How to Apply

We look for students who have thought in-depth about the areas they want to study. It is very important that you tell us your areas of interest in the Specialization and Statement of Purpose sections of the application. Work to be as specific as you can.

For example:

• List interests that tie to our departmental research areas
• Give examples of faculty members whose research you find interesting
• Tell us how Duke will help you pursue your interests and achieve your goals

The Graduate School’s Office of Admissions processes applications for admission to PhD programs. As application materials are received, they are checked in by the Graduate School’s Admissions staff and they are made available in the department’s electronic application review database. The faculty who are closest to your areas of interest review your qualifications, including GPA, GRE, letters of recommendation, and your fit as a researcher in our program. 

Some applicants to our PhD program residing in North America may be invited to come to Durham and get to know Duke, the department and our faculty. When the faculty have come to a decision on an application for admission to the PhD program, the Director of Graduate Studies will make a recommendation to The Graduate School. The Dean of the Graduate School will make the final decision, and the Graduate School’s Office of Admissions will notify each applicant when the final decision is available.

We look for students who have thought in-depth about the areas they want to study. It is very important that you tell us your areas of interest in the Specialization and Statement of Purpose sections of the application. Work to be as specific as you can.

For example:

• List interests that tie to our departmental research areas
• Give examples of faculty members whose research you find interesting
• Tell us how Duke will help you pursue your interests and achieve your goals

The Graduate School’s Office of Admissions processes applications for admission to MS programs. As application materials are received, they are checked in by The Graduate School’s Admissions staff and are made available in the department’s electronic application review database. The faculty who are closest to your areas of interest review your qualifications, including GPA, GRE, letters of recommendation, and your fit as a researcher in our program. 

When the faculty have come to a decision on an application for admission to the MS program, the Director of Master's Studies will make a recommendation to the Graduate School. The Dean of the Graduate School makes the final decision on each individual application, and the Graduate School’s Office of Admissions will notify each applicant when the final decision is available.

We look for students who have thought in-depth about the areas they want to study and where they would like to go in their career. It is very important that you tell us your areas of interest in the Statement of Purpose sections of the application. Work to be as specific as you can.

For example:

• Highlight internship experience and leadership experiences in your resume
• Consider asking internship supervisors to provide recommendations in addition to professors and advisors
• Tell us how Duke will help you pursue your interests and achieve your goals

Watch a webinar on the MEng application process »

The Professional Masters Programs Office in Duke's Pratt School of Engineering keeps your application until it is complete—including references, transcripts and GRE scores.

Once complete, your application will be sent to our department and a decision will be returned.

What kind of application is Duke's MEM Program looking for?

There's no single You can view our class profiles to see the middle 50 percent for standardized testing and undergraduate grade point average, but showing a similar performance is not a guarantee of admission. We consider those quantitative aspects of your application, but also many qualitative aspects, such as:

• Engagement in the classroom, extracurricular activities, or in industry,
• Leadership in academic to professional settings,
• Global Awareness, the appreciation and understanding of the world’s varying cultures, economies, and political systems,
• Emotional Intelligence, including interpersonal skills and teamwork abilities, and
• Engineering Leverage, the vision to see your engineering education as the foundation for your graduate studies.

Watch a webinar on the MEM application process »

The Professional Masters Programs Office in Duke's Pratt School of Engineering keeps your application until it is complete—including references, transcripts and GRE scores.

Once complete, your application will be sent to our department and a decision will be returned.