Electrical and Computer Engineering

What are the criteria for admission to the Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering?

Academic records, letters of recommendation, and the statement of purpose are all taken into consideration for admission. The GRE is not required.

What degrees are offered by the Graduate Program?

The Graduate Program in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Vanderbilt University offers students the opportunity to earn a Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). Currently, we do not offer a Master’s in Engineering (M.E.) in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Can I apply to the Ph.D. program with only a Bachelor’s degree or must I apply for admission the Master’s program first?

Applicants who are interested in earning a Ph.D., whether or not they have a master’s degree, are encouraged to apply directly to the Ph.D. program. Students who are accepted to the Ph.D. program with a bachelor’s degree can earn the master’s degree on the way to their Ph.D.

Do I have to choose a faculty advisor before my application is reviewed for admission?

No. However, you are encouraged to list any faculty in which you may want to work with that are in line with your research interest and reach out to them.

How do I contact professors for research opportunities?

You are encouraged to explore the research institutes and groups in the department which have their faculty and contacts listed.

You can also view the faculty Directory for Electrical and Computer Engineering here.

If I submit an application to the Ph.D. program, but am not admitted, will my application still be considered for admission to the Master’s Program?

Applying to the Masters' program is free. If you would like to be considered for our Masters' program, we recommend that you submit an application. PhD applications will not be automatically considered for admission to the MS program.

Will there be any opportunity to transfer to the Ph.D. Program if I am admitted to the Master’s program?

Transfer to the Ph.D. program from the Master’s will depend on the research progress and will typically need to be exceptional and beyond Master’s level. Requests to transfer programs are subject to approval from the academic advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies and typically require official application to the PhD program.

What funding opportunities are available?

Master’s Students: Currently, funding is not available to students admitted to the Master’s program.

Ph.D. Students:  The School of Engineering seeks to provide a competitive admission package to its students. Ph.D. students are typically awarded an Engineering Graduate Fellowship. The fellowship includes a tuition waiver, a competitive monthly stipend, payment of student service fees, and the premium for Vanderbilt student health insurance for an individual under the comprehensive plan. Typically, first-year students will serve as a teaching assistant.

The continuation of funding is dependent on academic and research progress toward your degree.

Does the degree program offer Day 1 CPT?

At this time, our program does not offer Day 1 CPT.

• Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is an off-campus employment option available to F-1 students when the training experience is considered to be an integral part of the established curriculum and directly related to the student's major area of study. ("Training" is used here to refer to paid or unpaid internships or employment. According to Immigration regulations, CPT may be an internship, practicum, or other work experience that is required for the degree program (as defined in the course catalog) or for which academic course credit is awarded)
• For more information regarding CPT please visit:  https://www.vanderbilt.edu/isss/immigration/f-1-students/employment/cpt/

What is the deadline for submission?

The application for both the spring and fall admission cycle will open on August 1. To be considered for admission for the fall, applications must be submitted by December 15th. To be considered for admission for the spring, applications must be submitted by November 1st. Please reach out to the Graduate Program Coordinator if you have any extenuating circumstances. Sometimes, spots may still be available.

Applications submitted before November 15th may be considered for additional financial awards.

What are the application requirements?

To apply for admission to the Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering, you will need to submit an application for admission electronically through The Graduate School. See more on how to apply here. Our department adheres to the Graduate School application requirements.

Please review the requirements linked above thoroughly. 

Will you use my best GRE scores when assessing my application?

All components of your application will be considered, including all test scores. You do not have to submit the GRE scores if you do not want to, but you are able to if you believe it demonstrates your strengths.

What are the language proficiency exam score requirements?

TOEFL: The minimum acceptable score is 89.

IELTS: The minimum acceptable score is 7.0

Duolingo: The minimum acceptable score is 115.

Can the language proficiency requirement be waived?

Waiver details and criteria can be found here under the Language Proficiency accordions.

Do I need to mail in original transcripts?

You do not need to mail in original transcripts when applying. You should upload an unofficial transcript from prior undergraduate or graduate work as a part of your online application. Official transcripts are required only after an offer of admission is made and accepted.

Is there an application fee?

If you are submitting an application to the Master's program, there is no fee. If you are submitting an application to the PhD program, the application fee is 95.00 USD.

Can my application fee be waived?

Application fees can be waived under the following circumstances for the Fall 2025 / Spring 2026 application cycle until December 1st:

1. All domestic (US) citizen applicants;
2. All international students currently attending or have recently graduated from a domestic (US) institution and are living in the US, and;
3. International student applications who have a degree from certain institutions.

Our application system will automatically apply a fee waiver if you meet the criteria for one. If you are not automatically granted a waiver, you do not meet our waiver criteria.

How can I check the status of my application?

You may check the status of your application through your applicant portal here:  apply.vanderbilt.edu

Can I upload additional documents after my application has been submitted?

You may upload additional documents after the application has been submitted.

Can recommendation letters be submitted after the application close?

Yes. You may submit your application even if all recommendation letters have not been submitted. However, an admission decision cannot be released until all materials, including recommendation letters, are received.

When can I expect to hear from the program about the admission decision?

All official decisions will be communicated by the Graduate School on or before March 29th (for fall admissions) or December 1st (for spring admissions)

If I receive an offer of admission, what are the next steps?

If you have received an offer of admission, the department administrator will contact you for next steps.

How long after an admission offer is made do I have to respond?

Typically you will have at least 2 weeks to respond with either your acceptance or rejection of the admission offer. You should complete the Admission Response Form through the application portal to indicate your response.

Graduate students in the electrical and computer engineering department seeking the Ph.D. degree receive a competitive stipend, full tuition waiver and health insurance. Typically, students are first supported on a Teaching Assistantship and then a Research Assistantship once a thesis advisor has been identified. Students on a Teaching Assistantship assist the faculty with undergraduate courses, typically by grading assignments and holding office hours. Opportunities to teach are available for those that wish to gain such experience. Both Teaching and Research Assistantships can be supplemented by any one of the following university fellowships, which are awarded through a competitive process to highly qualified applicants.

Vanderbilt Doctoral Discovery Fellowship:
$20,000/year for up to 5 years.

University Graduate Fellowship:
$10,000/year for up to 5 years.

Provost's Graduate Fellowship:
$10,000/year for up to 5 years.

Harold Stirling Vanderbilt Graduate Scholarship:
$6,000/year for up to 5 years.

School of Engineering IBM Fellowship:
$5,000/year for up to 4 years.

In order to be considered for these fellowships, an applicant's file must be complete by November 15. Prospective applicants are also urged to apply for external fellowships or grants from national, international, industrial or foundation sources.

Click ECE MS Requirements 24.25 for the Masters' program handbook and ECE PhD Requirements 24.25 for the PhD program handbook.

Make sure you check out our Admitted Students page!