Maryland Clark School Engineering Graduate Admission 2027 for International Students: Ranking, GRE, Funding and Deadlines

Maryland Clark School engineering graduate admission for international students goes through the University of Maryland Graduate School application: a $90 fee, a statement of purpose, three letters of recommendation, a CV, scanned transcripts and degree certificates, and an English test unless your degree is from an exempt country such as Nigeria, Ghana or Kenya. The GRE is optional in the departments checked for this guide, including Electrical and Computer Engineering for fall 2027. Deadlines differ by department. Aerospace has a 1 December 2026 priority date for assistantships, ECE prefers applications by 15 December 2026, and final international deadlines fall between late February and mid-March 2027.

The A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park is tied at No. 18 in the U.S. News 2026 Best Engineering Schools ranking, alongside Columbia and CU Boulder. As a public university near Washington, DC, it charges non-resident graduate students $1,916 per credit hour in 2026-27, much less per credit than the private schools around it in the ranking. PhD students are usually funded through graduate assistantships, and Maryland’s minimum stipend for a 12-month doctoral assistantship in 2026-27 is $36,660.

Maryland Clark School at a glance

1. School: A. James Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park.
2. Ranking: No. 18 (tied), U.S. News 2026 Best Engineering Schools, released 7 April 2026.
3. Degrees: MS and PhD in each department, plus a Master of Engineering (MEng) and graduate certificates for working engineers.
4. Application fee: $90 (the ECE PhD fee is currently waived for a limited number of applicants).
5. GRE: optional in ECE, Aerospace, Mechanical and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
6. English minimums: TOEFL iBT 96 (older format), IELTS 7.0, PTE 68.
7. Tuition: $1,916 per credit for non-residents in 2026-27.
8. PhD funding: graduate assistantships and Clark School Doctoral Fellowships with tuition remission and a stipend.

Maryland Clark School ranking

U.S. News released its 2026 Best Graduate Schools list on 7 April 2026. The Clark School tied for No. 18 with Columbia and CU Boulder, as reported by CU Boulder’s engineering news office and VnExpress International’s top 30 list. The U.S. News page could not be opened for this guide, so check it for subject ranks in your field.

Departments and graduate programmes

The Clark School has eight academic departments, and each offers research MS and PhD degrees.

The Maryland Applied Graduate Engineering (MAGE) office runs the MEng and graduate certificates, which are course-based and aimed at working engineers. The school also offers a Master’s in Telecommunications.

Maryland engineering admission requirements for international students

1. Graduate School online application and $90 fee: paid after you submit.
2. Statement of purpose: required by every department checked. Aerospace asks you to state your research interests explicitly.
3. Three letters of recommendation.
4. CV or resume: Aerospace and Mechanical also ask for a description of research or work experience.
5. Transcripts and certificates: upload scanned official copies of every degree certificate and transcript in the original language, with a literal English translation. If your transcript does not show that your degree was awarded, add the certificate.
6. English test scores: TOEFL, IELTS or PTE, unless exempt.
7. GRE (optional): Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering uses institution code 5814 and accepts only official ETS reports.
8. Optional writing sample: accepted in ECE, Aerospace and Mechanical.

ECE does not review a file until every required item has arrived, so chase your referees early.

English test minimums and waivers

The Duolingo English Test is not on the Graduate School’s list. You are exempt if you hold a degree from an accredited US institution or a recognised university in a listed English-speaking country. Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya are on that list, and South Africa is listed for English-medium study. You must have studied in that country, not online and not at a foreign branch campus, and individual programmes can set stricter rules.

GRE policy by department

Three-year bachelor’s degrees

You can apply with a three-year bachelor’s if you will have a master’s before you start, if your country has 13 years of schooling before university, or if you also hold a recognised Post Graduate Diploma. A three-year degree from a 12-year school system alone is not enough, unless that degree would admit you to research master’s programmes in your own country; the department then decides on an exception. The three-year degree must already be awarded when you apply.

Maryland engineering deadlines for fall 2027

The Mechanical Engineering date is the date from its last published cycle carried forward (based on this year’s date; confirm on the official page when the call opens). ECE and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering pages give days and months only; the years shown are for fall 2027 entry. ECE admits for fall only. Aerospace takes spring applicants too, and for spring 2028 its international deadline is 30 September 2027 (based on this year’s date; confirm on the official page when the call opens).

PhD funding at the Clark School

Funding comes as graduate teaching assistantships, graduate research assistantships paid from faculty grants, and fellowships. Clark School Doctoral Fellowships go to applicants with very strong records and include full tuition remission, subsidised health benefits and a stipend. In Aerospace, admission itself often depends on funding being available, so a clear research focus helps.

The Graduate School sets minimum assistantship stipends each year. For 2026-27 (fiscal year 2027):

These are minimums, and departments may pay more. Teaching assistants must be on 9.5 or 12-month appointments. If you are an international student on a 9.5-month appointment, Maryland requires you to show private funds or other support for the rest of the year when your visa papers are issued.

Master’s funding at Maryland

Master’s students at Maryland can hold assistantships; the stipend table has a separate step for them. ECE considers all applicants who request financial aid and apply by 15 December for teaching and research assistantships. Offers are limited and competitive, and most are made before 15 April, so do not count on it when you budget. The MEng is a paying professional degree.

Maryland engineering tuition and costs for 2026-27

The Bursar’s page does not list a separate engineering rate for research MS programmes. A 30-credit MS at the non-resident rate would be $57,480 in tuition (my arithmetic, assuming 30 credits; check your programme’s credit total). Housing and food come on top.

STEM OPT after a Maryland engineering degree

Engineering degrees are covered by CIP codes on the Department of Homeland Security STEM Designated Degree Program List. On F-1 status you can usually work for 12 months on OPT and then apply for a 24-month STEM OPT extension with an E-Verify employer. Confirm your programme’s CIP code with Maryland’s International Student and Scholar Services, which also handles your I-20 after admission.

How to contact potential PhD advisers at Maryland

ECE invites applicants to contact professors about research assistantships, and Aerospace says contact can help once you have checked the professor’s research.

1. Find two to four faculty: read their recent papers and current projects.
2. Write in October or November: before the December priority dates.
3. Show fit: one paragraph on your relevant project and one question about their work.
4. Mention funding plainly: ask whether they expect to hire a research assistant for fall 2027.

A sample opening, for illustration: “Dear Professor [Name], I am a [degree] graduate of [University] applying to the Maryland [department] PhD for fall 2027 by the 1 December priority deadline. In my final-year work I [one result], which connects with your group’s research on [topic]. Do you expect to take on a new research assistant next fall?”

How to write the Maryland statement of purpose

• Name your research interest in the first paragraph.
• Back it with evidence: projects, internships or publications and what you contributed.
• Name Maryland faculty and labs whose work fits yours.
• Say whether you want to be considered for an assistantship and what you can teach or grade.
• If your GPA is below the department’s usual level (Aerospace expects at least 3.2 for MS and 3.5 for PhD), explain the reason briefly and point to stronger later results.
• End with your goal after the degree.

Common mistakes international applicants make

• Missing the funding date: the final deadline is late, but money goes to early applicants.
• Converting your CGPA yourself: upload your transcript as issued and give your grade on your own scale.
• Assuming a three-year degree is fine: check the rules above first.
• Taking Duolingo: it is not on the Graduate School’s accepted list.
• Relying on a degree from an online or branch campus for the English waiver: Maryland requires in-country study.
• Leaving out the degree certificate: if your transcript does not show the degree awarded, upload the certificate.

Costs not covered by assistantships or scholarships

• Summer living costs on a 9.5-month appointment, which international students must show they can cover.
• Health plan costs not paid by your department, and dependants’ cover.
• Visa and SEVIS fees, flights and rent deposits near College Park.
• Mandatory fees of $738 per semester if your assistantship covers tuition only.

Who should apply to the Maryland Clark School

Apply for a PhD if you have research experience in aerospace, fire protection, electrical, mechanical or bioengineering and want a funded place at a top 20 public school near Washington, DC. Apply for an MS if you want lower tuition than private schools in the same rank band and a chance, though not a promise, of an assistantship. Applicants from Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya with degrees earned at home skip the English test.

Maryland Clark School compared with similar schools

For undergraduate entry, read our guide to University of Maryland admission requirements for international students.

FAQ on Maryland Clark School graduate admission

Does the University of Maryland accept Duolingo for engineering graduate admission?

No. The Graduate School accepts TOEFL, IELTS and PTE. Applicants with degrees from exempt countries such as Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya do not need a test.

Is the GRE required for UMD engineering?

Not in the departments checked here. ECE, Aerospace, Mechanical and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering list it as optional, though Aerospace encourages it for funding.

Can I apply to UMD with a three-year bachelor’s degree?

Only in certain cases: if you also have a master’s or recognised postgraduate diploma, if your country has 13 years of schooling, or if the department grants an exception.

What is the UMD engineering PhD stipend?

The 2026-27 minimum for a doctoral assistant before candidacy is $36,660 for 12 months or $29,023 for 9.5 months. Departments may pay more.

Sources and updates

I checked this guide on 29 October 2026 against University of Maryland pages: the Graduate School’s English language proficiency requirements, international admissions page and international FAQ (three-year degrees); the FY27 graduate assistant stipend memo of 9 June 2026; the Bursar’s 2026-27 graduate tuition and fees; the MAGE tuition page; and the ECE, Aerospace, Chemical and Biomolecular and Mechanical Engineering admissions pages. The department list comes from the Clark School’s Wikipedia entry. The rank is from CU Boulder’s 7 April 2026 release and VnExpress International, since the U.S. News page could not be opened. STEM OPT rules are the Department of Homeland Security’s. We update this page when Maryland posts new deadlines or stipends.

Jude Chinecherem

I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.