Doctor of Engineering Admission Criteria and Deadlines

Admission Requirements 

The Doctor of Engineering admissions process selects highly qualified applicants by considering each of the following criteria in judging the overall strength of the applicant. Typically, no single criterion is used as a sole determinant for admission. 

  • A master’s degree from an accredited university in engineering, science, technology or math.  
  • In lieu of a master’s degree, applicants may hold an undergraduate degree in engineering and a combination of technical education and professional background equivalent to 5+ years. 
  • Graduate and/or undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale). 
  • Minimum two years’ relevant professional experience in an engineering field. Excellent candidates will have more than two years of relevant experience. 

Application Deadlines 

Fall 

Spring 

Summer 

July 1

November 1 

April 1 

 

Degree Objectives 

Applicants for the Doctor of Engineering can be admitted to the D.Eng. degree objective. 

How to Apply 

Apply at the Application Management page using the campus and program information below. You can return to finish an incomplete application or check the status of a submitted application using the same page.

  • Campus: Purdue West Lafayette 
  • Proposed Graduate Major: Interdisciplinary Engineering
  • Degree Objective: Doctor of Engineering

Required Application Materials 

2 Statements of Purpose  

3 Recommenders  

  • Your references should be individuals who can assess your academic potential, such as faculty members, academic staff, supervisors, industry leaders, employers, or advisors. If you are planning to utilize your current employer as an industry partner for the research portion of your program, at least one support letter from your current employer should be submitted. 
  • Contact information for each recommender should be submitted within the online application. Recommenders will be contacted with instructions on how to upload their recommendation materials to the application portal.  
  • Review the Graduate School's Recommendation Letters page for more information. 

Official Transcripts  

  • Official transcripts are required from all institutions attended, including transfer credits. An official transcript must be sent directly from your previous institution to Purdue using one of the submission methods below. 
    • Those with international transcripts should supply transcripts in both their original language and an English translation, if applicable.   
    • During the application process you may upload unofficial transcripts (also referred to as personal copies of your official transcripts). You are still required to request official transcripts directly from your previous institution(s) by the end of your second semester to avoid registration holds. Academic progress reports and unofficial transcripts from student accounts are not acceptable for upload.  
    • Review the Graduate School's Transcript page for more information.  

To submit official transcripts: 

or 

  • Mail official, unopened transcripts directly from your previous institution to: 

Office of Graduate Admissions  
Purdue University Graduate School  
155 South Grant Street, YONG 170  
West Lafayette, IN 47907  

Resume / CV

  • 1 – 3 pages in length  
  • Separate your work and non-work experiences into different sections. 

Doctor of Engineering Supplemental Questionnaire  

  • A supplemental admissions form will be a part of the online application. Please be prepared to provide thoughtful responses to the following questions: 
    • How many years of post-undergraduate engineering work experience do you have? 
    • What are your primary areas of interest (and/or engineering disciplines) for the Doctor of Engineering program? 
    • Which faculty are you interested in working with as part of your program? Please elaborate why you’re interested in those faculty members and if you’ve communicated with them already.

 Math Prerequisite Checklist, if applicable 

  • Required for some applicants; see Criteria for Admissions below for more information. 

English Proficiency Requirement

International degree-seeking applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit proof of English proficiency. The Graduate School accepts a variety of options to demonstrate English proficiency
The Graduate School will routinely waive the English proficiency requirement for applicants who have received a degree within the last 3 years from a school where English is the primary language of instruction in one of the recognized English speaking countries. Learn more here. 
Note: U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents are not required to submit proof of English Proficiency.

Application Fee 

  • Nonrefundable $60 fee for domestic applicants and $75 fee for international applicants
  • Review the Graduate School's Application Fee page for more information

For additional details about application materials, please visit the How to Apply Graduate School webpage.

Criteria for Admissions 

Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree in an appropriate area (Engineering, Science, Mathematics, or Technology) with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or equivalent (A=4.0). It is strongly recommended that applicants also hold a master’s degree in a related STEM area with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or equivalent (A=4.0). 

Applicants must have a minimum of two years professional engineering work experience.  

Applicants must have successfully completed the following mathematics courses:  

  • Calculus I 
  • Calculus II 
  • Linear Algebra or Differential Equations 

Applicants whose undergraduate degree is not in Engineering must submit a completed math prerequisites checklist (click to download) as part of a complete application.  Prerequisite math courses must be for credit and from an institution accredited by a nationally recognized higher education accrediting body or the international equivalent.

Contact Us 

  • Prospective Students: Please email poapply@purdue.edu. 
  • Current Students: Please reach out to your Academic Advisor. 

FAQs

We suggest that you try to get at least one academic reference. If that is not possible, recommendations from employers will be accepted. 

If you are not a permanent resident or citizen of the United States, you are classified as an international student. If you are in the process of applying for your green card, and your application has not been approved, you are considered an international student and should apply as such when you start an application. Permanent residents (green card holders) and U.S. citizens should apply as domestic when starting an application. 

Further questions and answers can be found here.