How to Apply
Admissions Requirements
Applicants to the MMSE program typically have a BS degree in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE), another field of engineering or a related technical discipline such as chemistry or physics. If your undergraduate degree is not MSE, the MSE admissions committee may recommend that you begin your graduate work at NC State in the Post-Baccalaureate Studies (PBS) program, as a Non-Degree Studies (NDS) student.
Starting your graduate studies as an NDS student has some advantages:
- You won't lose any time. Up to 12 credit hours of coursework can be taken as a Non-degree Studies (NDS) student. If you are later admitted to the MMSE program, up to 12 credit hours can be transferred from NDS to the MMSE program. Only courses in which a grade of B or better is received can be transferred.
- Should you receive a grade lower than B in a course as an NDS student, this course will not transfer to MMSE and it will not be included in the calculation of your graduate grade point average (GPA). Per NCSU policy, a GPA of 3.0 or higher must be maintained to continue in any graduate program. So NDS is a low-risk way to "test the waters" in the MMSE program before committing to it.
Once enrolled in NDS, it is recommended that you register for MSE 500 as your first course. This is a fast-paced overview of the field, and will give you a good indication of how well prepared you are for additional graduate level coursework in materials science and engineering. You can be reconsidered for admission into the MMSE program after you have successfully completed at least two MSE courses as an NDS student.
To be admitted to the NC State Graduate School, you must:
- have a minimum overall undergraduate grade point average of 3.0
- have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in the last 60 semester hours of undergraduate work
- take the TOEFL exam if you are a non-native English speaker and achieve a minimum TOEFL score of 550 (PBT) or 80 (IBT). The institutional code for the Educational Testing Service to report TOEFL scores to North Carolina State University is 5496. International students who have successfully completed at least one year of full-time study in a degree program at a four-year US College or university are exempt from the TOEFL requirement. Detailed TOEFL score requirements and other general information about the Graduate School at NC State can be found on our graduate admissions page.
- In addition to meeting the university admission requirements, applicants to the MMSE Program must also:
- provide three letters of recommendation from people familiar with your work
- provide transcript(s) from your undergraduate institution(s)
- submit a statement of purpose