Admissions FAQs

Source: https://cse.mit.edu/programs-admissions/apply/admissions-faqs/ Parent: https://cse.mit.edu/programs-admissions/

Answers to our most frequently asked questions are included below.

Prospective and current applicants, please read through the information carefully before contacting us.

General Admissions Questions

Can you evaluate my chances of admission before I apply?

No, we are unable to to provide pre-application advising.\ \ All prospective applicants are encouraged to review the program information provided on our website and explore our core and affiliated PI’s areas of research to determine if our programs might be a good fit.

What are the MIT tuition and fee rates?

Typically tuition for the upcoming academic year is announced in March by the MIT Corporation and based on a recommendation from Academic Council. Please visit the MIT Registrar’s Tuition and fees page for details.

Does CCSE offer conditional admission?

No. Only applicants who have met all the necessary requirements may be offered admission. However, all offers of admissions do come with certain conditions, such as immigration requirements, satisfactory undergraduate degree completion, or the provision of official documents, such as transcripts, for verification.

What’s the average GPA for students admitted to the programs?

We receive applications from people attending institutions of higher education all over the world, which means a wide range of different GPA scales, and sometimes no GPA scale at all. Therefore we do not track or provide the average GPA of admitted students, however MIT graduate coursework is quite rigorous so competitive applicants are expected to have a demonstrated record of academic excellence.

Can I visit CCSE? Do you offer tours or arrange meetings for prospective students?

No, CCSE does not offer tours or facilitate meetings between prospective students and CCSE-affiliated students, faculty or staff.

If you are interested in visiting MIT, the Institute Events office has created useful information to help you plan your visit. The MIT Welcome Center also offers campus tours, which you may sign up for online.

Are CCSE’s PhD programs available as part-time or hybrid/remote learning opportunities?

No, students must enroll full time and be present at MIT’s Cambridge, MA campus to complete CSE PhD / Dept-CSE PhD degree requirements.

Can I apply to both the CSE PhD and Dept-CSE PhD in the same admission cycle?

No, applicants must select one program per application cycle. \ \ While both programs enable students to specialize at the doctoral level in a computation-related field via focused coursework and a thesis, they differ in essential ways, and therefore are not intended to be interchangeable.

The standalone CSE PhD program is intended for students who plan to pursue research in cross-cutting methodological aspects of computational science. The resulting doctoral degree in Computational Science and Engineering is awarded by CCSE via the the Schwarzman College of Computing.

In contrast, the interdisciplinary Dept-CSE PhD program is intended for students who are interested in computation in the context of a specific engineering or science discipline. For this reason, this degree is offered jointly with participating departments across the Institute; the interdisciplinary degree is awarded in a specially crafted thesis field that recognizes the student’s specialization in computation within the chosen engineering or science discipline.

Occasionally the admission committee may determine an applicant might be better suited to the program they did not indicate and consider the applicant for the other program. Likewise, occasionally the admission committee may determine a Dept-CSE applicant might be better suited for a department they did not indicate and consider the applicant for a different home department.

Can I apply to both the Dept-CSE PhD and the department program directly in the same admission cycle?

While this is not necessary or encouraged, applicants may opt to apply to as many MIT programs as they chose. However, a complete application, including all supporting materials and application fee, is required for each department/program.

Can I transfer between programs if admitted? Can I transfer into either program if I’m a doctoral candidate at another institution?

No, transfers between programs are not permitted, nor can doctoral students at other institutions transfer into either of CCSE’s programs without applying.

Prospective students interested in attending CCSE’s programs must apply through the regular application process. If admitted, they would start in the program as a first year and would need to complete all program requirements.

I’m a current MIT graduate student. Can I transfer into the CSE PhD or Dept-CSE PhD program?

The CSE PhD program does not accept transfers from other MIT programs. Anyone who wishes to be considered for admission to the CSE PhD must follow the regular application process. There are no ‘off-cycle’ applications accepted for the CSE PhD program.

Current MIT graduate students enrolled in a participating home department’s doctoral program may be eligible to add the CSE specialization. Please see the PhD Admission for Current MIT Grad Students page for more information (Kerberos log in required).

I already hold a PhD in a different field. Can I apply to the CSE PhD or Dept-CSE PhD program?

No, individuals who already have a doctoral degree are encouraged to seek postdoctoral opportunities.

Application Questions

What is the deadline to apply? Can I apply late? Can I submit materials after the deadline?

The application deadline is December 1st. Applications will not be accepted after this date.

All supplemental materials (e.g., transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation) must also be received by December 1. Application review begins immediate after the deadline passes, and incomplete applications may not be reviewed. Please be sure that your recommenders are aware of this hard deadline, as we do not make exceptions. \ \ Applicants may upload an updated transcript with fall grades recorded, if they opt to, but beyond that not additional changes to the application are allowed after the Dec 1 deadline.

What time does the application close on deadline day?

CCSE’s programs in the Eastern U.S. time zone. Applications close at 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the application deadline.

Will submitting my application early make a difference in when I receive a decision?

No, all applications are reviewed after the deadline and decisions are released mid-February through early-March. Submitting an application prior to the deadline date will not expedite an admission decision.

How do I check the status of my application?

Applicants should log into their online application via apply.mit.edu/apply/ to view the most up to date information available. Applicants are asked not to email requesting an application status update.

Can I submit additional material in support of my application?

No, we do not allow students to upload/submit additional materials (e.g. degree certificates, extra recommendations, publications, etc.) beyond what is specifically requested in the application.

Can I submit letters of recommendation via Interfolio?

No, the online application system does not support direct integration with Interfolio; please follow the instructions provided within the application to request letters of recommendation.

How long should my statement of objectives be? What should I include in my statement?

CSE PhD and Dept-CSE PhD statements should be limited to approximately one page; not to exceed two pages. While there is not a set character/word count please be considerate of the reviewers who are reading numerous applications at a time; be less concerned with page length/word count and more concerned with presenting key points in a concise, clear manner.

Joint program applicants will also be prompted to respond to departmental questions based on departments of interest; these may include specific word counts so please follow directions provided within the application.

I applied previously, can I / how do I reapply?

We do not retain application materials for individuals who were not admitted and generally we do not encourage applicants to apply multiple times.

However, if an individual decides to apply again they may but will need to submit a complete application, including application fee, and letters of recommendation. In the case of a reapplication, an individual should highlight what has changed that makes them a strong candidate since they last applied.

Yes, applicants can reuse their login information from one year to the next.

When will I receive my admission decision?

Although we do everything we can to streamline the process, graduate admissions decisions are labor intensive and take time to determine. Generally decisions may be released on rolling basis starting in approximately January and continuing through February and March.

What should I do if I experience a technical issue with the application?

Please email gradadmissions@mit.edu with a description of the issue, including relevant screen shots.

GRE and English Language Proficiency Questions

Is the GRE required?

Yes, all applicants are required to provide valid Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Aptitude Test scores sent to MIT by ETS.

The MIT code for submitting GRE score reports is 3514 (you do not need to list a department code). GRE scores must current; ETS considers scores valid for five years after the testing year in which you tested.

Can I get a waiver of the GRE requirement?

No, all applicants are required to provide valid GRE general scores. This cannot be waived for the 2026 application cycle.

Should I send GRE subject test scores?

Applicants are not required to send any GRE subject test scores.

What’s the English Language Proficiency requirement? What tests of English language proficiency are accepted and what are the minimum scores required?

The CSE PhD & Dept-CSE PhD programs require international applicants from non-English speaking countries to provide official score reports from one of the following tests of English language proficiency:

the academic version of theInternational English Language Testing System (IELTS; preferred)
The minimum IELTS academic score required for admission is 7
the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT
The minimum TOEFL iBT score required for admission is 100
the Duolingo English Test (DET;new trial option for Sept 2026 application cycle)
The minimum DET score required for admission is 135

Can the English Language Proficiency requirement be waived?

The English Language Proficiency requirement is waived for international applicants for which one or more of the following are true:

English is/was the language of instruction in your four-year undergraduate program,
English is the language of your employer/workplace for at least the last four years,
English was your language of instruction in both primary and secondary schools.

Applications from individuals who do not either meet the stated minimum scores or qualify for a waiver of the English language proficiency requirement will not be considered.