minimum scores for each section:

  Speaking – 22
  Reading – 20
  Listening – 15
  Writing – 20

  • IELTS

  Overall minimum band score of 7.5

  For further information on this requirement as well as exemptions, please see the Cornell Engineering M.Eng. Application Guide.

• Application Fee

  Payment of $105 must be made online at the time you submit your application.

• Financial Support

  The Master of Engineering degree is self-funded. Financial aid for professional graduate students at Cornell is limited and based wholly on merit. Find out about the funding sources available to M.Eng. students at the M.Eng. Paying for Your Degree page.