Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the minimum requirements for admission?
- Can I apply directly to the Ph.D. program after earning my B. S. degree?
- Are there separate procedures for applying for the Master's and Ph.D. programs?
- What is the deadline for applying?
- Can I defer my admission?
- Is it OK to send in paper copies of any application materials to the ECE Department instead of submitting them online?
- Is it OK to send in copies of awards, papers, or extra letters of recommendation to supplement my application?
- I have received my admission letter. When will I get my I-20?
- Is it possible to obtain a waiver for the application fee?
- What tests are necessary when applying to ECE?
- Can you consider my application without official GRE and TOEFL scores?
- I have sent all of my application materials, but have not received a response. Can you please check the status of my admission?
- When will I receive my admission notification?
- How do I apply for financial aid?
- What do I need to do in order to be considered for an assistantship?
- Do I need to complete the Certificate of Financial Responsibility form, even if I want to apply for an assistantship?
- What is the estimated cost per year?
- May I send the Certificate of Financial Responsibility and Immunization forms after I am admitted?
- I applied to ECE within the last two years and was rejected. Can I reapply?
- Does ECE accept transfer credit?
- Do you admit students who have earned a BS degree in an area other than electrical and computer engineering?
- Do you have any joint degrees with other colleges on campus?
- If I already have a Ph.D. degree, can I apply for another Ph.D. from ECE?
- Where do I sign up for my research assistantship or my teaching assistantship?
1. What are the minimum requirements for admission?
Please visit: http://www.ece.ufl.edu/admission/graduate/requirements.html. Your application will not be automatically denied if you fall below the stated minimums but please be aware that admission to the program is competitive.
2. Can I apply directly to the Ph.D. program after earning my B. S. degree?
Yes. Students are encouraged to apply directly to the PhD program if a PhD is their ultimate goal.
3. Are there separate procedures for applying for the Master's and Ph.D. programs?
No. The only difference between the two admissions procedures is the minimum admission requirements for each degree program. Students who are not accepted into the PhD program will automatically be considered for the Master's program.
4. What is the deadline for applying?
Please visit: http://www.ece.ufl.edu/admission/graduate/appdeadlines.html
5. Can I defer my admission?
Yes. Applicants who have been accepted to the ECE program can defer their admission date for up to one year. If you would like to defer your admission date, please send an email to office@graduate.ece.ufl.edu and include your name, UFID, date of birth, and the term to which you want to defer. We will not reconsider deferred students for financial aid. Students with financial aid offers are not guaranteed to keep these offers after a deferral.
6. Is it OK to send in paper copies of any application materials to the ECE Department instead of submitting them online?
No. Please upload your documents on the online application. See http://www.ece.ufl.edu/admission/graduate/appmaterials.html for complete application procedures. The only hard copies that will be submitted as part of the application process are your transcripts and test scores. These should be sent to the Office of Admissions, not the ECE Department.
7. Is it OK to send in copies of awards, papers, or extra letters of recommendation to supplement my application?
No. Due to the large volume of applications submitted to ECE, we strongly discourage you from sending in copies of awards, journal articles, photos, and other extraneous documents. However, if you would like to be considered for financial assistance, you must include a resume with your departmental materials.
8. I have received my admission letter. When will I get my I-20?
Please be patient. We send a copy of your admission letter to the International Center once you are admitted into our program. The sooner you confirm your acceptance of admission to office@graduate.ece.ufl.edu, the sooner this process can start. The International Center is responsible for all I-20 and visa related issues. Please contact them directly at http://www.ufic.ufl.edu/. Please do not contact the ECE department for I-20 and visa questions.
9. Is it possible to obtain a waiver for the application fee?
No. Applicants who submit an application without the appropriate fee will not be processed until the application fee is paid.
10. What tests are necessary when applying to ECE?
The GRE general test and the TOEFL (for international students) are required to apply to the ECE graduate program. The GRE subject tests are not required.
11. Can you consider my application without official GRE and TOEFL scores?
No. The Office of Admissions absolutely requires official test scores and official transcripts.
12. I have sent all of my application materials, but have not received a response. Can you please check the status of my admission?
Please verify that your check or credit card payment has been charged. We cannot consider an application without a fee.
If some of the documents are missing, you will be notified via email. To ensure that your application materials have been received you may check your status with the Office of Admissions at http://www.isis.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/nirvana?MDASTRAN=rsi-introg and with the ECE Department by signing in at https://gradadmissions.ece.ufl.edu/ga-servlet/WelcomePage.jsp.
Please be patient. We receive a large number of applications and must thoroughly review each application individually. We will notify you via e-mail once a decision has been made.
13. When will I receive my admission notification?
We will send admissions decisions for the Fall semester by late April and decisions for the Spring semester by late September.
We will be glad to check your application status after this time has passed. Please send an email to office@graduate.ece.ufl.edu and include your name, UFID, and date of birth in your email.
14. How do I apply for financial aid?
You may apply for financial aid by submitting a resume or CV along with all other required application materials. For more financial aid information, please visit: http://www.ece.ufl.edu/admission/graduate/finasst.html
15. What do I need to do in order to be considered for an assistantship?
The department offers a small number of research assistantships and all students are automatically considered for these awards if they submit a resume or CV along with their other departmental application materials. More typically, research assistantships are awarded by an individual faculty member. Please indicate with which faculty members you share similar research interests on the ECE Department online application. Information on faculty members by research area is located at http://www.ece.ufl.edu/people/directories/area.html.
16. Do I need to complete the Certificate of Financial Responsibility form, even if I want to apply for an assistantship?
Yes. The Certificate of Financial Responsibility is a requirement of the U.S. Immigration Service and is needed to process your visa and allow you into the country. The Financial Responsibility Form must show that you have sufficient funds to study for two years in the U.S. If you obtain financial assistance from ECE, our department will provide the appropriate paperwork required to certify the financial responsibility form. A completed Financial Responsibility Form is needed before you can obtain your I-20 from the UF International Center.
17. May I send the Certificate of Financial Responsibility and Immunization forms after I am admitted?
Yes, these forms should be sent after you receive your admissions decision.
18. What is the estimated cost per year?
Please visit: http://www.admissions.ufl.edu/annualcosts.html
19. I applied to ECE within the last two years and was rejected. Can I reapply?
We do not recommend applicants to reapply if they have been denied. Many highly qualified applicants were not admitted due to our limited capacity. We recommend that students reapply once they have completed their Master's degree.
20. Does ECE accept transfer credit?
Master's students may transfer a maximum of 9 credits from another institution approved by UF. Doctoral students may transfer up to 30 credit hours from another Master's degree program in electrical and computer engineering taken at an institution approved by UF.
21. Do you admit students who have earned a BS degree in an area other than electrical and computer engineering?
Yes. The ECE program accepts students with a wide variety of academic backgrounds. Students who do not have an engineering background may need to take articulation courses as a condition of their admission. For more information, please visit: http://www.ece.ufl.edu/admission/graduate/articulation.html
22. Do you have any joint degrees with other colleges on campus?
Please visit: http://www.ece.ufl.edu/academics/graduate/jointdegrees/main.html
23. If I already have a Ph.D. degree, can I apply for another Ph.D. from ECE?
Yes. Your application will be evaluated with other applications submitted for that term.
24. Where do I sign up for my research assistantship or my teaching assistantship?
If you are offered a research or teaching assistantship, you must present yourself in person to the Personnel and Payroll Office in Larsen Hall, room 226 before the start of the semester in which you are enrolled.
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