All prospective ORIE graduate students must apply for admission through the UT Austin Graduate School. For general information about the UT Austin Graduate School, visit gradschool.utexas.edu. For more information about the ORIE or to arrange a visit, contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Requirements
To be eligible for graduate study, students must satisfy the following minimum requirements:
- Have a minimum 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average (GPA) in junior- and senior-level work and in any graduate work already completed.
- Have completed GRE
- TOEFL or IELTS (international students only)
- Submit official transcripts from previous colleges or universities
- Statement of Purpose - Make sure you upload your Statement of Purpose and Resume (or CV) when you come to those sections on the application. Your Statement of Purpose should be a summary of your academic and professional goals, as well as a description of the research work you have done in your past, and what research work you plan to do as a graduate student at UT. Please make sure these documents are edited to your liking before you upload them, for they cannot be deleted once they have been uploaded to your application.
- Three Letters of Recommendation - Make sure you enter the valid e-mail address of each referee you want to submit a recommendation for you when you get to that section on the application. Please use the university domain address for each professor you are requesting a reference. Once you have completed this section of the application, a notice will be sent to each referee showing them where to go to complete a recommendation for you using our online system. Three is only the minimum number of recommendations required to accompany your application. You are welcome to add more.
Deadlines
Fall Semester
ALL materials are due by December 1st.
Spring Semester
ALL materials are due by October 1st.
Before You Apply
No, we do not. We only accept transfers from other UT Austin programs in very rare circumstances. Generally speaking, you will need to complete your current program and then apply to ours.
No, all of the necessary information can be found here on our website. If you have any questions that we have not addressed please feel free to e-mail the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Yes, both degree plans are open to domestic and international students.
No, there is no pre-admission screening process. We cannot tell you whether or not you will likely be admitted. Our admissions committee reviews completed applications immediately following the deadlines.
There are no specific requirements for admission to the ORIE program but applicants would benefit greatly from having a B.S. degree in applied mathematics, computer science, economics or one of the more analytic engineering disciplines such as electrical or mechanical engineering.
- The Graduate School requires a 3.0/4.0 in upper-division courses to apply. GPAs below a 3.0 may, in rare cases, be admitted with conditions. GPAs above the minimum do not guarantee admission to the program.
- The average GPA of recently admitted students is 3.74 on a 4.0 scale in upper-division or graduate work. This does not include international students who have scores that are not based on the 4.0 scale.
- For more information on admissions requirements visit the UT Austin Graduate School's Requirements of Graduate Admission.
Yes, you are required to take the GRE for admission into the ORIE graduate program.
There is no minimum score required by ORIE and we do not require any special subject tests. However, successful applicants tend to have GRE Q scores in the top 90% and GRE-V scores in the upper 50%.
Average GRE scores for recently admitted ORIE graduate students:
- GRE V: 156
- GRE Q: 168 (39% scored a perfect 170)
Keep in mind that GRE scores cannot be waived under any circumstances and that the scores are only valid for five years. For more information on test scores, visit the UT Austin Graduate School webpage.
The Graduate School requires:
A score of 550 (paper test), 213 (computer-based test) or 79 (internet-based test) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
OR
A 6.5 on the Academic Examination of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
Scores above the minimum do not guarantee admission and please keep in mind that TOEFL scores are only valid for two years following the test date. Our program does not accept expired test scores.
Preferred TOEFL for ORIE program: 100 or above on (iBT)
Average TOEFL score for ORIE admits: 106 (iBT)
No, we require GRE and TOEFL (international applicants only) scores from all applicants.
For international students, the TOEFL score may be waived if you hold a four-year bachelor’s degree from a U.S. institution. We will not waive the requirement for master's degrees from a U.S. institution. It must be a four-year bachelor’s program.
Applicants from the following countries (or who hold a four-year bachelor’s from one of them) are exempt from submitting a TOEFL or IELTS score: American Samoa, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada (except Quebec), Dominica, Grenada, Grand Cayman, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Liberia, New Zealand, Trinidad/Tobago, United Kingdom, U.S. Pacific Trust.
There are no specific requirements for admission to the ORIE program but applicants would benefit greatly from having a B.S. degree in applied mathematics, computer science, economics or one of the more analytic engineering disciplines such as electrical or mechanical engineering.
No. We do not admit students who already have a degree in a similar field for a second degree. Master's students interested in a Ph.D. are welcome, but students seeking a second Master’s or second Ph.D. who already hold that degree in a similar field (e.g. management science, systems engineering, etc.) should not apply.
How to Apply
If you are reapplying within one year of your previous application, you will need to complete a new application, send new transcripts and pay another fee. However, your test scores and recommendation letters will carry over from the previous application. You are more than welcome to update them if you like. If it has been over a year since you last applied, you must resubmit all materials.
Use the GPA Calculator on the UT Austin Registrar's website.
All GPA information should be provided on a 4.0 scale. Only upper-division undergraduate and graduate courses should be used in this calculation.
Keep in mind that the Graduate School and International Admissions Center will calculate your official GPA for official purposes. You will not be able to submit your calculation from the above link.
You will upload your supporting documentation via the online application portal. Detailed instructions can be found on the Cockrell School's Graduate Admissions page.
No, we do not accept any paper copies of application materials. Please follow the instructions online carefully to ensure your application is completed by the deadline.
No, to complete your application, the fee must be paid. The UT Austin Graduate School may grant a fee waiver in rare cases based on documented financial need.
You will be prompted to set one up during the application process. Visit the Graduate School Admissions website for more information.
For issues with an existing EID, visit the UT EID website.
Please do not create multiple EIDs for yourself. Only the EID that is sent to you via email acknowledging receipt of your application will be linked to your academic record. Your EID will be used as an identifier from this point forward so please include it in emails to the program so that we can better assist you.
There is no separate financial aid application. Because we are a highly competitive program, most of our students generally receive some type of funding. For most of our students, funding generally includes tuition benefits, health care and a stipend.
No, any outside financial support you apply for will be your responsibility.
After You Apply
No, your application needs to be completed by the deadline. We will not allow edits after the fact. The application is open for months before the deadline, giving ample time to complete the requirements.
In general, you should not contact ORIE faculty members regarding the application process. A committee makes all application decisions. Admitted students are automatically considered for competitive funding opportunities.
For fall admission, we finalize all decisions by May 15.
You can monitor the status of your application via the UT Austin MyStatus web portal and can email any questions to the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
All admitted applicants will be contacted directly via email notifying them of their admission and requesting further information. Students denied admission will be notified via the MyStatus website.
Unfortunately, no. We receive a large number of applications each year and cannot provide any additional information to applicants who are not offered admission. We receive and must turn away many highly qualified applicants each year.
Check the MyStatus website for application updates and completion status. You can also use this site to remind your references of missing letters of reference.
Keep in mind that it can take several weeks for your test scores to be matched with your online application. If you have received confirmation from ETS or IELTS that your test scores have been received by the university and processed, but you do not see them on MyStatus, the university is probably still in the matching process.
Any updates must be submitted through the online application portal. Updates made after the deadline will not be viewed by the admissions committee so please be mindful of this when submitting your application.
20-30 students based on many factors, including but not limited to faculty availability, quality of applicants and funding.
We do not have a set number or percentage of domestic or international students that we admit.
