Admissions

MS applicants: Successful master’s program applicants should have an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university in electrical engineering, computer engineering, engineering physics, computer science, or a related field. We also will consider outstanding applicants with other appropriate academic backgrounds who demonstrate the promise to succeed in graduate-level study in ECE. MS applicants should have a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a scale of 4.0, based on the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework completed. Download our MS degree booklet for an overview of our master’s program.

PhD applicants: Successful applicants for doctoral study should have a master of science degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, engineering physics, computer science, or a related field and should have completed substantial coursework in the chosen field of study. The department does consider outstanding PhD applicants who have only a bachelor’s degree through a program called “direct admission.” Please see the direct admission section below for more information. PhD applicants should have a GPA of 3.5 or higher on a scale of 4.0, based on the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework completed.

Note: In making all admissions decisions, the department does consider the institution where you earned your prior degrees: for example, the requirements above may be relaxed slightly if you studied at a top-ranked school in your country.

*The College of Engineering will sponsor application fee waivers for a limited time. This does not include the $100 Credential Fee for International credentials. In order to receive an application fee waiver:

• PhD applications must be submitted by Dec. 15, 2025
• MS applications must be submitted by Feb. 15, 2026
  • and applicants must attend an ECE Graduate Program Information Session.

There are two phases to the admissions process for graduate study in electrical and computer engineering.

Step 1: Graduate College review. Prospective graduate students must apply for admission through the UIC Graduate College. Within two to three days of completing your online Graduate College application, you will receive an email acknowledging receipt and indicating that you can log back into the system to begin uploading supplementary application materials (see Step 2 below).

Step 2: Departmental review.The department is very interested in reviewing the additional documents you will upload as part of the application process. These include your statement of purpose, résumé, GRE general test scores, specialization form (for PhD applicants only), and other documents you might want to submit for consideration. These documents will help to distinguish you from other applicants. The next section explains them in detail.

Applicants must meet the requirements of the Graduate College and the requirements of the electrical and computer engineering department. In general, applicants should be prepared with the following:

• Admissions application completed online
• Transcripts of all previous undergraduate and graduate work
  • PhD applicants are expected to have a GPA of 3.5 on a scale of 4.0 for the final 60 semester hours of undergraduate studies
  • MS applicants are expected to have a GPA of 3.0 on a scale of 4.0 for the final 60 semester hours of undergraduate studies
• English competency test. Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take an English competency test. Minimum required scores are: iBT Internet-based TOEFL of 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21; IELTS of 6.5, with all four subscores of at least 6.0; or PTEAcademic of 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56. TOEFL, IELTS and other test scores must be sent directly from the testing service to UIC. UIC’s Institutional Code is 1851 (no department code is needed).
• GRE general test scores. Students do not need to submit scores but are encouraged to do so if they feel their test performance would enhance their prospects for admission or financial aid. For score reporting, our institution code is 1851, and no department code is required.
• Personal statement and résumé/CV (PhD applicants only). These items are required for PhD applicants seeking financial assistance. Use the personal statement to tell us who you are, what has influenced your academic or career path so far, what your professional interests are, and what you hope to do after completing your graduate education.
• Letters of recommendation (PhD applicants only). Letters should be written by people who are familiar with your academic work and who can assess your potential for success in graduate studies and research. Note: during the application process, you will be asked to provide the email addresses of your references, and UIC will contact these individuals to request the references directly.

Most PhD applicants already have earned (or are about to complete) a master of science degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a related field. However, exceptional applicants who seek to start the PhD with only an undergraduate degree may be considered for what is called “direct admission.” Students who are admitted to the PhD program with only a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a related field must complete all 108 credit hours toward the PhD degree (compared with students entering with an MS degree, who can transfer in 32 earned credits from their master’s program).

Current deadlines can be found on the Graduate College’s admissions deadlines page.