Doctoral Program in Computational Science and Engineering
Application & Admission Information
Applications from candidates with a strong foundation in core disciplinary areas of mathematics, engineering, physics, or related fields are strongly encouraged via the CSE PhD electronic application. Applicants are asked to select the home department(s) and specific MIT CCSE-affiliated faculty within the department(s) that best match their research interests. At the discretion of the CSE admissions committee, applications might also be shared with a home department beyond those designated. Admission decisions are conducted jointly between CCSE and the home departments.
Please note: This is the doctoral program in Computational Science and Engineering; applicants interested in Computer Science must apply to the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Important Dates
September 15: Application Opens
December 1: Deadline to apply for admission* (note: this is a change from previous years)
December – March: Application review period
Mid-to-Late March: Decisions released via email
*All supplemental materials (e.g., transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation) must also be received by December 1. Application review begins on that date, and incomplete applications may not be reviewed. Please be sure that your recommenders are aware of this hard deadline, as we do not make exceptions. We also do not allow students to upload/submit material beyond what is required, such as degree certificates, extra recommendations, publications, etc.
A complete electronic CSE application includes the following:
- Three letters of recommendation in PDF format;
- Transcripts from all colleges / universities attended, uploaded directly to the application in PDF format;
- Students admitted to the program will be required to supply official transcripts. Discrepancies between unofficial and official transcripts may result in the revocation of the admission offer.
- Completed Subjects Taken section of the application;
- Statement of objectives (limited to approximately one page);
Official GRE General Test score report, sent to MIT by ETS via institiute code 3514GRE REQUIREMENT WAIVED FOR FALL 2023;- Official IELTS score report sent to MIT by IELTS* (international applicants from non-English speaking countries only; see below for more information)
- Resume or CV, uploaded in PDF format;
- MIT graduate application fee of $75.
Application Fee
The MIT graduate application fee of $75.00 is a mandatory requirement set by the Institute payable by MasterCard or Visa.
Please visit the MIT Graduate Admission Application Fee Waiver page for information about fee waiver eligibility and instructions.
Admissions Contact Information
Kate Nelson, CCSE Administrator
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 35-434
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
Email: cse_info@mit.edu
►Current MIT CSE SM Students: Please see the page for Current MIT Graduate Students.
GRE Requirement
GRE REQUIREMENT WAIVED FOR FALL 2023
All applicants are required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Aptitude Test. The MIT code for submitting GRE score reports is 3514 (you do not need to list a department code). GRE scores must current; ETS considers scores valid for five years after the testing year in which you tested.
English Language Proficiency Requirement*
The CSE PhD program requires international applicants from non-English speaking countries to take the academic version of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The IELTS exam measures one’s ability to communicate in English in four major skill areas: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. A minimum IELTS score of 7 is required for admission. For more information about the IELTS, and to find out where and how to take the exam, please visit the IELTS web site.
While we will also accept the TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language), we strongly prefer the IELTS. The minimum TOEFL iBT score is 100.
Degree Requirements for Admission
To be admitted as a regular graduate student, an applicant must have earned a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a college, university, or technical school of acceptable standing. Students in their final year of undergraduate study may be admitted on the condition that their bachelor’s degree is awarded before they enroll at MIT.
Applicants without an SM degree may apply to the CSE PhD program, however, the Departments of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Mechanical Engineering nominally require the completion of an SM degree before a student is considered a doctoral candidate. As a result, applicants to those departments holding only a bachelor’s degree are asked in the application to indicate whether they prefer to complete the CSE SM program or an SM through the home department.
Nondiscrimination Policy
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in education and employment. To read MIT’s most up-to-date nondiscrimination policy, please visit the Reference Publication Office’s nondiscrimination statement page.
Additional Information
For more details, as well as answers to most commonly asked questions regarding the admissions process to individual participating departments including details on financial support, applicants are referred to the website of the participating department of interest.