Application Deadlines
Applicants for admission to our graduate programs must complete the following steps by the indicated deadline. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
We do not offer summer admissions for graduate programs.
Applications for spring and fall semesters open annually in late July.
We do not review any applications until after the application deadline has passed.
PhD Program Deadlines
- Fall admission: Dec. 15 of the preceding year
- Spring admission: Sept. 1
- Please be advised that we admit very few students for the spring semester and focus more on fall admissions.
MS, MSEE and ME Program Deadlines
- Fall admission: Feb. 15
- Spring admission: Sept. 1
General Application Steps
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Complete the Online Application, which includes submitting your resumé/CV.
- Please double-check that you are applying to the correct program. We cannot switch you between programs after you apply. If you wish to move from a traditional MS to a PMP program or vice-versa, you must complete one semester in the program of entry with a GPA of 3.0 or higher and have advisor permission from both programs to switch.
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Pay the $60 application fee ($80 for international applicants). We cannot process your application without the application fee.
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Fee Waiver Information, Master's Applicants: We are not able to provide any application fee waivers for applicants to our master's program (traditional and professional).
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Fee Waiver Information, PhD Applicants:
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The Graduate School offers application fee waivers as listed.
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If you are undocumented and/or a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) beneficiary, please contact gradadm@colorado.edu to inquire about possible fee waivers.
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The ECEE department will review other need-based fee waiver requests up until November 15. Applicants who have financial hardship can fill out this form. Faculty will review all submissions, but there is no guarantee of receiving a fee waiver. You do not need to email specific faculty regarding a fee waiver; you do need to complete this form to be considered.
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Submit your English proficiency test scores, if you are an international student. Refer to the CU Boulder English Proficiency Requirements for details.
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We will accept English language proficiency demonstrated through Duolingo. A minimum score of 120 (on the 160 point scale) is required by the Graduate School, though individual graduate departments or programs may have higher requirements. To report your official DuoLingo scores, please click ‘Send Results’ from inside the application, and then choose, ‘University of Colorado Boulder – graduate.’
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Unofficial TOEFL or IELTS results (not older than two years from the date you took the exam) will be accepted as part of the application package. Per ECEE departmental requirements (stricter than those of our campus), IELTS must be 7.0 or higher. TOEFL should be 100+, though we can flex into the '90s. If you are accepted and decide to enroll, you will be required to submit a valid TOEFL or IELTS score.
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If you are accepted and decide to enroll, you will be required to submit a valid test score. Please have TOEFL test results sent to the University of Colorado Boulder (institution code 4841) or IELTS test results sent to:
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University of Colorado Boulder - Masters & PhD
3100 Marine Street, Suite A122
UCB 65
Boulder, CO 80303
Scores must be submitted no later than July 1 of your first academic year. Please note that proof of English proficiency is a federal regulation in order to obtain an F-1 student visa.
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Submit three letters of recommendation. Requests will be sent to your recommenders when you enter them in the online application.
- Letters from former instructors are preferred. Letters from work supervisors and/or work colleagues who have their own higher education degrees are also acceptable.
- Do not submit more than three letters.
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Upload unofficial copies of your transcripts from every undergraduate and graduate institution that you attended, regardless of length of attendance and whether you completed the degree or courses. Applicants for graduate study in electrical engineering must hold at least a bachelor's degree or its equivalent from an institution comparable to the University of Colorado in electrical engineering or a related STEM field. Failure to list and submit transcripts from all institutions previously attended is considered to be a violation of academic ethics and may result in the cancellation of your admission or dismissal from the university. If you are admitted, you must submit official transcripts following the graduate school’s Admitted Students instructions.
- You must have a grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a scale of 4.0). However, admission to the graduate programs is competitive, and a GPA at this level will not ensure admission. Competitive applications to PhD and the traditional MS degree typically have a 3.5 or higher GPA.
- International applicants: The “Foreign Transcript Evaluation” item on the checklist prompts us to do an evaluation of your non-U.S. academic work, after your transcripts have been received. It is entirely an internal item; you do not need to do anything to complete it. You do not need to ask a third-party credential evaluator to review your transcripts.
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Upload your Statement of Purpose in the Online Application. The 500-750 word statement should include why you want to pursue graduate work in electrical or computer engineering and what you would like to do after you have received your degree.
GRE scores are optional for Spring 2023/Fall 2023 admissions.
After You Apply
Twenty-four hours after you receive the email confirming that your application was successfully submitted, you will be able to check your application status using the same login credentials as the application. Learn how to access your checklist at the Graduate Admissions website. If you have any problems checking your status or questions about your application, please contact ecegrad@colorado.edu.
Our faculty do not review any applications until the application deadline for that semester has passed. Decisions are not first-submitted, first-decided. Rather, decisions are made after careful consideration of all applicants, side by side, over a period of time. Decisions are not necessarily issued in the order an application was received.
PhD Application Decision Dates
- Spring: You will be notified of your application decision by mid-November
- Fall: You will be notified of your application decision by April 15
Master's Application Decision Dates
- Spring: You will be notified of your application decision by mid-November
- Fall: You will be notified of your application decision by April 30
