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Prodigy Finance - June 20, 2018
Ready to learn everything you need to know about engineering and STEM masters degrees at Columbia University’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science? You're in the right place!
Columbia University is one of the most prestigious schools located in the heart of New York City.
Established in 1754, the university is broken into 20 different schools, including the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Getting in isn’t easy, but as any of the numerous and notable alumni will tell you - it’s definitely worth it.
Columbia fast facts
Private university - Ivy League
University enrollment: 32,429
Living alumni: 348,000+
Full-time graduate students: 23,561
Engineering grad students: 3487
Engineering masters students: 2687
International grad students: 9770
Countries represented: 150+
Most represented countries: China, India, France, Taiwan, Canada
Where is Columbia University?
In addition to the high ranking of Columbia University Fu Foundation School of Engineering as a whole, the individual departments all tout great positions on their own. Engineering masters students will certainly find each of these programmes as rewarding as they are challenging.
Department
Rank
Degrees
Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics
no rank available
MS in Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics
MS in Medical Physics
11
MS in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research
MS in Financial Engineering
MS in Management Science and Engineering
MS in Operations Research
Columbia engineering masters students have plenty of opportunities to secure a great job after graduation. A key way to meet with potential employers is at the university’s career fairs.
Of the biggest interest for engineering students are:
These fairs attract between 50 and 100 dedicated companies and students are able to access the information they need to connect with recruiters beforehand.
Last year, 3547 direct student-employer interviews were hosted on campus and 36,287 jobs were posted on Columbia’s dedicated job portal.
There are also career advising sessions students can attend and plenty of workshops or events to prepare for American job recruitment - and to understand the visa processes and options for international students.
Columbia University as a whole - and the Fu Foundation School of Engineering specifically - have impressive employment statistics; it’s in everyone’s interest to maintain these figures so there is no shortage of support for any student that wants to take advantage of them.
New York, New York - the location of Columbia certainly is one that’s founded on and continues to inspire dreams. The big city may be a little intimidating at first, but Columbia University goes out of its way to ensure students, especially masters of engineering students can find their feet quickly.
Want to know what it's really like for international students at Columbia? See what Jaydeep has to say in this video.
Campus housing is available, though you need to accept your spot and pay your deposit before you can begin the housing application process. As this is one of the most cost-effective forms of housing in New York, it’s definitely worth considering first.
Additionally, the university does provide support to students hoping to find an apartment off-campus. The housing market in New York is, however, competitive and expensive and you’ll need to put plenty of effort into your search. International students do have the added advantage of a potential spot at the independent international house in the city.
The dining plans are a win with many graduate international students whether they live off campus or on. There are a couple of plan options, and plenty of places around campus to use them. Columbia University meal plans are cost-effective, even when students plan to cook for themselves as often as possible.
Cars are more of a hassle than a benefit in New York City and parking is difficult to come by at the best of times. Public transport, walking, and sometimes bicycles are the easiest way to get from point A to point B. Columbia operates campus shuttles to move students around and these join the greater Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) routes to make it easy for students to get around town.
As an Ivy League school, Columbia is a dream university for many applicants - and that alone demands that the Fu Foundation School of Engineering be selective in their admissions processes. The current acceptance rate at the masters level is around 35%.
Crafting a strong application for Columbia require critical self-assessment of skills as well as demonstrating a realistic career plan post-graduation. It’s absolutely fine for your post-grad plans to include additional study, so long as your academic record merits it.
And, there is no denying that Columbia engineering will put you in the heart of New York City; you’ll have access to incredible opportunities alongside a myriad of potential distractions. If you don’t address this in your Statement of Purpose (SOP) essay, the admissions team will have a difficult time working out whether you’ll cope during your studies.
The average test scores of Columbia students, as well as undergrad GPAs, are impressive to say the least. That’s not to say these are requirements, but if you don’t meet the following minimums, you might want to address it in your SOP:
Columbia Engineering admissions details
Fall admission deadline: 15 February (some departments have other deadlines)
Application fee: $85
Resume: required
SOP essay: required
Recommendations: 3, completed online
GRE test: required, no min score
GPA: no min specified
Language test: required for applicants who did not complete their undergrad in an English-speaking country; no waivers given, even if undergrad was completed in English; TOEFL, IELTS, and PTE results are accepted; min scores may vary by department
Min TOEFL score: 96 iBT, 590 pBT
Min IELTS score: 6.5
Columbia Fu Foundation engineering cost of attendance (for 2018/19 academic year)
Tuition: $48,432
Books and supplies: $2100
Room: $16,018
International student fee: $160
Health insurance: $3141
Health service fee: $1136
Board: $5420
Document fee: $110
Facilities fee: $1088
Personal expenses: $3700
SEAS graduate student activities fee: $400
Transportation: $1089
Total CoA for 1 year: $82,794
TIP: There is one other critical aspect you need to know about applying to Columbia engineering: you may not apply to more than one programme per term. Doing so will invalidate all of your applications. If you’re interested in more than one programme, take some time to consider your top choice before application.
Columbia University does offer need-based fellowships across all of their schools, though accepted students will need to speak to a financial aid advisor in the engineering department to ensure they’re considered for this funding.
You may also be eligible for departmental (engineering) aid packages which don’t require any additional application steps as long as you mark your intentions with your application.
All prospective students should spend time perusing external scholarship opportunities and which Columbia provides information for on their financial aid pages.
Of course, just because need-based and merit-based funding is available, it does not mean that any one student is entitled to specific funds; you’ll want to start the application and financial aid processes as early as possible. And, keep in mind that many students still require loans on top of any fellowships and scholarships they may receive.
Prodigy Finance offers loans for international masters students at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University.
Students from supported countries pursuing masters programmes that can be completed in less than 2 years are eligible to apply.
Prodigy Finance also supports loans for Columbia University students pursuing masters degrees in these schools:
Ready to transform your future with a MS degree from Columbia?
Prodigy Finance provides loans to international masters students pursuing their masters degrees at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University.
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