Master of Engineering Programs

Campus and Online

Through the Application You Will Submit:

• Transcripts of your bachelor’s degree in engineering or science earned from an accredited institution. You may also be required to submit an estimated GPA and a grade scale
• A resume
• Responses to short essay questions
• 3 Letters of recommendation
• Application fee — Nonrefundable, paid by credit card

Separately You Will Submit:

• A video introduction

You May Also Asked to Submit:

English language test scores, if you are an international applicant

A video interview, if you are selected by our admissions team

Next Step

• Go to Minimum Application Requirements 

Graduate Certificates

Online

Through the Application You Will Submit:

• Transcripts of your bachelor’s degree in engineering or science earned from an accredited institution. You may also be required to submit an estimated GPA and a grade scale
• A resume
• Responses to short essay questions
• 2 Letters of recommendation
• Application fee — Nonrefundable, paid by credit card

Separately You Will Submit:

• A video Introduction

You May Also Asked to Submit:

English language test scores, if you are an international applicant

Next Step

• Go to Minimum Application Requirements 

Minimum and Preferred Application Requirements

For Master of Engineering, Master of Engineering Management and Graduate Certificates:

• There is no minimum GPA, GRE score or English language test score
• No work experience is required, except for our 12-month-accelerated Master of Engineering programs

Program	Undergraduate Degree	Science, Engineering, Mathematics & Programming	Prior Coursework
Artificial Intelligence		• Two (2) semesters of calculus • Proficiency in at least one programming language (Python preferred)	Prior coursework in probability and statistics and linear algebra is highly encouraged but not required for admission
Design & Technology Innovation	One of these: • An undergraduate degree in a STEM or STEM-adjacent field • An undergraduate degree in a field with evidence of substantial STEM-related coursework • Relevant technical or technical-adjacent work experience if your degree is not in a STEM field	A minimum of: • 1 semester of programming (any language) • 1 semester of calculus • 1 semester of physical or natural science (physics, biology, chemistry, or related subject), with laboratory strongly preferred	Prior coursework in probability and statistics and linear algebra is highly encouraged but not required for admission
Game Design, Development & Innovation	Prior coursework in probability and statistics and linear algebra is highly encouraged but not required for admission	Minimum of one (1) semester of programming, any language	Prior coursework in probability and statistics and linear algebra is highly encouraged, but not required for admission
Engineering Management		One of these: • Calculus I, Calculus II and Calculus III • Statistics • Other math courses beyond Calculus II	Minimum of two (2) courses in engineering, computer science, mathematical science, or physical science. More are preferred

Transcript

Applicants must upload one (1) copy of a scanned unofficial transcript from each institution attended. Admitted applicants send official transcripts at the time of admission.

About Uploading Your Transcript

Once you have uploaded your file, click “View Document” to ensure that what you’ve uploaded is legible throughout.

If you cannot upload a legible unofficial transcript, you will be asked to have an official transcript mailed to Duke. Contact us for help. This is a variation of our standard process and will delay review of your application.

Applicants from China and India may find these Transcript Guidelines helpful.

Important Notes

• Illegible scans will not be accepted. Take care that scanned documents are legible before uploading
• Official English translations must accompany documents, not in English
• Official English translations must bear an original ink signature and seal
• Translations alone will not be accepted
• For institutions not using a 4.0 system, an estimated GPA and grade scale are required
• Check with your institution’s registrar to see if electronic transcripts are offered
• Paper transcripts must be scanned and uploaded
• Upload your institution’s web-based academic record, if available
• Make sure your file text is oriented vertically
• Make sure that all critical and identifying marks have been scanned and are legible. These include the institution’s name, your name, the name of your courses and the grades you have received.
• Make sure that your file is in MS Word or PDF format
• Make sure that your file does not exceed 1.5 MB
• To minimize file size, you may scan your file at the lowest legible resolution and in black-and-white

Grade Scale

If requested, you must upload an image of the official scale your institution uses for grading.

The Grade Scale tells us what your grades mean. (You may also know this tool as the grading system, score system or percentage system.)

The scale should show differentiation between passing grades and indicate what is a failing grade. It should also explain other marks on your transcript, such as Withdrawal, Audit or Incomplete. It need not convert to a 4.0 scale.

Your image might be the reverse side of your transcript, a screenshot of your registrar’s guidelines or an excerpt from your transcript.

Grade Scale Examples

Reverse of Transcript Example from a US Institution

Reverse of Transcript Example from an Indian Institution

Excerpt from an Indian Institution

Screenshot Example from a Chinese Institution

Excerpt from Chinese Institution, in Both Chinese and English

Resume

We require a resume highlighting experience, activities and leadership, whether in the classroom, in a volunteer setting, club or organization, or on the job. Work experience is not required for the campus program, but current undergraduates can focus on any internship experience.

If you have a preferred format, please use it. If you don’t, you might find it helpful to view sample resumes below from Duke students. Notice the kinds of information highlighted.

Generally, students with little experience should be able to get their resume down to a maximum of two pages.

Discipline	Resume Example
Biomedical Engineering	Example 1
Electrical & Computer Engineering	Example 2
Environmental Engineering	Example 3

Letters of Recommendation

Degree applicants are required to provide three (3) letters of recommendation.

Applicants for Graduate Certificate programs and non-degree applicants must provide two (2).

Recommendations are submitted electronically via the online application.

When you enter email addresses for your recommenders, they will receive a link to submit their letter of recommendation.

Letters can be academic or professional. If you’re still a student, at least one should be academic. If you’re a working professional, it’s fine for all to be professional.

When choosing academic recommendation providers, do not simply choose instructors who gave you the highest grades. Instead, consider selecting those who can give insight into your preparedness for a Duke Engineering master’s program.

Consider providing an overview of the program, a copy of your resume and an understanding of your goals to your recommenders before you complete your application.

Important Notice

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test scores are optional for 2025 applicants.

GRE Test Scores

You may submit GRE scores if you feel the scores enhance your application. Please know that if you send us scores:

• An official copy must be sent to Duke directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS)
• Your scores must arrive before the application deadline
• Scores must not be more than five years old
• If you enter self-reported test scores, official test scores will become a required component of your application
• We will accept results from ETS’s “GRE at Home”

When sending scores to Duke, please indicate:

• Institution code 5156
• Department code 5199 (“Any department not listed”)

Personal copies are not acceptable, nor are “attested” or notarized copies.

It may take several weeks for ETS to send us your scores. Plan to take the test or order prior scores at least one month prior to the deadline you seek.

For further information on the GRE, please visit gre.org

Name Discrepancies

We receive GRE scores electronically from the ETS. Because we match scores by applicant name, it is important your name on the application and your name on your test scores be the same.

If not, you must contact us.

Dual Degree Candidates

Please contact us if you are a candidate for a dual-degree program at Duke.

English Language Testing

International applicants must submit official test scores unless eligible for a waiver.

All international students may be required to take English placement exams before the start of classes, pending their language score submission provided in their application for admission to the Pratt School of Engineering. 

Submitting Duolingo English Test scores will allow students to waive additional placement exams. Depending on placement results, students are either exempt from or placed into an English course. Students with English course requirements must make satisfactory progress toward completing these requirements while in the program.

It can take several weeks for scores to arrive, so plan to take the test or order prior scores at least one month before the deadline you seek.

Duolingo is Preferred

The Duolingo English Test is the preferred language testing option.

For more information on the Duolingo English Test, visit englishtest.duolingo.com/applicants.

Why Duolingo?

• Costs a fraction of the other leading language assessments
• Offers reduced test time
• It is a convenient, secure at-home exam
• It is accepted by universities around the world
• Provides results within 48 hours of exam completion
• Your results can be shared with unlimited institutions at no extra cost

Plus, Duolingo seamlessly integrates with your application to the Pratt School of Engineering. It provides a further dimension to your candidacy by allowing for video interviews and writing samples to be captured and viewed by the admissions committee. As such, if you do attend Pratt School of Engineering, you will not have to be additionally assessed for language classes when you submit a Duolingo English Test as part of your application.

Important Notice

If you opt to submit scores from other standardized assessments, you may be required to complete additional language testing upon acceptance into our programs.

Reporting Your Score

Duolingo

Report official scores and subscores:

• “Graduate” program type, and
• “Duke University Graduate Programs: Graduate School; Divinity; Engineering; Environment; Public Policy; Duke Kunshan”
  • Important notes: There is no institution code. Also, score reports without subscores will not be accepted. If you are not sure how to include subscores in your score report, please contact Duolingo English Test support on the Duolingo English Test website.

Other Tests

TOEFL

Report official scores to Institution Code 5156 (Duke University). There is no department code.

IELTS

Report official scores to “Duke University Pratt School of Engineering.”

Name Discrepancies

We receive TOEFL scores electronically from the Educational Testing Service and IELTS results via mail from Cambridge ESOL, British Council, and IDP: IELTS Australia. Because we match scores by an applicant’s name, the name on the application and your test scores must be the same. If it is not, you must contact us.

Waivers

We offer waivers of the English language testing requirement to:

• Citizens of these countries –

American Samoa	India	Saint Kitts and Nevis
Antigua and Barbuda	Ireland	Saint Lucia
Australia	Jamaica	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Bahamas	Kenya	Samoa
Belize	Kingdom of Eswatini	Seychelles
Bermuda	Kiribati	Sierra Leone
Botswana	Lesotho	Singapore
Cameroon	Malawi	Tonga
Canada	Namibia	Trinidad and Tobago
Dominica	Nauru	Tuvalu
Fiji	New Zealand	Uganda
Gambia, The	Nigeria	United Kingdom
Ghana	Northern Mariana Islands	United Republic of Tanzania
Guam	Papua New Guinea	Virgin Islands (British & U.S.)
Guyana	Rwanda	Zambia

• Applicants who have studied full-time for two years or more at a college or university where the sole language of instruction is English and in a country where English is the primary spoken language. The two years of study must be completed before the start of the program, or
• Have earned an undergraduate degree at Duke Kunshan University (DKU), or
• Have worked full-time for a minimum of two years in Australia, Canada, the United States, or the United Kingdom after receipt of an undergraduate degree.

Waivers based on citizenship are automatic.

If you believe you qualify for a waiver based on the education or work criteria, indicate this and then answer the questions in the waiver section of your online application that require you to state where you completed the study or work requirement. 

Due to the volume of applications we receive, we will not examine, confirm the status of, or grant any waiver requests prior to extending an offer of admission.  If your request is not granted, we will notify you as soon as possible to give you time to take the test.  Therefore, it is in your best interest to apply in the earliest round for each admission cycle. 

English Placement Exams

All international students may be required to take oral and written English placement exams administered at Duke prior to the start of classes.

These exams are independent of the score submission requirement.

Depending on placement results, students are either exempt from, or placed into, English course(s). Students with English course requirements must make satisfactory progress toward completing these requirements while in the program.

Application Fee

An application fee of US $75 is required. You’ll pay it by credit card through the online application.

Application fee waivers are available, and many are automatic. If a request is required, it must be submitted before an application is submitted. Fees paid before a waiver is requested and confirmed cannot be refunded.

Fee Waiver Opportunities

Eligibility	Required Action
A current Duke or DKU student	Nothing, automatic
EdAssist by Bright Horizons benefits	Apply to a participating Duke engineering master’s program
Submitted a Duke Graduate School Application and paid a Duke application fee for the same term of admission	Send proof of payment to pratt_masters@duke.edu
Attended a live event hosted by Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering, in person or online	An active but unsubmitted Pratt School of Engineering application
Participate in Project 1000 or the Gates Millennium Scholars program	Send a letter signed by the program director verifying your participation to pratt_masters@duke.edu
Participated in the Peace Corps or Teach for America, within one year of your date of application	Send a letter signed by the program director verifying your participation within one year of application to pratt_masters@duke.edu
An active member, reservist, or veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces	Nothing, automatic
A Fulbright candidate	Nothing, automatic

Video Introduction

Your application includes a required video introduction. We use it to get to know you better.

You’ll answer one question. A prompt will be shown, and you will have at least 60 seconds of preparation time. You do not have to use all the time.

You may start over once, but the question will change. If you have multiple applications in our system, you may see multiple questions.

For the Master of Engineering or Master of Engineering Management application, use the question labeled “Pratt.”

For a Master of Science application, use the question labeled “Engineering.”

Video Interview

• Interviews are offered to selected applicants only.
• You may not request an interview
• If you are selected, you will receive instructions on the interview process
• Staff members conduct interviews in the weeks before the decision notification date
• An interview does not guarantee admission

Interview Tips

For applicants invited to interview:

1. Duke uses Slate Scheduler and Zoom to conduct video interviews
2. Log in to the interview via computer. Mobile devices and phones may not work as well
3. Video requires reliable connection to the internet. Free and private wireless signals should not be used. An Ethernet cable can provide a clear connection
4. We encourage you to use a headset with a microphone
5. Don’t let your computer shut down in mid-question. Charge your machine fully or plug it in during the interview.

Joining the Interview

You’ll receive a link in your interview confirmation email

When you join the meeting successfully, be sure to Join With Computer Audio so that you can hear the interviewer and the interviewer can hear you.

International Applicants

Unlike many schools, Duke does not require financial support documents as part of the application; instead, students submit this information after they have been admitted and are enrolled in the program.  

Duke does not automatically issue I-20s to students upon admission.  Instead, students work with the department to submit information and supporting documents to Duke’s Visa Services Office. The process is described below.

• Upon accepting the offer of admission, a student will receive an email from our office with a User Name and password in order to complete the online Request for Temporary Visa Form – Part II.
• The student completes the online form, prints it off, signs it, and returns it to our office, along with the appropriate supporting documents.
• Students must show liquid funds in the total amount listed in the PDF document available on our Tuition page.
• Financial documents must be less than four months old.
• Only after we receive everything from the student will our office complete Part I of the Request for Temporary Visa Form. At that time, the student’s entire packet will be sent to Duke Visa Services for processing.
• Visa documents (I-20 or DS-2019) are usually issued within 2 calendar weeks from the date that Duke Visa Services received the completed packet.
• Register for your visa appointment only after you receive your visa documents.

Those on non-Duke visas complete a modified process during the enrollment period.

Duke University Policy on Documentation of Non-Citizen Students

1. All non-citizen students ((undergraduate, graduate and professional) must present evidence of immigration status to the Duke Visa Services Office before the first day of classes and whenever, thereafter, their status changes. Failure to comply will result in the inability to enroll for classes. Students who are outside the U.S. and who are therefore unable to comply (e.g. visa stamp delays) will be handled on a case by case basis.
2. Undergraduate students who are not in lawful status, but who accurately report their status, will be allowed to enroll. Such students will be advised of the risks to them of being out of status and the importance of dealing with that situation through their own means and with private immigration counsel. Students who are not in lawful status are not eligible for Federal financial aid, but they may apply for Duke-based assistance.
3. Individual cases deemed worthy of a temporary exception to this Policy due to unusual circumstances may be presented to a hearing committee, by Duke Visa Services or the appropriate departmental representative, for consideration and recommendation to the Provost. The committee shall be composed of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, the Director of Visa Services and the appropriate representative from the student’s school or program.