A variety of graduate degree programs are available to help you meet your career goals and research interests. Masters degrees are offered as either full-time on-campus programs or as part-time online programs. The doctoral program is on-campus only. Applicants to the doctoral program need not have earned a masters degree before starting Ph.D. study.
Admission into the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECpE) depends largely on meeting at least minimum academic qualifications required by the department; in addition, admission of qualified applicants also depends on a match between the student’s area of interest, research specialties, and needs of the faculty.
While applicants with records that meet or exceed the department’s admissions guidelines are not guaranteed admission, we promise to make every effort in assessing each student’s ability and motivation to carry on advanced study and research in electrical and computer, evidence of creative talent, ability to speak and write English clearly, and promise for a successful career.
In addition to satisfying the admission guidelines, the department also is interested in your potential as a teaching or research assistant. Many graduate students will be admitted with an initial major professor, if not the student will have to secure a major professor by the end of the second semester.
Application for Admission
The application to the ECpE graduate program is a two-phase process. First, complete the initial graduate pre-application form through the Office of Admission application portal. This is a simple pre-application form with no application fee which makes it easy to apply. Please include a C.V., unofficial exam reports (if required and available), a statement of purpose, and unofficial academic transcripts.
In reviewing this pre-application phase, ECpE faculty will conduct an initial assessment of your qualifications for graduate studies at ISU, including if an application fee waiver is available for your second-phase application. Within two weeks of your pre-application, we will email you with an admission recommendation. A positive decision on the pre-applications, means you may proceed to the phase two application which requires an application fee. In this second phase, you will arrange for three letters of recommendation.
Applications reviewed for this second-phase will be reviewed according to the following schedules:
– Fall semester entry applications will be reviewed January through mid-May preceding the Fall semester.
– Spring semester entry applications will be reviewed September through November preceding the Spring semester.
– Decisions will be communicated by email as soon as possible after the decision is made.
Apply online at the Office of Admissions application portal. Application Instructions.
Application Requirements
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering or closely related area
- GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or higher
- The GRE is optional.
- Statement of Purpose
- 3 letters of recommendation
- Non-native English speakers must meet the English Proficiency Requirement with either an appropriate degree or with a qualifying exam score.
This requirement is satisfied for applicants who have a B.S. degree or higher from a country where English is the only official language (such as United States, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda (for full list, see the application instructions).
The minimum required scores for English exams:- TOEFL Internet (iBT): 88
- TOEFL Paper (PBT): 570
- IELTS: 6.5
- PTE: 59
- Duolingo English Test: 105 (approved through the Spring 2025 admissions cycle)
- Note: official English exam reports must be provided to ISU in order to prepare official admission offer documents.
Deadlines
| Semester of Entry | Funding Priority Date | Most Admissions Decisions Returned by | Classes begin |
| Fall | January 15 | Early May | Late August |
| Spring | September 1 | Late November | Mid-January |
Note that if you require a visa to study in the U.S., please do not initiate a pre-application or application within 3 months of when classes begin; it is impractical to complete both the admission review process and the visa application process within such a short timeframe.
Applications completed by these dates will receive consideration for all available admission and funding opportunities. Applications completed after these dates will receive consideration for remaining admission and funding opportunities.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is always our pleasure to assist students in their application process; however, we do ask that students read all instructions and FAQs carefully before contacting us, as answers to your questions may have already been addressed. If you have other questions, please email ecpegrad@iastate.edu.