ECE: Electrical & Computer Engineering

Fellowships, Assistantships, Financial Aid
How to Apply
Direct-Ph.D. and Ph.D. Admissions
Applicants Earning a B.S. from Virginia Tech
Applicants Earning an M.S. or M.Eng. from Virginia Tech
International Applicants
Deferred Admissions

The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering welcomes motivated, well prepared students to seek admissions to our graduate programs.

Admission into the ECE graduate programs is very competitive. Applicants applying to the master of science program, who have earned or will earn a bachelor's degree, are encouraged to have a 3.3/4.0 or higher GPA on their most recent 60 course credit hours. The master of engineering GPA requirement for admission is a hard minimum 3.0 GPA on the most recent 60 course credit hours. Direct-Ph.D. and Ph.D. applicants typically have a grade point average that exceeds 3.5/4.0 in their previous degrees. Preference is given to applicants from peer U.S. institutions and to the best students from top universities with Virginia Tech or government funding.

Applicants applying to the Ph.D. program are encouraged to review the additional information provided. See Ph.D. Admissions for details.

Applicants who do not have an EE or CPE degree or switching between EE and CPE are advised to be familiar with the ECE background requirements. See Non EE/CPEs for details.

ECE awards Graduate Teaching Assistantships and Fellowships each year to qualified applicants. Preference is given to applicants that submit their application materials by the suggested application deadline.

Applicants are encouraged to communicate amongst the faculty in our many research programs to find research assistantship support from their contracts.

Research oriented graduate students are given preference to funding opportunities. Financial support is not guaranteed with admission. See Fellowships... for details.

Applicants applying for admission within the ECE Graduate Programs are to use the online Virginia Tech Graduate School Application Form. Completed applications are processed for review of acceptance decisions by the ECE Admission/Recruiting Office and the EE and CPE Admission officers.

The complete application includes:

• Virginia Tech Graduate School online application form; nonrefundable application fee $45.00.
• Up-to-date transcripts of undergraduate and graduate records. Send one directly to the Graduate School and one to the ECE Admission/Recruiting Office.
• 3 recommendations (ECE prefers online reference documents)
• Graduate Record Exam scores (with exceptions for some Virginia Tech students)
• TOEFL Exam for International Students whose native language is not English

Students applying for the Ph.D. program typically have a masters degree from an accredited college or university in EE, CPE, or a related field.

Highly qualified applicants can apply for the direct-Ph.D. program.

A student graduating from Virginia Tech is only required to submit two recommendations, although more are acceptable. Virginia Tech students earning a bachelor's degree in ECE who have a 3.5 or higher GPA are not required to take the GRE exam.

Students who are currently enrolled in the master's degree program at Virginia Tech, and desire to continue their studies toward a Ph.D. degree, must formally request admission into the Ph.D. program by the departmental admission deadline. The request should be made by using the online Virginia Tech Graduate School Application Form. In addition, one letter of reference from an ECE faculty member willing to commit to be the student's faculty advisor, with research funds, must be submitted to the ECE Graduate Admission/Recruiting Office.

All international students whose native language is not English and who have not earned a bachelor or masters degree from an American, Canadian, or British institution are required to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) Exam as well as the GRE. Their applications will not be acted upon until both the TOEFL and the GRE test scores have been received.

International applicants must provide proof of funding from their government, employer, or a graduate assistantship offer from Virginia Tech to support studies financially for the first year at Virginia Tech. The financial document must be submitted to the ECE Admission/Recruiting Office before admission can be awarded.

Applicants requesting a deferral or reconsideration must complete a new electronic application by the ECE application deadline stated for semester and year deferring to. The original supplemental materials are maintained within the ECE Graduate Admissions and Recruiting Office, 340-D Whittemore Hall, for one year. It is advisable to submit all updated documents to ECE.