Master of Engineering in Computer Engineering

Dartmouth MEng Overview with Faculty Director Gene Santos on March 18 | Register here.

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Master of Engineering in Computer Engineering

Dartmouth College

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Apply by May 15 to get your Fall 2025 application fee waived

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Earn an Ivy League degree

From one of the first professional schools of engineering in the U.S., Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth

15-27 months

Complete the program on the schedule that suits your needs (approximately 15-17 hours per week, per course)

100% online

Weekly live sessions, lecture videos, hands-on projects, and connection with instructors and peers

$44,100 total cost

Pay only for courses you enroll in per term ($4,900 each)

Admissions

If you’re an engineering graduate, STEM graduate, or a professional with a strong engineering background, the Dartmouth MEng in Computer Engineering offers a highly effective program to build your technical skills and engineering expertise.

With two new cohorts every year, this MEng will prepare you for the next stage of your computer engineering career.

Accessible admissions

Dartmouth Engineering places great value on professional and practical experience, and all applications are considered on a case-by-case basis.

All applicants are required to have a bachelor’s degree prior to starting the program. The MEng in Computer Engineering admissions team will consider applicants holistically, considering applicants with a wide range of STEM-related educational backgrounds and professional experiences as eligible for the program.

Specifically: 

  • Applicants with an accredited bachelor’s level degree in engineering or with bachelor’s level degrees in related STEM fields (e.g. computer science, physics) should be well prepared for success in this program.

  • Applicants with an accredited bachelor’s level degree outside of engineering, but with relevant STEM experience and skills will be equally considered. (Note: depending on the focus of the bachelor’s degree and skills obtained, additional prerequisite coursework beyond the degree requirements may be required.)

  • Applicants will benefit from having demonstrated knowledge and previously developed skills across core foundational areas prior to taking the program, including linear algebra, calculus, probability and statistics, basic programming (e.g. C, Python), digital logic, and analog circuit fundamentals.

Technical Skill Review

We encourage applicants to describe in their application materials how their educational background and professional experience can set them on a path for success in the program. We also highly encourage applicants to review their linear algebra and multivariable calculus skills before enrollment. Within your application, you can be explicit about plans to brush up on these skills prior to starting classes.

To help you prepare for some of the foundational technical skills and knowledge you will need to be successful in the MEng in Computer Engineering program, we encourage you to explore Dartmouth’s specialization “C Programming with Linux.” Building skills in C programming, as well as building confidence in command line interfaces, will be useful in online MEng courses such as Embedded Systems, as well as in more advanced courses in the curriculum. Applicants who complete some or all of the C Programming with Linux specialization are encouraged to share their knowledge with the admissions committee in their application materials to represent their experience with relevant prerequisite knowledge.

Not sure if you have the technical skills to apply? Connect with an enrollment counselor or join our upcoming webinar to discuss your experience!

Application process and requirements 

Our step-by-step overview of the Dartmouth MEng application process will help you make sure you include everything you need, to give your application the best possible chance of success.

  1. Create an account.

  2. Complete your application.

  3. Submit required application materials.

  4. Pay fee (or have fee waived, if eligible).

    1. The application fee is $50 USD. If you apply before the priority application deadline, the application fee will be automatically waived. Other applicants may be eligible for a fee waiver after the priority deadline. Please talk to your enrollment advisor to find out if you are eligible.

  5. Once your application is reviewed and a decision is released, you will receive an email to log in to your applicant portal page. The portal page shows the decision and outlines your next steps.

  6. Dartmouth Engineering will follow up with admitted students with a detailed letter outlining tuition, financial aid (if applicable), and other important information.

Fall 2025 Priority Deadline

Submit your application by March 15, 2025

Fall 2025 Final Deadline

Submit your application by April 2, 2025

Admissions information

The priority application deadline is May 15, 2025! Submit your Fall 2025 application before that date to get your application fee waived!

  • Priority Application deadline: May 15, 2025
  • Final Application deadline: June 15, 2025

Upcoming Webinars

  • March 18: Dartmouth MEng Overview with Faculty Director Gene Santos - Register here!
  • May 27: Machine Learning Course Deep Dive with Professor Peter Chin - Register here!

Resources

Check out our feature in the Coursera Blog

Admissions information

The priority application deadline is May 15, 2025! Submit your Fall 2025 application before that date to get your application fee waived!

  • Priority Application deadline: May 15, 2025
  • Final Application deadline: June 15, 2025

Upcoming Webinars

  • March 18: Dartmouth MEng Overview with Faculty Director Gene Santos - Register here!
  • May 27: Machine Learning Course Deep Dive with Professor Peter Chin - Register here!

Resources

Check out our feature in the Coursera Blog

Application Requirements

You will be required to submit electronic copies of transcripts from every post-secondary school ever attended. Official transcripts will be required if admission is granted. Please do not mail any documents to the program office.

US Degree Equivalency: If you graduated from a recognized academic institution outside the United States, you must hold a degree equivalent to a US bachelor’s degree. Equivalency is determined by international evaluators in the UC Berkeley Graduate Admissions Office: http://grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/requirements/

If you are recommended for admission and choose to enroll in the program, UC Berkeley Graduate Division will require that you submit official academic documents (transcripts, degree conferral certificates, translations, as applicable) by the end of your first term.

GPA Minimum: To be eligible for the MAS-E degree, as with all UC Berkeley graduate degrees, you must have a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) on a 4.0 scale. Applicants whose GPAs are based on a 4.0 scale will need to enter their cumulative GPA, as well as calculate their Advanced GPA and Major GPA for the application. The application will specify which courses to calculate for each GPA field. The university does not provide a GPA calculator. Applicants should use their university’s grading scale to calculate their GPAs to the best of their abilities.

Applicants whose GPAs are not based on a 4.0 scale should not calculate or convert their GPAs. Instead, these applicants should leave the aforementioned GPA fields blank and enter their cumulative GPA as it appears on their transcript in the “Other Scale GPA” section.

Letters of recommendation provide the admissions committee with third party, qualitative accounts of your potential for success in our program. We require two letters of recommendation from all applicants.

We strongly prefer that letters of recommendation come from a current direct supervisor, former direct supervisor, faculty, or other individuals with whom you have had significant professional interaction. Please select individuals who know you well and who will take the time to write thorough and thoughtful letters on your behalf. The title of those you select is not important. What does matter is how closely your letter writers have worked with you and whether they can attest to your value as an employee or student, your professional accomplishments, and your personal qualities. We have found the most helpful letters to be recent, relevant, and written specifically for this application. We discourage letters of recommendation from subordinates, family, or friends.

When completing the online application, you will enter the email address of your recommender and click the appropriate box to have the recommender upload their letter. The application system requires 3 recommenders despite our program requiring 2, please put your own email address as the third and ignore the instructions to submit. You are responsible for ensuring that letters of recommendations are submitted by the application deadline.

Note: You can submit your application before all of your letters have been submitted.

For more information and FAQ's about letters of recommendation, visit Berkeley's page here.

Statement of Purpose: This essay question was created to provoke honest, thoughtful responses to help us get to know you. The admissions committee is interested in learning how your professional and academic experiences and achievements equip you and motivate you to enroll in our program. At a minimum, the statement of purpose should indicate, with clarity and focus, your purpose for entering the Master of Advanced Study in Engineering program and why this advances your professional and personal goals. We are especially interested in understanding both your experience in and your capacity to take full advantage of an intensive, fast-paced degree program. The Statement of Purpose should be 1-2 pages single spaced.

Personal History Statement: Anything that can give reviewers a sense of you as a person belongs here. Any experiences that show your promise, initiative, and ability to persevere despite obstacles could be considered. If you have faced any obstacles or barriers in your education, sharing those experiences provides a deeper understanding of who you are as an applicant. If one part of your academic record is not ideal, due to challenges you faced, this is where you can explain that, and direct reviewers’ attention to the evidence of your potential for higher education. Touch on the following points without duplicating your Statement of Purpose: Overcoming obstacles to access higher education; gaining insights into barriers faced by others; experience or leadership pertaining to underserved populations, equitable access or inequality. Compose a concise 1-2 page Personal History Statement. This essay also factors into the selection process for MAS-E program scholarships.

We are interested in a 1-page summary of your academic and professional background. On the application, please upload your most current resume or curriculum vitae. If applicable, please also include honors, awards, publications, presentations, languages spoken, and associations you belong to.

The application fee is not refundable. If you are a U.S. citizen or current permanent resident, the application fee is $135; for all others, the fee is $155.

  • Fee Waiver: U.S. citizens or permanent residents who can demonstrate financial need are eligible to apply for a waiver of the application fee. See guidelines for waivers.

If you have completed at least one year of full-time academic coursework (with grades of B or better) in residence at a recognized U.S. institution, you do not need to take a standardized test. Instead, you must upload an unofficial transcript from the recognized U.S. institution.

Read more about the application process and requirements.

Many different backgrounds and experiences set you up for success in the MAS-E program.

UC Berkeley's Master of Advanced Study in Engineering is an interdisciplinary program with a curriculum grounded in theme areas designed to address 21st-century engineering challenges. In particular, we recommend experience in the following areas:  - Strong technical background in quantitative analysis and an undergraduate degree in any STEM field 

- Exposure to undergraduate coursework or professional experience in physics, calculus, linear algebra, or ordinary and partial differential equations

- Experience with programming, algorithms, data structures, and theory equivalent to an undergraduate level (e.g. Python, Matlab, C, C++, etc.)