Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) | NC State MEM

Here is former MEM director Julie Ivy to answer that great question.

NC State offers you three different programs in engineering management.

• On-Campus Master of Engineering Management Program
• Online Master of Engineering Management Program
• Engineering Management Foundations Certificate

The program consists of 10 courses totaling 30 credit hours.  Five courses are in the core, and five are in your chosen concentration. There is no need to decide on a concentration immediately.

Yes. The Master of Engineering Management degree is an engineering-coded program (CIP code 15.1501) that meets the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requirements for the STEM OPT Extension for international students.

NC State offers you seven different concentration areas within the engineering management program.

• Advanced Manufacturing
• Analytics
• Entrepreneurship
• Facilities Engineering
• Health and Human Systems
• Professional Practice
• Supply Chain Engineering and Management
• Build Your Own

Yes. Our facilities engineering concentration meets the degree and certification requirements from US military branches.

Yes. You may switch your concentration by submitting the completed “Change Degree Status or Curriculum” form to the MEM Grad Office (mem-gradoffice@ncsu.edu).

The application consists of a questionnaire, resume/CV, unofficial transcript(s), personal statement (statement of purpose), and three (3) letters of recommendation.

International applicants must demonstrate English proficiency unless they come from a country where English is an official language and the language of instruction in higher education.

There is no word count limit for the statement of purpose, but we ask that applications limit their statement to two (2) pages unless there is a good reason to exceed this.

No. NC State has waived the GRE requirement. It will be used in your evaluation process if you would like to submit your GRE score.

To be eligible for admission, all international applicants, regardless of citizenship, must demonstrate proficiency in English at a level necessary to be successful in the MEM program. This requirement can be met for most applicants in one of the following four ways:

1. Be a citizen of a country where English is an official language and the language of instruction in higher education. (Applicants educated in India, take special note: India is not on the list of countries exempt from the English proficiency requirement—you must take the TOEFL, IELTS, or DuoLingo English Test with no exception, and regardless of whether English was the language of instruction for your undergraduate degree.)
2. Have you completed one year of full-time study in a four-year US college or university degree program? If Yes, then you are not required to submit the TOEFL scores. To request a TOEFL waiver, please contact the Graduate School (graduate_applications@ncsu.edu)
3. Provide a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a total score of at least 80 on the Internet-based Test (iBT). The minimum test score for each section is 18 points. (Note: the current computer- and paper-based versions of the TOEFL test will be given until the iBT version is implemented in a particular location. Computer-based TOEFL scores must be 213 or higher, with at least 17 on three sections and no section score below 13. The paper-based test requires a score of 550 or higher, with scores of 50 on at least two of the three sections and no section score below 45.)
4. Provide International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores with an overall band score of at least 6.5. The minimum test score for each section is 6.5.
5. (Due to COVID-19) Provide Duolingo English Test results with a minimum score of 110.

No matter how long, international applicants living or working in the U.S. are not exempt from the English language proficiency requirement.

If you must take the TOEFL or IELTS, the test date must be no older than 24 months before the beginning of the entry term of enrollment.

NC State’s institution code for reporting scores is 5496. The MEM program requires no departmental code. If you must use a departmental code, use code “0000” or “99.”

Official copies of TOEFL or IELTS scores may be sent to:

The Graduate School
North Carolina State University
1020 Main Campus Drive, Room 2300A
Campus Box 7102
Raleigh, NC 27695-7102

Please visit NC State’s Office of International Services (OIS) for more on requirements and other information.

The MEM program pays no international application fee waivers. 

A few domestic fee waivers are available every semester, and applications are sent out after emailing mem-information@ncsu.edu. 

The MEM program makes decisions on a rolling basis. We recommend that you review the Priority Deadlines published by the Graduate School. These deadlines provide general guidelines.

International students should be mindful that applying after the priority deadline may not leave enough time for the visa clearance process. 

US military or veteran applicants should contact the College of Engineering Military and Veteran Liaison for assistance if applying within two weeks of the intended first semester to fast-track their application.

No. While we value professional experience in our admissions process, it is not required. By design, our program is welcoming to a variety of experience levels. We have students who have only recently earned their undergraduate degrees and other students who have significant professional experience.  To discuss your specific situation further, please contact us at mem-information@ncsu.edu.

The institution code 5496 is the only code needed to report scores to NC State University. The MEM program requires no departmental code. If you must use a departmental code, use code “0000” or “99.”

We follow the policy from The Graduate School. Contact  graduate_applications@ncsu.edu  for additional information.

No. Since the reviewer will upload directly into our system, letterhead is unnecessary.

Costs vary depending on which MEM program you select, on-campus or online. See the on-campus program costs and online program costs for more details. Costs provided are per semester and depend on the number of credit hours taken. See estimates of the total cost. You can review the estimated costs of attendance for information about the full cost of attendance, including expenses beyond tuition and fees.

Yes. Although the MEM program is a professional degree, not a research degree, you will likely have to pay your own tuition costs. But, NC State offers many other viable pathways for funding your MEM education. See How to Help Pay for Your MEM Degree for more details.

To find the billing and payment due dates, please see the Billing and Due Dates Calendar.

Please contact the instructor to enroll in a full course requiring instructor permission. If the instructor approves, forward the approval email to Latha Dombro | mem-gradoffice@ncsu.edu.

To find important deadlines for enrollment, please view the NC State Academic Calendar and Enrollment Calendar.

There are several ways to contact someone at the MEM Program.

• Complete the Contact Us Form at the bottom of any page on the MEM Program website.
• Send an email to mem-information@ncsu.edu with your questions.