The Basic Program
(Freshmen and Sophomore Level)

The Department of Mechanical Engineering has a selective admission policy. Freshmen applicants must have a high school grade point average of at least 3.2/4.0 or have received a score of 26 or higher in the math portion of the ACT or an SAT math sub score of at least 590. Those students who do not meet this requirement may apply for admission as indicated below:

Transfer students, whether from another university or within another department at North Dakota State University, must have a cumulative grade point of at least 2.7.

Professional Program 
(Junior and Senior Level)

Applications for admission to the Mechanical Engineering Professional Program will be approved subject to the following conditions: 

• The Mechanical Engineering Basic Program must be completed with a cumulative grade point average of 2.7 and with no grade below "C" in any one of the core courses.
• Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.
• Students must be currently enrolled in or have completed all fundamental Basic Program courses. (No more than 7 credits remaining for preliminary admission.)

If you should have any questions or concerns regarding these policies, please see your advisor or the department chair.

Admission to the ME Graduate Program

Admission to the ME Graduate Program is granted on a competitive basis.  Since the ME Department normally receives many more qualified applications than it can accept, admission standards each year may be higher than the minimum requirements listed below.   In general, however, admission is dependent upon the following items:

·   Undergraduate GPA and other activities;

·   Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) scores (international students) is highly recommended but not required and may be used in consideration for assistantships;

·   TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo scores (international students);

·   Area of interest; and

·   ME Faculty members availability to advise students in a particular area of interest.

When a student is admitted, the department expects that the student will graduate in a timely manner.  Since admitting a student requires a significant commitment on behalf of the ME faculty, the department believes that it is better to deny admission to a qualified student rather than to admit them and then be unable to offer the support necessary to succeed in graduate school.  On the other hand, when a student is admitted, the faculty members in the ME Department are committed to helping them develop the skills needed in the field of mechanical engineering.

Application Procedure

For general information about Graduate School (GS) admission procedures, see the General Admissions information provided by the Graduate School. (https://catalog.ndsu.edu/graduate/admission-information/)

Prospective students should apply online directly through the Graduate School website.  In general, the following items will be required:

·   Graduate School application form

·   Application fee

·   Copies of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts

·   Official report of the GRE general test score (international students)

·   Official results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing Systems (IELTS) (international students), or Duolingo (international students)

·   “Statement of Purpose” identifying immediate and ultimate degree objectives, technical areas of interest, and career objectives

·   Three letters of recommendation

The Graduate School only processes applications accompanied with the application fee.  Once the complete application materials have been received, they will be forwarded to the ME Department for consideration.

Admission Deadlines

Fall Semester

February 15: Application deadline for full consideration of available assistantships

March 15: Notification of admission/assistantships 

April 15: Student response required

Spring Semester

September 15: Application deadline for full consideration of available assistantships

October 15: Notification of admission/assistantships

November 15: Student response required 

University Requirements:  Applications from U.S. students must be received 1 month prior to registration. For international students: prior to May 1 for Fall Semester and prior to August 1 for Spring semester.

Minimum Admission Requirements

All applicants are expected to have the following minimum requirements:

·   B.S. degree or M.S. degree in engineering, math physics or a related field from an institution recognized by NDSU; and

·   A minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) for admission at full standing; or

·   Be earning at least a 3.0 GPA over the past two semesters of graduate studies at an accredited institution.

 International students, in addition to the above requirements, are also expected to have:

·   A minimum GRE score of 300 (Combined Quantitative and Verbal) with a minimum Quantitative score of 155;

·   Minimum scores on the TOEFL, ILETS, or Duolingo exams as listed below.

TOEFL Paper = 525, TOEFL Internet = 71, IELTS = 6.0, Duolingo = 100.

If the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number of graduate student positions available, the requirements to gain admission may exceed those listed above.  In special circumstances, a student not meeting the requirements listed maybe conditionally admitted if they are supported by a faculty member and satisfy the minimum admission requirements set forth by the NDSU Graduate School.

TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo required for Graduate Teaching Assistantships may exceed those listed above, in accordance with the NDSU English Language Proficiency requirements found in the NDSU Graduate Bulletin.

Applicants with a Non-ME Bachelor’s Degree:  Applicants who do not have a degree equivalent to a BSME degree can be admitted into the M.S. or Ph.D. programs, but may be required to complete some undergraduate coursework prior to enrolling in graduate courses.  Determination of the required coursework will be made by the Graduate Program Coordinator in consultation with the ME Graduate Committee and Department Chair. 

Students who do not possess an engineering degree from an ABET accredited institution are required to submit GRE scores for consideration of admission into the graduate program.

Graduate School

The Graduate School has a variety of campus-wide policies and procedures that apply to all students enrolled in a graduate program.  Graduate school applicants should initially contact the graduate school to submit their applications.  Admission letters will be issued by the Graduate School.

Graduate School Forms:

The following forms may be downloaded from the Graduate School website

(http://www.ndsu.edu/gradschool/current_students/forms/)

·   Master and Doctoral Plan of Study

·   Change to Plan of Study

·   Change Supervisory Committee

·   Notification of Scheduled Examination

·   Continuation of Program

·   Degree Objective Change

·   Withdraw from Graduate School

·   Report of Preliminary Exam

·   Report of Final Exam

·   Disquisition Approval Pages

·   Delayed Enrollment

·   Reactivation

·   Leave of Absence

Contact Information

Mailing Address:

NDSU Graduate School

NDSU Dept 2820

PO Box 6050

Fargo, ND 58108

Physical Address:

NDSU Graduate School

106 Putnam Hall

1349 12^th Ave NW

Fargo, ND 58102

Email:  ndsu.grad.school@ndsu.edu

Phone: 701-231-7033

Fax: 701-231-6524