School of Engineering Graduate School Application
Thank you for your interest in the School of Engineering at Brown University. We are pleased that you chose to learn more about our Graduate Program. Your questions are very important to us and we hope they will be answered by the Frequently Asked Questions listed below.
If your question is not answered after reading the FAQs carefully, please contact us atengingrad@brown.eduand we will ensure that you receive a response via email from the appropriate party.
Note: The School of Engineering and its faculty can only evaluate your eligibility for admission based on your entire record, which must be formally submitted through the online application for consideration. We highly encourage you to apply.
Applying
Applications to the School of Engineering must be completedon-line. You can upload supporting documents, i.e. letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, and a copy of your transcript/s for evaluation purposes only.
If Brown University offers you admission to the Graduate School, the original transcript/s must be sent to:
Graduate School
Brown University
47 George Street
Providence, RI 02912.
- For all ENGN PhD Programs, plus BME ScM and MADE programs: GRE scores are optional
All Other ENGN ScM and PRIME: GRE scores are required;the GRE General Test at home version is accepted. Brown University's reporting code is 3094.
Unfortunately, we cannot process applications without an application fee. Application-fee waivers are available under certain circ*mstances. Applicants to Brown's graduate programs who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and can demonstrate either financial need or participation in certain specialized programs listed on the fee-waiver application may apply for an application-fee waiver. Please note: application-fee waivers are not available for international applicants.
Individual faculty should be contacted for specific questions regarding their research. Administrative questions about application materials should be directed to the Graduate School. Technical questions should be addressed to the faculty representative for each research area.
All international applicants whose native language is not English must submit an official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score. These exams should be taken early enough to allow the scores to reach the Graduate school by your departmentís deadline. To be considered for admission in any department, TOEFL score must be:
- 577 Paper-based test
- 233 Computer-based test
- 90 Internet-based test
- IELTS Minimum overall band score of 7
- Must be taken two years or less prior to filling out application form on line.
For additional information on the TOEFL/IELTS requirements please seeTOEFL/IELTS guidelines.
Deadlines and Decisions
| Date | Program |
| December 31 | BME Ph.D. |
| December 31 | Ph.D. |
| January 15 | Design Engineering (MADE) |
| February 1 | Data-Enabled Computational Engineering and Science (DECES) |
| February 1 | Sc.M. for full consideration (except BME) |
| February 15 | PRIME |
| April 1 | Sc.M. (exceptthe Five-year Integrated Sc.M.).Applications received by February 1 will receive full consideration. |
| April 15 | BME Sc.M. |
| May 1 | Five-year Integrated Sc.M. (except BME) |
| May 15 | BME five-year integrated Sc.M. |
Once your application is complete and all supporting documents are received, the School of Engineering will review your application and will make the decision to admit applicants. Applicants will receive an email notifying them that a new decision has been released in their application portal. Access your portal with the following link:https://apply.professional.brown.edu/apply/
Programs
- Biomedical Engineering
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering
- Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Fluids and Thermal Sciences
- Materials Science
- Mechanics of Solids
- Data Enabled Computational Engineering and Science(DECES) - master's only
- Design Engineering (MADE) - master's only
- Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship (PRIME)- master's only
If your ultimate objective is to receive a Ph.D., you should apply to the Ph.D. Program. It is possible to be considered for the master's program if you were not accepted into the Ph.D. program - contactkathy_diorio@brown.edu. A master's degree on the way to Ph.D. is possible but it requires advisor approval.
TheProgram in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship(PRIME) is primarily designed for students who have an engineering or science undergraduate background (this includes applied mathematics and computer science). Students from an industrial design background may qualify.
For additional questions regarding this highly selective program please contactprime@brown.edu.
Sc.M. Program requires eight (8) courses. There is also an optional thesis track Sc.M., which requires (8) courses plus completion of a research project and writing a master's thesis.Ph.D. Program has different course requirements, depending on the research group.
Financial Aid
Students who are admitted to any of Brown's doctoral programs are guaranteed five years of support, including a stipend, tuition remission, health-service fee, and health-insurance subsidy.
Master's students are self supported, (or often are funded by their companies.)
Doctoral fellowships are awarded either by the Graduate School or the School of Engineering. It covers tuition and a monthly stipend. Recipient can take a maximum of 8 courses and conduct research with any member of the faculty. Some fellowships are named and are awarded to exceptional students. Such awards may carry additional benefits, such as travel support, etc.
Most of our Ph.D. students are supported with Research Assistantship (RA) appointments which pay tuition and a monthly stipend. In return, the student works with a faculty member, an average of 20 hours a week. The RA appointment is usually renewed each semester, and during summer, assuming good progress is being made towards a thesis. RAs are restricted to a maximum of three courses per semester.
A few full Teaching Assistantship (TA) positions are available, which pay for tuition and a stipend. These positions are not common and are usually given to senior graduate students. Students should not plan to support themselves through TA appointments.
Some students are admitted without financial aid, but they are usually admitted to the master's degree program only. The U.S. Government will not issue a visa to a foreign student who does not have proof that they can support themselves financially.
Learn more aboutfinancial aid at Brownor get more information about financial aid for graduate students:
- Ph.D. Funding
- Master's Funding
Timeline
| Program | Time |
| Ph.D. | It varies and depends on the student's preparation and his particular research project (typical Ph.D. programs last 4-6 years). |
| Non-Thesis Sc.M. | The prescribed sequence is three courses the first semester, three courses the second semester, and two courses the third. |
| Thesis Sc.M. | The prescribed sequence is three courses the first semester, two courses the second semester (plus research), two courses the third (plus research), and one course the final semester. |
The standard non-thesis sequence is three semesters, with three courses taken in the first semester, three in the second, and two in the third. The standard thesis sequence is four semesters with three courses taken in the first semester, two courses in the second, two courses in the third semester, and one in the final semester.
The tuition for the eight required courses is spread over three semesters, with 3/4 of a semester's tuition charged in each of the first two semesters, and 1/2 of a semester's tuition charged in the third. Any deviation in the number of courses taken per semester may result in additional tuition charges/financial penalties.
All 5th year master's students can complete in one-year. In rare circ*mstances this may be possible for regular Sc.M. students, however additional tuition units will be charged.
We expect this case to be very uncommon, but in this case the student must leave campus with the status 'enrollment terminated, requirements pending', and the thesis work must be completed elsewhere.
