Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about Admissions

1. Can GRE scores be waived?
   

   Our department requires the GRE of all applicants except students who have graduated from an undergraduate engineering program at Texas A&M. Waivers will not be given. 

2. But I have a GMAT score and a TOEFL score. Is that sufficient?
   

   No. GRE scores are mandatory for all applicants.

3. Does your department need a TOEFL score?

   If you are an international student, you must complete the university’s English Language Proficiency Verification through one of the following:
   
   • A TOEFL score of at least 80 (iBT or equivalent CBT/PBT score), no more than two years old at the time of entrance.
   • A IELTS total band score of 6.0, no more than two years old at the time of entrance.
   • A GRE-Verbal score of at least 146 (400 on old test score range), no more than five years old at the time of entrance.
   • Final degree certificates and final transcripts from a 4-year bachelor’s program, completed in its entirety in the United States.
   For more information on the TOEFL, please visit the International Graduate Admissions.

4. When is the application deadline?

   View application deadlines on our graduate admissions page.

5. What is required for a graduate application?

   View application requirements on our graduate admissions page.

6. Here is my resume and transcripts. Can you tell me how likely it is I will be admitted?

   We are not allowed to conduct pre-application reviews or comment on admissions decisions until we review the whole application package.

7. What is the difference between the master’s programs?

   Please review the webpages for the different master's programs to learn more about the available programs.

8. How long does a master’s program take?

   Master's programs typically take 18 months for on-campus students, while the duration for distance learning students will depend on the number of courses taken per semester.

9. How much does a master’s program cost?

   Please review the Aggie One Stop website for more information about program costs.

10. I do not have an industrial engineering college degree. Is it okay for me to apply?

    Generally, yes, as long as you meet all prerequisites before applying. For a list of our prerequisites, visit our graduation admissions webpage.

11. Who is eligible for financial support?

    Almost all our Ph.D. students are financially supported by various means of graduate assistantship or fellowship. Our master’s students are generally not financially supported by the department. A small percentage of the top master’s applicants will be considered for a $1,000 scholarship. For students whose residence is outside Texas (including international students), some scholarships could carry a non-resident tuition waiver, which would allow the student to pay the in-state tuition rate. For additional information on the types of funding that may be available to you at the university or federal level, visit the university's financial aid website.

12. How do you select students to receive financial support?

    Ph.D. students go through interviews with individual faculty members who are recruiting or with the Graduate Committee representatives. For master’s applicants, approximately 15% of the top admitted students are considered for a $1,000 scholarship. A committee will review and select the top 15% based on various factors, including standardized test scores, undergraduate program’s reputation, undergraduate GPR and individual grades in key courses, recommendation letters, applicant’s professional experience and background, and how well one fits the department.

13. Do I need to indicate somewhere that I want to be considered for financial support?

    We assume all applicants, except those who are sponsored by their own sources (such as a fellowship from a government agency or nonprofit organization), want to be considered for departmental financial aid. All admitted students are automatically considered for departmental financial aid. The department's financial resources are limited, so only a small percentage of students receive financial support from the department. Students interested in federal financial aid, including loans, must apply for this aid.

14. I received an admission letter but no financial aid information is mentioned. Does that mean I will not be supported?

    For Ph.D. students, the departmental financial aid consideration runs until the end of April. In the past, faculty have conducted interviews and selected students for support as late as early May. Please feel free to check with the director of Graduate Programs if you are uncertain about your financial aid situation. Remember that the majority of our Ph.D. students enter with some sort of financial support.
    
    For master’s students, if you receive only the admission letter without the letter offering a $1,000 scholarship or without any faculty representative contacting you for interviews, you will not be supported by the department at the time of entrance. You can find more information about financial aid available to you through the university's Financial Aid website.

15. I submitted my application MM/DD/YYYY. When can I hear the decision from your program?

    Once an application is sent to the university, it is first processed by the Office of Admissions. Only when the application is deemed “complete” (all necessary documents received) will it be sent to the department for merit review. Please check your Applicant Information System (AIS) account first and make sure your application is deemed complete. A number of applications are never sent to us for review due to being incomplete.
    
    At the department level, we conduct our admissions in batches. The first batch starts in February, and the process runs until around the end of April when our capacity is filled. In total, three to five batches of admission decisions are made.
    
    In each batch, those who are admitted will be notified immediately. Those who are not admitted will be kept in the database for future consideration. This process gives an applicant the maximum chances for consideration but can delay an admission decision.
    
    When an application is complete and sent to the department for review, but still has not received an admission decision, this is because the application has not surfaced as a top application in the current batch. The application will be retained and reviewed against applications in subsequent batches. It may receive an admission decision later in the process if it is competitive against a later batch of applications.

16. Considering your batch-based admission procedure, does it mean that there is no need to submit my application early?

    We leave this up to individual applicants to decide. When fewer people apply early, admission in the early batches is less competitive. Moreover, decisions could take longer to be communicated if we are overwhelmed with applications all at once later in the process.

17. What should I do when there is no decision from your program?

    Generally, it means that your application is still being considered, but the chance reduces as it gets close to the end of April. If you have not heard from us by the end of April, please feel free to contact the graduate advisors.

18. I believe I meet all of your admission criteria. Why was I denied admission?

    Our admission is both holistic, taking all application profile factors into account, and very competitive because of capacity limitations. We can accommodate roughly 100 new graduate students every year and expect to increase our capacity at an annualized 6% rate. This capacity allows us to admit about 20% to 30% of our applicants (the variation is due to fluctuation in the number of applications). The simple reason that we deny someone’s application, although this applicant meets our admission guideline, is that stronger applicants are in the applicant pool during this admission cycle.

19. How do you decide competitiveness?

    We use various factors, including standardized test scores, undergraduate program reputation, undergraduate GPR and individual grades in key courses, recommendation letters, an applicant’s professional experience and background and their compatibility with the department.

20. Is there anything I can do to improve my odds of being admitted?

    Among the three master’s program options, our capacity allocation is roughly 40% M.Eng. I.E., 40% M.S. in ENSM program and 20% M.S. I.E. (the M.S. I.E. track is meant for those students who wish to someday pursue a Ph.D.). This means that if you apply to the M.S. I.E. program, you will face tougher competition, as the number of available seats is half of that in the M.Eng. I.E. or ENSM programs. Generally speaking, the M.Eng. I.E. program or M.S. in ENSM program is easier to get into purely due to capacity reasons. That being said, admissions requirements are the same for all of our master’s programs, and you should apply for the program that you feel fits your goals and interests the best.

21. Does your program offer summer internships?

    We neither require nor assist in the placement of internships, though we do encourage and allow students to take summer internships. That being said, students cannot earn credit from an internship toward their graduate degree; the internship is only ever counted in addition to the minimum required hours for the degree.

22. I was admitted to the graduate program at XYZ University but I found your graduate program is more attractive. Can I transfer to your program?

    Thank you for your interest, but we do not allow transfers. You will have to apply as a new applicant to our graduate programs. Once admitted, Texas A&M allows transfer of up to four courses in graduate standing, subject to the approval of the department's graduate program director. Please see the bottom of the Graduate Admissions webpage.

23. Does your degree say “Industrial Engineering” or “Industrial & Systems Engineering?”

    The degree you earn will be in “Industrial Engineering”, "Systems Engineering" or “Engineering Management”. “Industrial and Systems Engineering” is the full name of the department and does not appear on the diplomas.

24. Does work experience present an advantage in application?

    We do value working experience, but it is not required and is only one of the factors to be considered.

25. Where do your master’s students go for jobs after graduation?

    Many companies and organizations hire industrial engineers! You can find more information about who hires industrial engineers through the Career Center. 

Questions specific to the Distance Learning (DL) program

1. Do I have to take my classes at a set time, or do I have flexibility?
   

   All of our distance learning courses are asynchronous, so you can watch lectures at a convenient time for you.

2. Do I need to travel to College Station for my degree?

   No. The DL degrees offered by our department are 100% online.

3. If I am admitted to the DL program and later decide to move to College Station, can I switch to the on-campus program?

   Yes, you are welcome to switch at any time. Please notify us if you are considering switching so we can have the Registrar’s Office make the necessary changes.  

4. Is there a maximum time limit to complete the degree?

   Yes. All master’s programs at Texas A&M must be completed within seven calendar years.

5. How many courses do I have to take each semester?

   You can set your own pace. Most DL students take one or two courses per semester. Three courses are considered a full-time workload.

6. How long does it take to complete a degree?

   It depends on the number of courses you take per semester. For example, assuming one takes two courses per semester, it would take five semesters to complete an M.E. industrial engineering degree. Most DL students finish their degrees in three years if they attend part-time, but they can complete their degrees in as little as 1.5-2 years if they attend full-time.

7. What if I do not have enough time to complete a ten-course degree program?

   You can take advantage of our continuing education certificate program, which only needs completion of four courses.

8. What if I do not have GRE scores?

   Admission to any of our degree programs requires GRE scores, without exception. The certificate program does not require the GRE.

9. Will the department offer more graduate courses in DL format?

   Yes, we expect to add a few new courses in DL format every year.

10. Will the department offer a B.S. degree or Ph.D. degree in distance learning?

    Not in the foreseeable future.

11. Does the degree state that it was earned through distance learning?

    No. You will earn exactly the same degree you would earn if you studied on our campus in College Station. The standards for admission, course work and graduation are the same. You are welcome to come to campus to walk through the graduation line with your classmates, too.

12. Do I have to take my classes at a set time, or do I have flexibility?

    All our DL courses are asynchronous, so you can watch lectures at a convenient time for you. 

13. Is financial aid available?

    The College of Engineering will award distance education scholarships to Texas residents who enroll as degree-seeking students in a distance learning master's of engineering or master's of science program within the College of Engineering. Recipients will receive up to $1,500 per semester for up to three years, contingent on demonstrated financial need and enrollment status. 
    
    For non-Texas residents, our department currently cannot offer financial aid through the distance learning program. If admitted to Texas A&M University, you can check with the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid for different types of financial aid.

14. How do you administer exams in distance learning?

    Each exam will be proctored to maintain the scholastic integrity of the DL program. Therefore, a DL student will designate a proctor no later than two weeks from the start of the semester. The course instructor must approve the person you select as a proctor to be a viable proctor. You must submit your proctor's information via the proctor form. The proctor will have the following responsibilities: