Programs & Admissions

Admissions Information

We are currently accepting applications for our doctoral programs in Computational Science and Engineering (CSE). Qualified prospective students are encouraged to apply prior to the Dec 1 deadline.

Access the Application

Which Program is Right for You?

CSE PhD

The standalone CSE PhD program is intended for students who plan to pursue research in cross-cutting methodological aspects of computational science.

The resulting doctoral degree in Computational Science and Engineering is awarded by CCSE via the Schwarzman College of Computing.

Applicants to the standalone CSE PhD program are expected to have an undergraduate degree in CSE, applied mathematics, or another field that prepares them for an advanced degree in CSE, as well as relevant research experience.

Dept-CSE PhD

The joint Dept-CSE PhD program is intended for students who are interested in computation in the context of a specific engineering or science discipline.

The degree is offered jointly with participating departments and awarded via specially-crafted thesis fields recognizing students’ specialization in computation within the chosen discipline. 

Applicants to the Dept-CSE PhD program are expected to have an undergraduate degree in a related core disciplinary area as well as a strong foundation in applied mathematics, physics, or related fields.

When completing the MIT CSE graduate application, students are required to select which program they wish to be considered for (applicants may not apply to both programs in the same application cycle). Applicants to the joint program may indicate up to two (2) home departments of interest. Admissions decisions will take into account these declared interests, along with each applicant’s academic background, preparation, and fit to the program they have selected.

Important Dates

  • September 15: Application Opens
  • November 17: Deadline for OGE fee waiver applications
  • December 1: Deadline to apply for admission*
  • December – March: Application review period
  • January – March: Decisions released on rolling basis

*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.

Application Materials

In addition to completing all requisite fields within the online application, the following supporting materials are required for an individual to be considered for admission to either of CCSE’s doctoral programs.

Three (3) letters of recommendation are expected and required.

Applicants must provide the name and email addresses of recommenders within the application, then the system will automatically request letters. Applicants should check in with recommenders to make sure they have received the request and can check the status of letter submissions within the application “Recommendations” page.

Note: If an applicant makes any errors when entering recommender information (such as a typo in the email address), then the applicant will have to EXCLUDE the recommender and create a new recommendation request. To exclude a recommender, click on the recommender’s name in the list on the Recommendations page and click the “Exclude” button in the popup window.

Please upload a clear, legible, non-encrypted, unofficial copy of all transcripts. If admitted, applicants will be required to provide official transcripts from the degree-granting institution(s).

Applicants are also asked to describe the grading system(s) used by each institution. For example, if the school is not on a 4.0 or 5.0 scale, what are the grading marks and what do they represent? Explain the specific meaning of any numeric values, letter grades, and rankings. Applicants who have attended or received credit from a college or university which evaluates coursework through narrative transcripts/evaluations rather than assigning numerical or letter grades must upload narrative evaluations for relevant courses.

Statements should be limited to approximately one page; not to exceed two pages (there is not a set character/word count); for planning purposes please find the statement prompts below.

Standalone CSE PhD Statement Prompt:
Please explain why you are a good candidate for the MIT PhD program in computational science and engineering (CSE). Describe why you wish to attend this program, what you would like to study, and any research experience you have. If your interests primarily involve machine learning, data science, or operations research, please explain why the CSE PhD program (rather than another MIT program focused specifically on one of those areas) is the right choice for you. Describe one or more accomplishments of which you are particularly proud, and that suggest you will succeed in your chosen area of research.

Dept-CSE PhD Statement Prompt: 
Please explain why you are a good candidate for the interdisciplinary PhD in computational science and engineering (CSE). Explain the motivation for your choice of home department or departments, what you would like to study, and any research experience you have. Describe one or more accomplishments of which you are particularly proud, and that suggest you will succeed in your chosen area of research.

Please note: joint program applicants will also need to respond to department-specific prompts. Prompts and word count will vary based on the department(s) selected in the application.

Official GRE general test score reports are required for both the CSE PhD and Dept-CSE PhD programs.

Score reports should be sent to MIT by ETS via institute code 3514 (a department code is not required).

Scores must be valid; expired scores are not accepted.

The CSE PhD and Dept-CSE PhD programs require international applicants from non-English speaking countries to provide official score reports from one of the following tests of English language proficiency:

This requirement is waived for international applicants for which one or more of the following are true:

  • English is/was the language of instruction in your four-year undergraduate program,
  • English is the language of your employer/workplace for at least the last four years,
  • English was your language of instruction in both primary and secondary schools.

Applications from individuals who do not either meet the stated minimum scores or qualify for a waiver of the English language proficiency requirement will not be considered.

Applicants must submit a PDF resume or CV and are also required to complete the ‘Experiences’ section of the application completely. Do not enter “see resume/CV” in any fields within the ‘Experiences’ section

The MIT graduate application fee of $90.00 is a mandatory requirement set by the Institute payable by credit card. Please visit the MIT Graduate Admission Application Fee Waiver page for information about fee waiver eligibility and instructions. Please note that all OGE fee waiver applications must be submitted on or before November 15.

Please note: CCSE does not issue fee waivers; email requests for fee waivers sent to cse_info@mit.edu will not receive a response.

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 doctoral programs, 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.

CSE’s graduate offerings require some background in computational science and engineering (CSE) and lead to degrees in CSE. They are not programs in computer science (CS). In particular, they have a different research and education focus from MIT’s computer science programs. Prospective students who are instead interested in a graduate degree in computer science should explore MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS).