Graduate Admissions - Frequently Asked Questions
Questions
- Do I need to take the GRE exam?
- Do I need to take any topical GRE exams, such as engineering or chemistry?
- What is the minimum GRE exam score?
- Is the TOEFL exam required for admission?
- Can I send photocopies of my GRE and TOEFL documents?
- How much does it cost to attend BYU?
- What financial assistance is available?
- Do I need to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to attend BYU?
- How long does it take to finish a degree?
- What are the course work and research requirements for a Ph.D. or M.S. in Chemical Engineering?
- Where can I get information on BYU's graduate program in general?
For additional questions, please send email to cheme [at] byu [dot] edu
Q: Do I need to take the GRE exam?
A: All applicants must take the general GRE exam within 4 years prior to the application and submit an official score to the BYU graduate school.
Q: Do I need to take any topical GRE exams, such as engineering or chemistry?
A: No.
Q: What is the minimum GRE exam score?
A: There is no minimum; however, to be competitive an applicant should obtain scores of at least 700 Quantitative, 500 Verbal, and 3.0 Analytical. We generally recommend that students with a score below any of these levels spend additional preparation time and retake the GRE exam.
Q: Is the TOEFL exam required for admission?
A: The Department follows the English proficiency requirements of the University. In particular, applicants who have not received a university degree from an English-speaking country are required to submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores. Minimum scores are listed at the above web page. The test must have been taken within the previous two years. A students whose native tongue is English, but who is from a non-English speaking country, may get this exam requirement waived by speaking (by phone) with a faculty member at BYU.
Q: Can I send photocopies of my GRE and TOEFL documents?
A: The Chemical Engineering Department will accept photocopies of these documents for preliminary evaluation purposes, but the University will not admit a student unless official documents are received.
Q: How much does it cost to attend BYU?
A: Estimated costs for graduate students are available at The Graduate Studies web site. Currently the Chemical Engineering Department pays full tuition for Ph.D. candidates and 25% tuition for M.S. candidates who maintain a minimum 3.4 GPA and are making satisfactory progress toward their degree. The remaining costs of living (see above link) are estimated to be $13,500 per 12 months for a single student, an amount well below the ongoing stipend typically offered to our students.
Q: What financial assistance is available?
A: Nearly every graduate student receives financial aid in the form of tuition payments (see above) and a stipend or salary. For the 2010-2011 school year we anticipate stipend offers of $23,000 for new Ph.D. students and $22,000 for new M.S. students. The department bears a large portion of the cost of first-year graduate students and requires service as a teaching assistant. Stipends in subsequent years are generally for the same amount and come from the student's research advisor in the form of a research assistantship.
We encourage applicants and beginning graduate students to apply for competitive fellowships provided by private foundations and U.S. government agencies such as the National Science Foundation and Department of Defense. These lead to significant prestige and monetary benefit.
Q: Do I need to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to attend BYU?
A: No. Admission to the University and to the Department is done without regard to religious beliefs. A large fraction of our graduate students are not members of the Church. Many students choose to attend BYU over academically comparable programs because of the BYU Honor Code and the conservative and wholesome social atmosphere. Under the Honor Code, all students who attend Brigham Young University must be honest, obey the law, live in separate housing from the opposite sex if unmarried, be modest in dress, and abstain from tobacco, alcohol, coffee, and illegal or harmful drugs.
Q: How long does it take to finish a degree?
A: The M.S. and Ph.D. degrees each require coursework as well as an independent research project leading to a written thesis or dissertation. A student with a bachelor of science (B.S.) degree may apply to either program, that is, a Ph.D. degree may be earned without first obtaining an M.S. degree. For a student with a B.S. degree the typical time required to complete a graduate degree is 2 years for an M.S. and 4.5 years for a Ph.D.
Q: What are the course work and research requirements for a Ph.D. or M.S. in Chemical Engineering?
A: The details are given in the Graduate Handbook.
Q: Where can I get information on BYU's graduate program in general?
A: This information is provided by the Office of Graduate Studies.
For additional questions, please send email to cheme [at] byu [dot] edu