Chapter 3: Admissions

Applications

Applications for admission and related deadlines are available on the graduate school of engineering website: Prospective Graduate Student Resources

Application Requirement Details

• ONLINE APPLICATION.
  • To submit your online application, go to https://slate.scu.edu/apply/. Create an application with your email as the username and create a password. Use this website to view application status and official decisions.
• NONREFUNDABLE APPLICATION FEE:
  • A completed online application for admission to engineering graduate programs, including a nonrefundable $90 application fee.
• OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS:
  • If you attended a university WITHIN the United States, one official transcript indicating the degree received and date of conferral must be sent from EACH institution. Please note: we do NOT accept transcripts sent directly from the applicant, transcripts are ONLY ACCEPTED from the University.
    • The institution can send an official electronic transcript to gradengineer@scu.edu.
  • If you attended a university OUTSIDE of the United States, applicants must submit a transcript evaluation report from Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) or World Education Services (WES). The report must include a course by course evaluation which will verify a GPA based on a 4.0 scale, and the U.S. equivalence of each educational credential. Please refer to the ECE or WES website: www.ece.org or www.wes.org (There is no exception to this requirement). Please note: A copy of your original transcripts will be attached to the report and you do not need to send any additional transcripts.
• OFFICIAL GRE SCORES. Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores must be sent directly to Engineering Graduate Programs by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Our institution code is 4851. Additionally, students can send a PDF copy of their results to gradengineer@scu.edu. For information on the GRE, please visit the website: www.ets.org/.
• OFFICIAL TOEFL/IELTS/DUOLINGO SCORES. For non-U.S. citizens or students who have received a degree from a university outside of the United States international students, we will accept scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing Systems (IELTS) or Duolingo. Our institution code is 4851. Test scores over three years old will not be accepted. Additionally, students can send a PDF copy of their results to gradengineer@scu.edu. This requirement is waived for those who attended an institution within the U.S.

Program Details

BS/MS 5 Year Program (Current undergraduate SCU students)

• Current undergraduate SCU students need to apply to the B.S./M.S. program at the end of their Junior year. Automatic admission into the five-year program is based on a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the major. Upon notification of acceptance into the B.S./M.S. program, students may begin taking graduate-level courses in their senior year and a maximum of 20 units can be transferred into the graduate program.

Open University

• For those who want to update their skills and learn new technologies without the commitment of earning a graduate degree, Open University allows students to enroll in graduate-level classes.
• A maximum of 16 units may apply toward the M.S. degree if the courses are in the same discipline to which the student is accepted. The general GRE test requirement for admission to the master’s degree program will be waived if the student has completed a set of required courses in the department to which they are applying and has earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Open University students who wish to pursue and M.S. degree must submit an online application.

Certificate Programs

• Depending on the certificate program, students will complete 16-18 units of coursework.
• All certificate units in the discipline may be applied toward a master’s degree. Students who wish to pursue a Master’s degree must submit a separate online application. The application fee will be waived for currently enrolled certificate students. The general GRE and TOEFL test requirement for graduate admission to the master’s degree will be waived for students who complete a certificate with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Master’s Program

• The GRE waiver option is available to applicants for the Engineering Management Program who have two or more years of working experience in the U.S.

Engineer’s Degree & Ph.D.

Ph.D. and Engineer’s degrees are offered in the Departments of Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.

• 3 LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION. These letters should attest to the applicant’s academic preparation and capability for advanced studies.
• STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. A 500-word statement of purpose emphasizing the applicant’s research interests and outlining the applicant’s professional and academic goals.

Admission Deferrals

Any student who has been admitted and made a deposit to a degree program and wishes to defer their admission for the current academic year (the year listed in your acceptance letter) must submit a deferral form prior to the start of the quarter listed on the student’s admission letter. If a student wishes to defer into the next academic year, they must submit a new application (please note: admission is not guaranteed and any previous enrollment deposit is non-refundable). Please email gradengineer@scu.edu for the deferral form.