G R A D UAT E S T UDY

NORTHWESTE RN
ENGINEERING
W E A R E W H O L E- B R A IN T H IN K E R S

S EEIN G S IMP L I C I T Y IN T HE C O MP L E X ,

T HE C O MP L E X I T Y O F T HE S IMP L E.

W E A R E W H O L E- B R A IN E N G IN E E R S ,

B I G-P I C T UR E T HINK ER S , R E A L-T IME

C O L L A B O R ATO R S , A L L- O U T INN O VATO R S .

WE ARE
TA K I N G T H E
WO R L D I N
A WHOLE NEW
DIRECTION.
Driving progress through innovation and leadership.
Turning research into patented processes and
life-changing inventions. Bringing products to market
with smart risk-taking and entrepreneurship.

FIND YOUR DIREC T ION HER E .

G R A D U AT E S T U DY
AT N O R T H W E S T E R N
ENGINEERING
WHOLE-BR AIN THINKING.
E M P O W E R I N G O U R S T U D E N T S W I T H A D V A N C E D A N A LY T I C A L
A N D P R O B L E M -S O LV I N G S K I L L S
Analysis. Logic. Synthesis. Math. All are elements of “left-brain”
thinking, all critical to engineering success. To lead today in a
world of change, engineers require more. They need “right-brain”
skills. Intuition. Metaphorical thinking. Creative problem solving.
At Northwestern Engineering, we celebrate whole-brain thinking
and empower our students to become whole-brain engineers.
Master’s and PhD program students at Northwestern Engineering
take the concept to new heights. They conduct interdisciplinary
research and collaborate with peers and faculty in other highly
ranked departments and beyond. They develop leadership
skills inside and outside the classroom and lab. And, they expand
their career opportunities through career-focused initiatives
and cross-school partnerships that expand their perspectives
and strengthen business management skills.
Whatever direction our graduate students take, all develop the
highly advanced analytical and problem-solving skills required
to change the world for the better in material ways and to lead
others to do the same.
WHOLE-BR AIN ENGINEERS.
P U R S U ING A DVA N C ED DEGR EE S
ACROSS A WIDE RANGE OF PROGRAMS
At every level in every program of study, Northwestern Engineering
P A R T-T I M E M S P R O G R A M S
students constantly advance in their development as whole-brain
engineers. Graduate students choose from an array of master’s Engineering management Executive management
and doctoral programs aligned with their career goals and personal for design and construction Information technology
passions. Master’s degree programs—full- and part-time—are Product design and development management
designed to meet ever-changing industry and research environments. Project management
Doctoral candidates work side-by-side with world-class faculty In addition to the programs listed above, part-time tracks are
across disciplines researching advanced topics in engineering. available for most full-time departmental MS programs.

F U L L-T I M E M S P R O G R A M S PHD PROGRAMS

Analytics Artiicial intelligence Biomedical engineering
Biotechnology Chemical and biological engineering
Civil and environmental engineering Computer engineering
Computer science Electrical engineering Energy and sustainability
Engineering design innovation Engineering management
Engineering sciences and applied mathematics Information
technology MMM (dual degree) Materials science and engineering
Mechanical engineering Product design and development
management Project management Robotics Theoretical and
applied mechanics
Applied physics Biomedical engineering Chemical and
biological engineering Civil and environmental engineering
Computer engineering Computer science Computer science and
learning sciences Electrical engineering Engineering sciences and
applied mathematics Industrial engineering and management
sciences Materials science and engineering Mechanical
engineering Technology and social behavior Theoretical and
applied mechanics

W H AT E V E R D I R E C T I O N O U R G R A D U AT E
S T U D E N T S TA K E , A L L D E V E L O P T H E H I G H LY
A D VA N C E D A N A LY T I C A L A N D P R O B L E M -
S O LV I N G S K I L L S R E Q U I R E D T O C H A N G E T H E
W O R L D F O R T H E B E T T E R I N M AT E R I A L WAY S
AND TO LEAD OTHERS TO DO THE SAME.
R E S E A R C H E R S A N D C O L L A B O R AT O R S
B R E A K I N G B A R R I E R S A N D C R E AT I N G T H E F U T U R E
MAJOR CENTERS INCLUDE:

Northwestern Engineering’s more than 180 faculty systematically

confront some of the world’s most pressing and complex challenges Northwestern-Argonne Institute for Science and Engineering
in systems, materials, health and wellness, energy, and the
Center for Quantum Devices
environment. Our interdisciplinary collaboration is exempliied by
ongoing research initiatives with more than 20 other departments in Institute for Sustainability and Energy
our extended Northwestern family and dozens of other universities
and research centers worldwide. International Institute for Nanotechnology

While the majority of University research funding comes from Materials Research Science and Engineering Center
government sources, corporate-sponsored research represents
a growing opportunity for professors. Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems

Segal Design Institute

Transportation Center

CAREER-FOCUSED PROFE SSIONAL S

P R E P A R I N G F O R S U C C E S S I N B U S I N E S S , I N D U S T R Y,
AND ACADEMIA
Northwestern Engineering is committed to preparing students
for successful careers as leaders and researchers in business,
industry, and academia. The Engineering Career Development ofice
identiies and works with students to secure internship opportunities
and provides other career advancement services. For doctoral
students, Management for Scientists and Engineers, an eight-week
summer course drawn from the Kellogg School of Management core
MBA curriculum, equips young researchers with the knowledge they
need to become better managers and leaders.

E N T R E P R E N E U R S A N D I N N O VAT O R S
C H A N G I N G T H E W O R L D F O R T H E B E T T E R E V E R Y D A Y.
NORTHWESTERN ENGINEERING’S
Northwestern Engineering students and faculty drive progress
ENTREPRENEURSHIP RESOURCES:
through innovation and leadership, turning research into patented
processes and life-changing inventions and bringing products
to market through smart risk-taking and entrepreneurship. They The Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation provides
typically account for a lion’s share of the University’s inventions incubators, mentorships, and seminars and encourages the ongoing
and faculty startups. development of new, interdisciplinary curricula.

NU vention courses engage interdisciplinary teams from across

the University in the entire innovation and entrepreneurial life
cycle, including how to transform innovations into viable business.

The Innovation and New Ventures Ofice ( INVO ) advises faculty

and students on the development of research with commercial
potential and provides seminars and educational programs
on entrepreneurship and innovation.

The Garage provides an entrepreneurship space for Northwestern

students to experiment, collaborate, and get their ideas built.
A COMMUNIT Y OF LE ADERS
GAINING EXPERIENCE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE
THE CL ASSROOMS AND L AB
The McCormick Graduate Leadership Council helps solidify a gradu- Chicago Graduate Student Association ( CGSA )
ate student community among the eight departments within North-
western Engineering by organizing social, academic, and profession- Black Graduate Student Association ( BGSA )
al activities, and facilitates communication with the administration.
Chinese Students and Scholars Association ( CSSA )
Students can also participate in the Graduate Student
Association, department-centered student groups, and other Graduate Student Association for Latino
and Spanish Activities (G-SALSA )
student associations that promote interactions among graduate
students, provide academic and social programs, and serve
Indian Graduate Student and Scholars Association (IGSSA)
as student advocates, including:

Queer Pride Graduate Student Association (QPGSA )

Society of Women Engineers (GradSWE)

Turkish Intercultural Club

C OL L E AGUE S, F RIENDS, A ND FA MILIE S

LIVING AND LEARNING IN ONE OF THE WORLD’S
M O S T DY N A M I C M E T R O P O L I TA N A R E A S

Stretching along the north shore of spectacular Lake Michigan,
Northwestern’s Evanston campus provides an environment
conducive to serious scholarship and rich in rewarding opportu-
nities for every lifestyle. Evanston boasts the amenities of a big
city in a manageable suburban setting.
With downtown Chicago only 12 miles away and easily accessible
by public transportation or the intercampus shuttle, Northwestern
students have easy access to the wealth of professional sports,
music, art, and cultural diversity that the nation’s third-largest city
offers. Northwestern’s location also means unsurpassed access to
major corporations, research centers, and other organizations eager
to engage Northwestern Engineering students in experiential
learning, internships, and careers.
G R A D UAT E
A P P L I CAT I O N
INSTRUCTIONS
FOR 2020
application systems open in September each year and you may begin
your application as soon as the system is open. During the process
Northwestern Engineering has prepared this guide to help you
you can save your work, return frequently to update your application,
navigate the sometimes complex application process for MS or
and then submit the application upon completion.
PhD admission. You can also refer to each department’s website
for more information. P H D A P P L I C AT I O N S

Application to the PhD program of choice starts at the department’s

A P P L I C AT I O N P R O C E S S
AND DEADLINES
Application requirements and deadlines for PhD and MS degrees vary
by department or program. It is best to refer to the individual depart-
ment or program website for exact speciications.
All applications for PhD and MS degrees are made through one of two
Northwestern University online application systems. Both online
website. From there, applicants are directed into Northwestern’s
The Graduate School’s application system where the application is
completed and submitted.
The application deadline for most PhD programs is December 15.
Departments with exceptions to this date include engineering
sciences and applied mathematics (December 31), and industrial
 program websites for speciic information.
engineering and management sciences (December 5). Always check
the department’s website for any updates.

R E S U M E /C V A N D S TAT E M E N T O F P U R P O S E
PhD program admission does not require an MS degree and the
majority of our new PhD students do not hold an MS degree. Should Please include your resume/CV and statement of purpose
acceptance to our highly competitive PhD programs not be granted, with the online application.
many applicants wish to be considered for an MS program. North-
western makes this request easy to make through a checkbox section
in the PhD application – no separate application is required for MS TRANSCRIPTS
consideration.

Applicants upload unoficial transcripts through the online

M S A P P L I C AT I O N S
application system.
Apply to the MS program of your choice starting at the department’s
or program’s website. From there, and depending upon the program,
Oficial transcripts will be required only for new students
you will be automatically delivered into either Northwestern’s The
who enroll at Northwestern. Those will be collected in the summer
Graduate School’s application system, or Northwestern’s McCor-
months.
mick’s application system where you will inish and submit your
application.

R E C O M M E N D AT I O N S
Students can only submit one application to The Graduate School,
but a prospective student can apply to an unlimited number of
McCormick MS programs. All recommendations should be submitted through the
online application system. Two or three recommendations are re-
MS application deadlines vary by program, and some programs even quired depending on the program.
have a rolling admissions policy. Always check the department’s or
program’s website for any updates on requirements and timing.
Please do not direct your references to send hard copies by mail.

S U P P O R T I N G M AT E R I A L S
F O R A P P L I C AT I O N S
TEST SCORES

Applicants can use the E TS system to send GRE and TOEFL scores
(if TOEFL is required for you) to Northwestern University (E TS code
1565).

Northwestern will accept scanned copies of score reports through

the online application system and verify those scores with E TS.

The minimum Internet-based TOEFL scores are 90 for PhD

applicants and 80 for MS applicants in most programs. Higher
TOEFL scores may be required for some MS programs. A score of 7.0
may in part also be used from the IELTS. Please see departmental or
 ONCE YOU H AV E A PPLIED
A P P L I C AT I O N
During the application process, you may work with the departmen- CHECKLIST
tal graduate program assistant or the program’s associate director
to complete your application ile. You will also be able to track your
status online in the application system. Please check with your desired program for speciic instructions.

Complete online application

ONCE YOU H AV E BEEN A DMIT TED I N C L U D E W I T H O N L I N E A P P L I C AT I O N

Recommenders’ contact information

PhD programs: admitted PhD students have until April 15 to accept Resume/CV
or decline the offer of admission. Those residing in the United States
Statement of purpose
are invited to campus in late winter. Northwestern Engineering will
help defray expenses for your travel to Evanston. Unoficial transcripts

MS programs: admitted MS students will receive speciic
acceptance deadline information from their department or program.
GRE scores
TOEFL scores (if required; if English was the language of instruction
at the institution where you received your bachelor’s or master’s
degree, then the TOEFL requirement is waived.)

FUNDING IELTS scores (as an alternative to TOEFL scores)

Do not send hard copies of materials that have been submitted

PhD programs: Northwestern Engineering fully funds PhD electronically. It slows the processing of your application.
students with paid tuition, paid health insurance, and a monthly
stipend. After admission, PhD applicants will receive a
formal PhD funding offer letter.

N E E D A S S I S TA N C E ? H AV E A Q U E S T I O N?

Please feel free to contact the graduate program assistant dean

for your chosen program.

Assistant Dean Assistant Dean for Professional

for Graduate Studies
Bruce A. Lindvall
2145 Sheridan Road, Suite L-261
Evanston, IL 60208–3103
Phone 847–491–4547
b-lindvall@northwestern.edu
Educational MS Programs
Ward Lavino
2145 Sheridan Road, Suite L-255
Evanston, IL 60208–3103
Phone 847–467–6167
edward.lavino@northwestern.edu
M AST E R O F S C I E N C E
I N RO BOT I CS
Roboticists today must possess a depth of knowledge and experience in a broad array of
concentrations, including computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering,
biomedical engineering, and mathematics. The full-time M A S T E R O F S C I E N C E
I N R O B O T I C S ( MSR ) program is designed to provide intense, hands-on training using
classroom instruction, seminars, internships, and independent project work to bridge the
knowledge and experience gap between an undergraduate engineering degree and a career
in the exciting ield of robotics.
MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE
Students can earn the MSR within four consecutive academic
quarters. Alternatively, students may choose to work at an industrial
internship or as an academic research assistant during the summer
and then return to inish the program during the fall quarter.
The MSR program features a combination of traditional courses
and in-depth, project-based courses in the following areas:
Automatic control Biomedical engineering Computer vision
Embedded systems Human-machine interfaces Kinematics and
dynamics Machine learning Neuroscience Prosthetics

The MSR program is designed for outstanding students with a BS

in engineering or a related ield who have a desire to move into the
cutting-edge ield of robotics and artiicial intelligence.
Students gain experience with the Robot Operating System ( ROS ),
a skill in high demand in both research and industry. Intensive
hands-on and project-based courses prepare students to pursue
careers in government laboratories or industries such as auto-
mation, manufacturing, healthcare, and aerospace, or to continue
their education and complete a PhD.
PROJECT PORTFOLIOS
The program features many open-ended, project-oriented
experiences through faculty-led, independent research work
and courses such as Embedded Systems in Robotics. Students
create online project portfolios detailing their completed projects.
Portfolios may be used for evaluating student performance in
courses and provide an ideal way for students to showcase their
work for potential employers or PhD programs.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
RESEARCH PROJECTS
During the inal quarter, students apply themselves solely
to full-time project work (four course units), and end the program
with a portfolio entry detailing the work that was done. Opportunities
are available to participate in a diverse set of robotics research
projects with faculty from across Northwestern.
This includes research in the Center for Robotics and Biosystems,
a world leader in robotics, haptic interfaces, and biomedical
engineering. Project areas include multi-robot systems, robotic
manipulation, haptics, simulation and control of multibody systems,
swarm robotics, bio-inspired sensing and control, and prosthetics
engineering.
I N D U S T R I A L C O L L A B O R AT I O N A N D I N T E R N S H I P S
Industrial ties are an essential part of the program. The program
features seminars, networking events, and projects from leading
industrial partners. Additionally, students are encouraged to
participate in industrial internships.

In the irst three quarters (fall, winter, and spring), students enroll
in 10 courses in mechanical engineering, computer science,
electrical and computer engineering, and biomedical engineering.
Students complete four courses in the fall quarter, and three courses
plus one course unit of full-time project work in each of the winter
and spring quarters.

Required courses include Robotic Manipulation, Embedded Systems

in Robotics, and Intro to Mechatronics. For those students with no
experience in Lagrangian dynamics, Theory of Machines-Dynamics
is highly recommended.
FA C U LT Y

The MSR program faculty represent a range of departments at

Northwestern and are active in disciplines such as machine learning,
haptics, simulation, control, rehabilitation robotics, and bio-inspired
robotics. The faculty named below teach the majority of program
classes and are potential advisers for the inal project:

Brenna Argall J. Edward Colgate Oliver Cossairt

Jules Dewald Yasin Dhaher Doug Downey Randy Freeman
Netta Gurari Levi Hargrove Mitra Hartmann Ian Horswill
Felix Huang Aggelos Katsaggelos Todd Kuiken Kevin Lynch
Malcolm MacIver Sandro Mussa-Ivaldi Todd Murphey
Bryan Pardo Eric Perreault Michael Peshkin John Rogers
Michael Rubenstein Jack Tumblin Paul Umbanhowar Ying Wu

STUDENT PROFILE

Each year the MSR program welcomes 15-20 top students from
around the world to join the cohort. Students enter the program with
a variety of professional and educational backgrounds.

Many of the students come to the MSR program immediately after

completing their undergraduate education, but it is not uncommon
for students to join MSR directly from industry. Some entering
students have amassed years of work experience in a range of
industries.

Students in the MSR program have several different career plans

after graduation. Some seek a robotics-focused job in industry, while
others use their MSR experience as a transition into a robotics-
related PhD. MSR graduates sometimes pursue entrepreneurial
plans.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants to the MSR program must meet the following require-

ments: bachelor’s degree in a robotics-related ield (e.g., mechanical
engineering, electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, com-
puter science); minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale for all undergraduate
work; university transcripts; three letters of recommendation; GRE
scores (desired, though not required); current resume or CV ; personal
statement; TOEFL scores (if applicable).

In addition, MSR program applicants are encouraged to have

proiciency in C, C++, or Python. This allows enrollment in 300-
level computer science courses that require programming as a pre-
requisite. Students who do not have a background in programming
languages will be offered extra programming-related materials and
activities during the fall term.

F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N

MS in Robotics website
msr.northwestern.edu

MS in Robotics Director
Professor Todd Murphey
msr@northwestern.edu
FINANCIAL AID
FO R MASTE R’S
DEG RE E PROG R AM
STUDENTS
Faculty and staff of the McCormick School of Engineering and Also, note that if your ultimate goal is to pursue a PhD, you may
Applied Science understands that inancing a master’s degree enter PhD programs without having completed an MS degree.
can play an important role in deciding which school you will attend.
To help make sure that all of our master’s degree students can
LOANS
fund their educations regardless of personal inancial
circumstances, Northwestern Engineering provides opportunities for Northwestern loan procedures, deadlines, and downloadable
access to a variety of federal and private loan and funding options. forms are available at:

The Evanston Ofice of Graduate Financial Aid assists current and
incoming students with these funding processes and also
provides sound debt management services. You may contact
the ofice by phone at 847–491–8950 or by e-mail at
gradinaid@northwestern.edu.
https://www.northwestern.edu/evanston-graduate-inancial-aid/
Private student loan comparison for students not eligible
for federal loans is available at:
https://www.northwestern.edu/evanston-graduate-inancial-aid/
private-student-loans/index.html
Financial literacy, federal loan programs, loan forgiveness
provisions, and repayment calculators are available at:

http://www.northwestern.edu/inancial-wellness/

TUITION

Tuition, fees, billing, and payment information is available at:

http://www.northwestern.edu/sfs/

SCHOLARSHIPS

Information about private outside scholarship assistance

may be found at:

http://petersons.com

Please feel free to follow up with the Evanston Ofice of Graduate

Financial Aid or Bruce A. Lindvall, assistant dean for graduate
studies at McCormick, at b-lindvall@northwestern.edu or at 847–
491–4547, if you have questions about inancing your MS degree.