- What is the size of the graduate program in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Rutgers?
We currently have about 90 students in our graduate program, of which about 45 are Ph.D. candidates. In a typical year, about 20 new graduate students enroll in the graduate program and about the same number graduate (8 Ph.D. and 12 M.S.). This creates a student:faculty ratio of about 3:1, which allows individualized attention and creates a collegial atmosphere.
- Which standardized tests are required for admission?
The GRE (verbal, quantitative, analytical writing) is required of all applicants. Foreign applicants must also take the TOEFL. The Rutgers code for ETS (Eduactional Testing Service) is 2790 and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering code is 1502. The TOEFL code is 68. Admitted students' test scores usually exceed 450 on the verbal component, 700 on the quantitative component, and 4.5 on the analytical writing component. TOEFL score should exceed 270. If any of your scores is below any of these numbers, you are not automatically eliminated, but your chances of admission become lower.
What do we prefer: a student with high GRE scores & average academic background or excellent academic background and average GRE scores?
We prefer the excellent academic background. We have found out that the GRE is not always the most reliable indicator of talent and capability.
If you are an applicant from outside the U.S. or another English speaking country (Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand) the TOEFL test is mandatory. This requirement is waived if you meet both of the following two conditions: 1) You are currently in the U.S., or another English speaking country attending graduate school, 2) You have taken the TOEFL before and you received a satisfactory score.
The GRE requirement is waived if you are currently pursuing an M.S. degree in a U.S. university and you have taken the GRE before.
- Can I take the GRE more than once?
You can take the GRE more than once. Note that the fall of your senior year (October/November) is the latest time that you should take the GRE. This will allow enough time for your results to arrive at Rutgers. If you take the GRE more than once, we will count your best score towards admission.
- What is the deadline for applications?
We do not have strict deadlines. However, for fall admission, your application should be complete by February 1, especially for foreign applicants. For spring admission, have your complete application submitted by November 1. Rutgers has rolling admissions, meaning that if your application is not acted upon by the semester you intend to enroll, your application is considered for the next semester.
The dates mentioned above are important for two reasons:
- For the fall semester, we begin to consider admitted students for financial aid in mid February. So, if your application reaches us after March you will miss out on the financial aid decisions.
- Foreign applicants need quite a bit of time for their student visa to be issued. You need to document finances (either financial aid from Rutgers or your own funds), we send you the I-20, you make an appointment for a visa interview, and go for your interview. If there is a problem, you may need to go for another interview. All this takes time.
- Who are the best individuals to use for reference letters?
Ideally, your reference letters should come from professors who know you fairly well from interactions such as research supervision or coursework. You may also request letters from job supervisors (e.g., summer internship or co-op).
- Is it possible to visit the department?
We will be glad to have you visit us. Please wait until the formal admissions offers are made, and then contact us. We will prepare an itinerary for you which includes meeting with the department chair, graduate director and faculty members in your areas of interest, as well as with MAE graduate students. You can tour our labs and other research facilities and see our campus.
- What
is the cost of graduate school?
Click here for tuition information. Rutgers graduate tuition is an exceptional bargain, lower than most other comparably ranked graduate institutions. In addition, the MAE department supports most of its full-time Ph.D. students, as well as a majority of full-time M.S. students.
- Are my chances of admission affected by my planned area of specialization?
No. We evaluate applications strictly on their merit. We encourage students to explore all of their options once they arrive on campus, and before they select an advisor. However, some areas of research may have more resources to support a Graduate Assistant than others.
- When do I choose my advisor?
Usually the Graduate Director serves as each student's advisor for the first term, except in the case of Graduate Assistants, who are assigned to the faculty member who obtained the research grant supporting the assistantship.
For Graduate Fellows, Teaching Assistants and other full-time students, the procedure for finding an advisor is as follows. During the first semester at Rutgers, students should inquire about the research currently being done by the faculty of the department to determine research areas of interest. After a general area has been identified, the Graduate Director will require the student to speak with various faculty members in a specific area to determine possible topics for a thesis. After a faculty member has agreed to guide a thesis/dissertation, the student informs the Graduate Director. The faculty member will then become the student's advisor. Students are required to determine an area of interest and get the consent of an advisor before the end of the first semester. It is often helpful to register for 650:601/602-Independent Study during the spring semester after a project has been identified. This will enable the student to get an early start in his/her program.
For M.S. students selecting the nonthesis option (Plan B), the Graduate Director serves as their advisor throughout their stay at Rutgers.
More information is available in the
Handbook for Graduate Students.
- What are the course and research requirements?
M.S. program - 30 credits
Plan A (thesis option, selected mostly by full-time students): 24 course, 6 research credits, at least 5 MAE courses
Plan B (non-thesis option, selected primarily by part-time students): 30 course credits + final exam, at least 6 MAE courses
Ph.D. program - 72 credits (48 course, 24 research)
- What undergraduate majors can be considered for admission into the MAE Graduate Program?
An undergraduate degree (bachelor's or other four-year equivalent) is required for admission. Graduates from accredited mechanical or aerospace engineering departments comprise the bulk of our applicants. However, students from other branches of engineering, physics and mathematics have successfully completed our program. Students from other engineering and science disciplines may have some additional undergraduate coursework to make up and most of this additional coursework will not count for graduate credit.
- Why should I choose Rutgers for graduate study in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering?
There are many excellent departments of mechanical and/or aerospace engineering in the nation. Some facts about our program that may be helpful in making your decision are:
The University. Rutgers is one of sixty institutions that are members of the prestigious AAU (American Association of Universities). Rutgers University has one of the best faculty cores in the U.S. Rutgers is currently ranked tenth in all leading public research universities in the U.S. with regards to faculty excellence (AAU, 1998). The annual research expenditures at Rutgers are over $240 million.
The Department. Rutgers MAE is one of the highest ranked (by the Rutgers Graduate School) graduate programs within Rutgers, which itself has several outstanding graduate programs. In addition, our program consistently ranks high in several national surveys. Our yearly research expenditures are around $5 million.
Rutgers School of Engineering offers graduate degrees in biomedical enginnering; ceramic science and engineering; chemical engineering; civil and environmental engineering; electrical and computer engineering; and industrial engineering in addition to mechanical and aerospace engineering.
The Faculty. MAE faculty is outstanding -- four faculty members have received the NSF Presidential Young Investigator and CAREER Awards, one is a fellow of the Acoustical Society of America, four are fellows of ASME. Three of our faculty members hold chairs, a Jacobs Chair, a Board of Governors Chair and a mary Raisler Distinguished Teaching Chair. Books written by our faculty are used world-wide. Our 28 full-time faculty members, as well as our adjunct faculty, are national and international experts in a broad range of fileds. Our faculty is also affiliated with several research centers and organizations both inside as well as outside Rutgers.
The Friendly, Collegial Atmosphere. While our standards are high and admission is competitive, ours is a "student-friendly" department, where faculty strive to educate students through research and courses, and to boost the development of students' careers through personal mentoring, group feedback environments, and opportunities for honing and marketing student skills. Note that this spirit does not exist to this extent in many other excellent departments, where prevalent practice is to test and utilize student strengths, rather than to promote them per se. If you are an ambitious student who thrives in a supportive environment, you should seriously consider Rutgers.
The Location. Our central location is extremely desirable for two reasons: 1) the cultural and social opportunities of New Brunswick, as well as New York City and Philadelphia are unsurpassed, and 2) Rutgers is near the greatest concentration of industrial and government research laboratories in the U.S. (considering Middlesex County, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington D.C.). This increases opportunities for professional contact, as well as employment prospects.
If you have further questions, please contact the Graduate Program Director, Prof. Haim Baruh.
