Qualified applicants may be admitted to the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science for the purpose of taking one or more graduate-level courses without seeking a degree.
University admissions criteria for non-degree graduate students are:
- A Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with an overall grade point average of at least 3.0. Applicants with undergraduate GPAs below 3.0 may be admitted with the approval of the department in which they wish to take courses
— or —
- Evidence that the applicant is presently a student in good standing in an appropriate graduate program at an accredited institution
— or —
- Evidence that the applicant has received an appropriate graduate or other advanced degree from an accredited institution.
General Instructions
Complete the graduate online application. The application must be accompanied by a transcript of the last college or university that you attended or an official letter stating that you are a student in good standing in an acceptable graduate program. The transcript may be unofficial, but an official transcript will be required before the completion of your first course at Lehigh so that grades may be released. The application fee is $50.
Non-degree applications are accepted up until two weeks before the start of classes each semester. Note that this means the first day of classes for all classes offered in the College and not the particular one in which you would like to register.
International Students
International applicants to the Graduate Programs of the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science must hold a Bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. institution or an equivalent foreign degree. Applicants must submit all documents listed above and below this section, including the application fee. All transcripts must be official copies validated by a school administrative officer. They must be in the original language with an official English translation attached.
English Proficiency
Either the Internet-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Test System) is required for all graduate students whose FIRST language is not English. All international students must show proof of English proficiency to be admitted to Lehigh. The English proficiency requirement may be waived if a student has completed a degree program at a U.S. university within the past two years. A waiver of this requirement will be granted after a review of the submitted online application materials. Applicants should check with the appropriate admission office to verify if they are eligible for a waiver.
The scores below represent minimum individual section and composite TOEFL iBT levels that applicants must attain in order to be admitted to the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering & Applied Science graduate programs without conditional English enhancement training. Please note that some individual departments or programs may have higher minimum requirements. Applicants should consult with the department or program of interest directly in order to be certain of the requirements that apply to them.
Internet-based TOEFL
- Reading — 20
- Listening — 15
- Speaking — 20
- Writing — 20
- COMPOSITE — 79
IELTS
- Reading — 6.5
- Listening — 6.0
- Speaking — 6.5
- Writing — 6.0
- COMPOSITE — 6.5
For unconditional admission, applicants MUST:
- Obtain or exceed ALL minimum section scores
- Obtain or exceed the COMPOSITE/OVERALL minimum score.
Applicants with test scores that do not meet the above minimum requirements can still be considered for admission with conditional English enhancement training required. In such cases applicants should consult with the department or program of interest for more details.
If the TOEFL iBT is currently not available in your home country you may still submit paper-based scores at this time. A minimum score of 550 for paper based scores is required. TOEFL information may be obtained from ETS at ets.org/toefl. Lehigh's institutional code is 2365. IELTS information can be found at ielts.org. Official test scores must be submitted from the testing agencies directly in order for this requirement to be satisfied.
Admission Decisions
Admission decisions for non-degree students are made by the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research in the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, or other responsible official designated by him/her for this purpose.
Credit Limitations
Non-degree students may take no more than twelve credits of graduate study at Lehigh. Any transcript or other record from the University will clearly indicate the student status as non-degree. Non-degree students are not permitted to audit courses.
Changing from Non-Degree to Degree Status
Non-degree students may seek admission to a degree program at any time. Students should consult the department they wish to join for instructions on how to begin the process. Non-degree students who seek admission to a degree program must meet all regular admissions criteria, complete all regular procedures, and present all documents normally required of degree-seeking applicants to that program. Courses taken by a non-degree student who later enters a degree program will count towards the completion of the program to the extent that they fall within the normal requirements of the program and to the extent that the student's performance in the course(s) is acceptable for degree program purposes. Any course which is counted towards the completion of a degree must be completed within the established time limits for that degree, whether taken initially as a degree or non-degree course.
Once you are registered, you must pay all applicable tuition and fees in the Bursar's Office, Alumni Memorial Building, Ground Floor (610-758-3160) by the following day.
All vehicles must be registered and appropriate fees paid to park on campus. Forms for vehicle registration are available from Parking Services, 1st floor of Johnson Hall (610-758-3893).
