Learn more about academics in EECS

Additional useful links
TGS FAQ
GEECS Wiki - by and for graduate students of EECS

ONLINE APPLICATION
TGS's online application form will ask you to:
   Select either the Ph.D. or M.S. option for Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
If you want a Ph.D., with or without a master's degree, select the Ph.D. option. The M.S. option is for terminal masters only. It does not constitute admission to further work towards a Ph.D.
   Enter either CS or ECE for the Area of Specialization.
Specify CS or ECE as your specialization based on the research areas that best fit your current interests. Read more about this here: FAQ.

Once you complete the online application, you will receive an email message asking you to provide additional information about your GPA and specific research interests. You will be asked to select your two or three top choices among the six EECS research divisions, based on your specific research interests. You may give more detail in your Statement of Purpose. For example, a student who would like to pursue research in "wireless networks" might select the Signals & System division, and/or the Computer Engineering & Systems division. The six EECS research divisions are described at this link.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS
After you apply online, gather the following:
   — The admission materials required by TGS, a copy of the GRE (if submitting) and TOEFL (if required) score reports you received from ETS showing that these scores have been sent to Northwestern University
   — Additional (optional) supporting materials may include your resume, research papers, certificates, etc.

Mail them directly to: 

EECS Department
Graduate Admissions Office
Northwestern University
2145 Sheridan Road
Evanston, IL 60208-3118 USA

Upon receipt they will be date-stamped and added to your file. Except for the copy of your GRE and TOEFL records, there is no need to mail duplicates of materials that were included in your online application.

Financial Aid

M.S. applicants: Financial aid is not available in any form, including fellowships, research assistantships, and teaching assistantships.

Ph.D. applicants: We assume Ph.D. applicants require financial aid, and will therefore only admit candidates if we have support in the form of assistantships or fellowships. If you do not require financial aid from us, it is important to let us know. Include a signed letter in your supplemental materials, stating that you don't need financial aid, and briefly describe your source of funding.

TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS

Approximately 20 Teaching Assistantships (TA) are available for new and returning students each quarter. For the 2008/2009 academic year, stipends for teaching assistantships are $15,552 ($1,728/month for nine months) plus tuition scholarship.

TAs are generally responsible for grading and staffing of laboratory sections of undergraduate classes as well as for leading discussion sections of some courses.

In order to be appointed a TA, international applicants must take either the Test of Spoken English (TSE) and receive a score of 50 or higher or take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL IBT) and receive a score of 26 or higher on the speaking section. Applicants who want to be considered for TA support in the first year must have the TSE score before April 15 preceding the Fall quarter in which they intend to enroll. In addition, foreign applicants must get a score of at least 600 on the paper-based TOEFL test or 250 on the computer-based test in order to be appointed a TA.

RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIPS

Typically most students are supported as Research Assistants (RAs) on research grants and contracts. In most cases, RAs work on projects that lead to thesis or dissertation topics. Applicants with strong research experience can contact individual faculty and inform them of their interests and experience. Please be selective and contact only faculty members whose interests match your own, otherwise you do not stand a good chance of receiving a reply.

For the current academic year 2008/2009, stipends for RAs range from $14,000 to $18,000 (for nine months) plus tuition.

FELLOWSHIPS

Besides assistantships, fellowships are available for students who are exceptionally well qualified. Unlike assistantships, fellowships usually do not require the student to perform any duties. Fellowships are extremely competitive and generally applicants will need to have a cumulative score on the GRE greater than 2200 to be considered for this type of financial aid.

The monetary award varies depending on the fellowship but is generally similar to that of a research assistantship. The Fellowships are awarded only for the first academic year of graduate study--after this the students are supported by regular assistantships.