Apply to MAE: Information for Prospective Graduate Students

UVA Engineering is excited to share that a fee wavier for the $85 application fee will be automatically applied to your application if you are applying for 2025 admission. 

Applications are reviewed based on unofficial transcripts and self-reported test scores. Official test scores and transcripts are not necessary for the review process, but will be required if the applicant matriculates as a student. Offers of admission are not binding until official transcripts and official test scores have been received and verified by the Central Admission Office.

If your recommender did not receive an email notification with instructions on how to submit a letter of recommendation online, or if they are having problems submitting a letter of recommendation online, please have them email the letter of recommendation to the Central Admission Office at gseasadmission@virginia.edu.

TOEFL/IELTS is required for all applicants whose first language is not English. There are no set minimum scores to apply to the Graduate School of Engineering and Applied Science. A TOEFL or IELTS score should not be more than two years old. We do NOT accept Duolingo English Test. Exceptions: If you are an international applicant that has a 4 year degree from a U.S. institution than you do not need to send official TOEFL scores.

If an international applicant earned an undergraduate degree entirely at an institution where the primary language of instruction is English (regardless of whether the institution is located in a non-English speaking country), they can request a waiver. The application will prompt the applicant to upload evidence that the medium of instruction was in English.

Holding a Master's degree from an institution where the primary language of instruction is English would not automatically qualify for a waiver, but the applicant has the opportunity to apply for an alternate waiver by uploading documentation directly to their application. The admission committee will review and approve/deny these requests. 

The GRE test is optional for all applicants.

Applications must be completed and submitted on-line using the UVA’s Application Management. Letters of recommendation should be submitted online. If your recommender cannot submit a recommendation online, recommendations may be submitted by mail to the Graduate Studies Office.

The application status is displayed when you log in to your online application.

No, it is not mandatory to secure an advisor before you apply. However, admissions decisions are made ate the discretion of individual faculty, depending on their funding availability and the needs of their research group. We encourage all M.S. and Ph.D. applicants to reach out to MAE faculty members in their areas of research interest to inquire about graduate research positions within their research group. We also encourage all M.S. and Ph.D. applicants to refer to the UVA MAE faculty pages to see which faculty are currently recruiting. 

Most of our M.S. and Ph.D. students are supported with full tuition, fees, health insurance, and a stipend. Funding sources include graduate research assistantships (GRAs), graduate teaching assistantships (GTAs), and departmental and school fellowships. Some of our students are supported by external fellowships. Admissions decisions and GRA funding decisions are made by individual faculty members, depending on their funding availability and the needs of their research group. Therefore, we do encourage all our M.S. and Ph.D. applicants to reach out to MAE faculty members in their areas of research interest to inquire about graduate research positions within their research group. GTA positions are only available to existing students, and are not offered on initial admission. GRA and GTA positions are typically not available to M.E. students.

Please reach out to us at MAEoffice@virginia.edu.