Master of Science (M.S.) Admissions

The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering welcomes motivated, well-prepared students to seek admissions to our research-based graduate programs.

Applicants applying to the Master of Science program are encouraged to have a 3.3/4.0 or higher GPA on their most recent 60 course credit hours in addition to receiving their bachelor's degree.

For more information contact us at vt.ece.gradadm@vt.edu.

How To Apply

Applicants applying for admission to ECE Graduate Programs at all campuses must use the online Virginia Tech Graduate School Application Form.

All documents below must be uploaded in electronic format; the ECE Department does not accept paper application materials. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all application materials, including scores and letters of recommendation, have been submitted online.

After applying, contact grads@vt.edu if you have questions or to check the status of your application materials. Complete applications only will be reviewed by the EE and CPE Admissions Officers and the ECE Graduate Committee.

The complete application includes:

• Virginia Tech Graduate School online application form; nonrefundable application fee $75.00.
• An up-to-date, electronic copy of all official transcript(s) must be submitted with your on-line application. Please do not mail your official transcript(s) to the Graduate School until you have received an offer of admission from Virginia Tech. (Note that the ECE department does not require an official copy of your transcript(s).
• Three (3) letters of recommendation.
• The GRE is optional for all applicants. Applicants who already have scores (or can obtain them) are encouraged to submit them. Additionally, be aware that applicants with a lower GPA, or from a school from which Virginia Tech ECE may not be familiar, may benefit from providing strong GRE scores.
• TOEFL or IELTS exam for applicants earning undergraduate or graduate degrees from non-English institutions.
• A Resume and a Statement of Purpose submitted with the on-line application.

Fellowships, Assistantships, and Financial Aid

ECE awards Graduate Teaching Assistantships and Fellowships each year to qualified applicants. Preference is given to applicants that submit their application materials by the suggested application deadline.

Applicants are encouraged to communicate amongst the faculty in our many research programs to find research assistantship support from their contracts.

Research-based graduate students are given preference for funding opportunities. Financial support is not guaranteed with admission.

See Fellowships for details.

2019 Bradley Fellowship

The Bradley Graduate Fellowships are available each year to the top U.S. graduate students. Students must be US citizens to be considered.

The Bradley Fellowships enable highly motivated graduate students to pursue research in ECE focus areas.

Who: U.S. applicants to the ECE graduate program are auto‐matically considered for the Bradley Fellowship. Underrepresented minorities are strongly encouraged to apply.

What: MS degree fellowships:

• $2,700/month + tuition for two years.

Direct‐PhD Fellowship:

• $2,800/month + tuition for two years, automatically considered for Bradley PhD Fellowship on completion of MS degree.

PhD degree fellowships:

• $3,200/month + tuition for three years.

For more information, view our 2019 Bradley Fellowship Brochure

Applicants Earning a B.S. Degree from Virginia Tech

A student graduating from Virginia Tech is only required to submit two recommendations, although more are acceptable. Virginia Tech students earning a bachelor's degree in ECE who have a 3.5 or higher GPA are not required to take the GRE exam.

Students from Virginia Tech who have a 3.5 or higher GPA on their last 60 credit hours of course work should consider applying to the Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Program section in the Graduate Student Policy Manual.

Accelerated Undergrad/Graduate Program

The Accelerated Masters Program is for Virginia Tech undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing graduate studies at Virginia Tech. Students must be accepted into the program prior to the beginning of the semester in which they would enroll in courses to be used in the accelerated program.

Application Form

International Applicants

All international students whose native language is not English and who have not earned a bachelor or masters degree from an American, Canadian, or British institution are required to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) Exam as well as the GRE. Their applications will not be acted upon until both the TOEFL and the GRE test scores have been received.

International applicants must provide proof of funding from their government, employer, or a graduate assistantship offer from Virginia Tech to support studies financially for the first year at Virginia Tech. This financial/funding information and documentation may be submitted along with the application for admission or after the admission decision has been made. This information is submitted to the Graduate School and not to the ECE department. More information on financial requirements for international students can be found on the Graduate School website.

Students from non-ECE Academic Backgrounds

Applicants who do not have an EE or CPE degree or switching between EE and CPE are advised to be familiar with the ECE background requirements. See Students with Non-EE/CPE Backgrounds in the Graduate Student Policy Manual for details.

Deferred Admissions

Deferral of admission will only be approved under exceptional circumstances. Typically, a funding offer cannot be deferred. Students not offered admission and wishing to be considered for admission for subsequent semesters must submit a new on-line application, including new copies of all supporting documents.