Columbia University

Required. Recommended length 250 to 1,000 words; exceeding it will not count against you. Preferred format: margins of at least one inch, double-spaced, 10-point Arial or 12-point Times New Roman, your name in the header or footer of every page. Suggested topics are on the requirements page.

A resume or curriculum vitae must be submitted.

Upload a copy of your official transcript or a student copy (no screenshots of your student portal) for every college or university attended for at least one term, including professional schools and summer study; non-English transcripts need a translation. Official transcripts are sent only after you are admitted and accept the offer; do not have your institution send them before.

At least 2 academic references, unless your bachelor's degree was received more than 5 years before you apply (then an academic reference is strongly encouraged, but not required). Columbia Engineering prefers faculty who know your academic work; current or former supervisors are allowed; personal references are not appropriate.

Three letters of recommendation. Recommenders are contacted through the online application and submit directly; Interfolio and other third-party services are not accepted. Letters can be added after you submit.

Not a requirement for the application. You may include GMAT scores as supplementary material by submitting the score report with your personal statement file. The GMAT cannot replace the GRE.

You may provide GRE scores, but it is not required as of July 2026. Students who do not submit scores will not be penalized; those who submit must send official scores if admitted. Scores valid for five years.

The school’s official pages say this differently. Here is what each one says — check with the school before you rely on it.

The school’s official pages say this differently. Here is what each one says — check with the school before you rely on it.

Duolingo English Test (IEOR advisory score): Required if your undergraduate degree is from a country other than Australia, Canada, Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, the UK or the USA (including transfer and joint-degree programs). One test is enough: TOEFL iBT (including Home Edition), IELTS Academic, PTE Academic or Duolingo English Test. No minimum score. Scores must remain valid through the start of your first semester. Advisory (IEOR FAQ): 130 or lower may mean you need to improve your English.

Duolingo English Test (Engineering advisory score): Required if your undergraduate degree is from a country other than Australia, Canada, Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, the UK or the USA (including transfer and joint-degree programs). One test is enough: TOEFL iBT (including Home Edition), IELTS Academic, PTE Academic or Duolingo English Test. No minimum score. Scores must remain valid through the start of your first semester. Advisory (Engineering FAQ): 134 or lower may mean you need to improve your English.

IELTS Academic (IEOR advisory score): Required if your undergraduate degree is from a country other than Australia, Canada, Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, the UK or the USA (including transfer and joint-degree programs). One test is enough: TOEFL iBT (including Home Edition), IELTS Academic, PTE Academic or Duolingo English Test. No minimum score. Scores must remain valid through the start of your first semester. Advisory (IEOR FAQ): 7.5 or lower may mean you need to improve your English.

IELTS Academic (Engineering advisory score): Required if your undergraduate degree is from a country other than Australia, Canada, Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, the UK or the USA (including transfer and joint-degree programs). One test is enough: TOEFL iBT (including Home Edition), IELTS Academic, PTE Academic or Duolingo English Test. No minimum score. Scores must remain valid through the start of your first semester. Advisory (Engineering FAQ): 7 or lower may mean you need to improve your English.

PTE Academic: Required if your undergraduate degree is from a country other than Australia, Canada, Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, the UK or the USA (including transfer and joint-degree programs). One test is enough: TOEFL iBT (including Home Edition), IELTS Academic, PTE Academic or Duolingo English Test. No minimum score. Scores must remain valid through the start of your first semester. Advisory: 68 or lower may mean you need to improve your English.

TOEFL iBT: Required if your undergraduate degree is from a country other than Australia, Canada, Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, the UK or the USA (including transfer and joint-degree programs). One test is enough: TOEFL iBT (including Home Edition), IELTS Academic, PTE Academic or Duolingo English Test. No minimum score. Scores must remain valid through the start of your first semester. Advisory: 4.5 or lower (tests taken after January 21, 2026) or 99 or lower (tests taken before January 21, 2026) may mean you need to improve your English. TOEFL MyBest scores are not accepted.

Waiver / exemption: Pages disagree on the exemption: a master's degree earned or to be completed in one of the listed countries (Engineering requirements page); a U.S. master's with the whole program on campus (Engineering FAQ); a bachelor's or Master of Science degree from a school where English is the official and widely spoken language, on campus in that country for the whole program (another Engineering FAQ answer); the entire undergraduate or graduate degree completed in an English-speaking country (IEOR FAQ). Current Columbia Engineering graduate students applying to another program are exempt. The application tells you whether you need a test.

Mandatory for Master of Science applicants. Available only after you submit the application and pay the fee, through your application Status Portal; submit it by the deadline in your interview-link email. Three randomly selected behavioral questions: 90 seconds to consider your responses and three minutes to record your answer to all three questions. Nothing to prepare in advance; log out of any VPN first.