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MEng Application Procedures and Guidelines

Students interested in pursuing the Master of Engineering in Operations Research apply through the Graduate School at Cornell. Admission is then determined by faculty members in the applicant’s chosen field.

Applicants to ORIE’s Master of Engineering program should complete the Cornell Graduate School’s online application. All accompanying materials should be mailed directly to the School of ORIE:

Graduate Admissions
School of Operations Research and Information Engineering
201 Rhodes Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853 USA

(Please do not mail any accompanying materials [including all printed letters of recommendation, transcripts, etc.] to the Cornell Graduate School in Caldwell Hall as it may delay your application.)

Most students begin the MEng program in the fall semester. For a variety of reasons, including the sequencing of offered courses and the timeline for project activities, completing the MEng program in the traditional fall-spring or fall-spring-fall semester sequence is strongly encouraged. Although students are occasionally admitted to the MEng program in the spring semester, spring admission is typically limited to applicants who are already at Cornell and have been able to participate in project start-up activities that take place in the fall semester. Individuals not meeting these criteria are strongly advised to apply for fall admission.

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Application Fee

An online Cornell Graduate School application is required; the fee is $70-$80.  We no longer mail paper application forms.

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Statement of Purpose

Paper or electronically submitted with online application. This should describe your objectives in pursuing the Master of Engineering (MEng) degree program in ORIE. If you are interested in pursuing a specific option within the MEng program, i.e., financial engineering, manufacturing, etc., please state specific reasons why you wish to be considered for that option. Additional information to support your option choice may be requested in the admissions letter.

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Prerequisites

Prerequisites Page
In order to confirm that an applicant has fulfilled the necessary prerequisites for the program, as listed below, specific information must be submitted on the attached form, either attached to the electronic application, or mailed directly to: Graduate Admissions, School of OR&IE, 201 Rhodes Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853 USA.

Prerequisites Form

M.Eng. Program Prerequisites:
Standard engineering calculus sequence, including linear algebra (with eigenvalues and eigenvectors) and vector calculus.

Basic Engineering Probability and Statistics—At Cornell, the  appropriate course is (ENGRD 2700).  ENGRD 2700 requires a first year calculus course as a prerequisite.

This course should give students a working knowledge of basic probability and statistics as they apply to engineering work. Computer analysis, data and simulation are emphasized. Topics include random variables, probability distributions, expectation, testing, experimental design, quality control and regression.

Computer Programming—At Cornell, the appropriate course is Computers and Programming (ENGRD 2110/CS 2110.)  ENGRD 2110 is not an introductory-level programming course and requires a prerequisite of CS 1110 or the equivalent.

Students should have expertise in either Pascal, C, C++, or Java, including the following topics: familiarity with pointers, abstract data structures (records or structures), and the use of these structures in implementing linked lists and trees. Functional recursion (functions or procedures that call themselves recursively). Intermediate programming in a high-level language and introduction to computer science. Topics include program structure and organization, object-oriented programming (classes, objects, types, subtyping), graphical user interfaces, algorithm analysis (asymptotic complexity, big O notation), recursion, data structures (lists, trees, stacks, queues, heaps, search trees, hash tables, graphs), simple graph algorithms. Java is the principal programming language taught at Cornell, but other languages are acceptable for this prerequisite, especially C++ (but not Matlab, SAS, or other application packages).

Financial Engineering Concentration additional prerequisites (to be satisfied as part of your undergraduate curriculum, before applying for admission):

OR&IE 3500 Engineering Probability and Statistics II (or equivalent) is required: Fall. 4 credits. (Prerequisite for OR&IE3500: ENGRD 2700 or equivalent.) A rigorous foundation in theory combined with the methods for modeling, analyzing, and controlling randomness in engineering problems. Probabilistic ideas are used to construct models for engineering problems, and statistical methods are used to test and estimate parameters for these models. Specific topics include random variables, probability distributions, density functions, expectation and variance, multidimensional random variables, and important distributions including normal, Poisson, exponential, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, and point estimation using maximum likelihood and the method of moments.

OR&IE 3510 Introductory Engineering Stochastic Processes I (or equivalent) is recommended: Spring. 4 credits. (Prerequisite for OR&IE3510: OR&IE 3500 or equivalent.) Uses basic concepts and techniques of random processes to construct models for a variety of problems of practical interest. Topics include the Poisson process, Markov chains, renewal theory, models for queuing, and reliability.

Basic Finance course (online course or self study): Courses offered by the Johnson Graduate School of Management require familiarity with core financial topics at the level of NCC 5560 (Managerial Finance—see description below). If you have not had such a course and are unable to schedule it at Cornell, you can develop this familiarity by reviewing a text such as “Investments” by Bodie, Kane and Marcus (Chapters 1-3, 6-9, 12, 14-16, 18 and 20). NCC 5560 Managerial Finance Fall, spring. 3 credits. Prerequisite: non–Johnson School students. Similar in content to M.B.A. core course NCC 5060. Letter grades only. Staff. Introduces business finance through theory and case studies. Topics include stock and bond valuation, the capital budgeting decision, portfolio theory, the asset-pricing models, raising capital, capital structure, mergers and acquisitions, costs of capital, option pricing, and risk management. International applications are considered within each topic area. Grading is based on an exam, group case reports, homework, and class participation.

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Transcripts

Official transcripts from each college or university you have attended. Please mail directly to:

Graduate Admissions
School of Operations Research and Information Engineering
201 Rhodes Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853 USA

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Letters of Recommendation

Two letters of recommendation are required for application to the M.Eng. The graduate school application asks for three, and we reserve the right to contact the third person, rather than asking for a third letter of recommendation as some fields do. Letters from academic contacts are preferred, but if necessary one letter can be from a business contact, specifically describing your accomplishments. Letters should be from individuals who know you well.

Electronic recommendation requests are preferred, and can be generated in the process of submitting the online application; these requests are not sent to the recommenders until the online application has been submitted.  Recommendations are required to be on official university or department/school letterhead and signed. Paper recommendations should be mailed directly to:

Graduate Admissions
School of Operations Research and Information Engineering
201 Rhodes Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853 USA

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Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test scores

GRE’s are required. We do not accept GMAT results. A subject test (preferably in mathematics, engineering, or computer science) is encouraged, but not required.  Official scores from the testing service must be reported, and admission cannot be finalized until received. Students who have received (or will have received) a Bachelor degree from Cornell University are exempt from the GRE requirement for application to the M.Eng. program.  Score reporting code is as follows:

University Code 2098 (no Department/School code needed)

Applicants who have taken the GREs and are accepted into the MEng program almost all have a Quantitative score in excess of 740, have scored in a high percentile in the Analytical portion, and have above-average Verbal scores.

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TOEFL

All applicants whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL); a minimum score of 100 internet-based Test (iBT), 250 computer-based test (cBT),  (or 600 paper-based) is required for admission to the School of OR&IE. TOEFL is not required of applicants who have studied full-time for two or more years in a college or university where English is the language of instruction and the college or university is located in a country where English is the native language.

In September 2005, Educational Testing Service provided a new Internet-based Test (iBT) version of the TOEFL. This new version will test all four language skills important for effective communication: writing, listening, reading, and speaking. Each section has its own score, and the Graduate School has set the following basic minimum scores in each category before admission is possible: Writing: 20 Listening: 15 Reading: 20 Speaking: 22.  However, in addition to these basic minimum scores in each category, the School of ORIE requires a minimum total TOEFL score of 100 (iBT) for admission.

Score reporting code is as follows:

University Code 2098 (no Department/School code needed)

Official scores from the testing service must be reported.  Files are not complete, and reviewed, until the official scores are received.  TOEFL scores are good for two years from the test date.

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Financial Aid

Generally, two forms of financial assistance are available to Master of Engineering students: merit-based aid and need-based aid.

Merit-based financial aid for this program comes primarily from donors. The amount available is limited and the competition is intense, and consists of both fellowships and half-time teaching assistantships. There are no research assistantships open to M.Eng.’s, since this is a professional program, not a research degree. The College of Engineering also awards a small number of full-tuition fellowships each academic year.

Cornell Engineering undergraduates and alumni are eligible to apply for the Lester Knight Scholarship Program which, along with the knowledge of an engineer and exposure to the cutting-edge techniques of an MBA, enables employers to hire applicants with the training and experience.

Except for the Knight Scholarship, submitting your completed Graduate School application and all accompanying materials for the Master of Engineering degree program by the application deadline (and answering “Yes” to the merit-based aid question) automatically serves as your application for merit-based financial aid.

Information on need-based financial aid and loan information is offered through our Cornell Graduate School Financial Aid office. They also maintain a Fellowship Notebook Website listing grants and fellowships awarded by various government agencies, foundations, corporations, and private sponsors.

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Deadline for Admission

  • Deadline for fall admission is January 15 of that year.
  • Deadline for spring admission is September 15 of the previous year.

The on-line application and all accompany materials should be submitted by the dates above.

Note: We no longer mail out materials and applications. All information is available at either the ORIE website, or the Cornell Graduate School’s website. If you have additional questions, please fill out the questionnaire or phone us at 1 (607) 255-9128.

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Other Helpful Information and Guidelines

The Cornell Graduate School maintains extensive and up-to-date information for prospective applicants to all graduate programs at Cornell. Students can learn more about the application process, review the additional Graduate School Application Guidelines, locate information on additional fellowships, financial aid, and student services, and learn about other activities and news related to graduate study at Cornell University. Tuition and fees for the program are those of the Graduate School endowed division, as listed on their website.  The College of Engineering’s Office of Research, Graduate Studies, and Professional Education can also help to guide you through the application procedures. 

Other link:

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