Master Degree Programs Without GRE: Requirements, No GRE Required

Edited By Hema Gopalakrishnan | Updated on May 29, 2024 12:52 PM IST

Masters without GRE was not possible is past times. GRE is a standardized test which is generally used to assess students' academic ability to be a part of a postgraduate programme. Most of international universities require a good score on the GRE exam as one of the prerequisites to do a master's degree abroad.

Master Degree Programs Without GRE: Requirements, No GRE Required

Surprisingly, some universities worldwide today offer master's without GRE. The universities tend to waive off GRE for students with exceptionally high GPAs and experience. So, masters without GRE in USA or another masters without GRE in Europe is possible.

A list of universities that waived off GRE for Fall 2024 is available in the below article along with the universities without GRE requirements.

Masters without GRE- Criteria among universities

Certain common universities without GRE requirements for the masters programmes abroad are mentioned below; however, it is highly recommended to check with the selected university about whether masters without GRE is available or not.

Students with an above-average GPA score are not required to take the GRE and moreover, they are required to have a strong profile. The GPA score is however specific to the university or the program.
Some universities waive the GRE requirement for applicants who have relevant work experience in the subject in which they wish to do their master’s.
Students with an excellent undergraduate research project are not required to submit GRE scores for master’s application in some universities.
For certain courses, applicants may have to give the GRE instead of the GMAT.
In some cases, the universities could have relaxed the GRE score requirements temporarily or some may even have a no-GRE policy.
Apart from this, there are certain courses where GRE is not required for master’s and universities use parameters such as a portfolio, sample of written work or resume.

A few courses and their universities offering Masters without GRE are listed below.

Computer science

Computer Sciences is a sought-after course among candidates the world over. And, GRE scores are mandatory at most schools. However, not all universities require applicants to submit GRE scores.

For example, Oxford University does not require a GRE score, but a high academic background of first-class or higher second-class undergraduate degree in Computer Science. Hence, masters without GRE in USA can be done. The schools listed below are some of the top universities offering Masters without GRE abroad.

Masters without GRE: Computer Science

THE Ranking	University	Programme
1	University of Oxford	M.Sc in Computer Science
2	Harvard University	MS in Computational Science and Engineering
3	University of Cambridge	MS in Computer Science
4	Stanford University, USA	MS in Computer Science
5	MIT, USA	MS in Computer Science Engineering

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Mathematics & Statistics

A master's programme in Mathematics and Statistics is a highly analytical programme which includes modelling, programming and data analytics. In fact, some of the top universities in the US offer Mathematics and Statistics MS without a GRE score requirement.

Masters without GRE: Mathematics & Statistics

THE Ranking	University	Programme
1	Stanford University	MSc in Mathematics
2	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	MS in Mathematics
3	Princeton University	MS in Mathematics
4	University of Cambridge	MSc in Mathematics
5	Harvard University	MS in Mathematics

Engineering

Universities often require a GRE score for a Master’s programme in engineering disciplines. However, certain universities does provide Masters without GRE in Europe or USA. On average, more US universities have GRE as their prerequisite for a graduate program.

In contrast, a sizeable number of universities in Australia, Asia and Canada prefer to admit candidates who have secured high scores in their undergraduate programme for a Master’s.

Civil Engineering

Civil engineering has a diversity of specialization options in Master's course. Civil engineering graduates can opt for a Masters in Environmental, Geotechnical, Infrastructure Project Management, Structural as well as Transportation Engineering. Here is a list of universities that waived off GRE for Fall 2024:

Masters without GRE: Civil Engineering

THE Ranking	University	Programme
1	Harvard University	Master of Engineering (Civil)
2	Stanford University	Masters of Engineering (Civil)
3	University of California Berkeley	Master of Science (Civil Engineering)
4	University of Cambridge	Master of Civil Engineering
5	University of Oxford	Master of Civil Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Electrical Power Systems, Advanced Electrical Power Systems, Energy, and Electrical and Electronic Engineering are some of the many specializations available for electrical engineers. Though GRE is mandatory in most universities, some universities is giving MS in USA without GRE and IELTS and there are several other countries as well which provides GRE exemption.

Masters without GRE: Electrical Engineering

QS Ranking	University	Programme
1	MIT	Master of Science in Electrical Engineering
2	Stanford University	Master of Science in Electrical Engineering
3	University of California Berkeley	Master of Science (Electrical Engineering)
4	NTU Singapore	Master of Electrical Engineering
5	ETH Zurich	Master of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology

Mechanical Engineering

Top universities in the UK, Canada, Asia and Australia allow a Masters without GRE in Mechanical Engineering. These universities want exemplary undergraduate records and recommendations for securing admissions.

Masters without GRE: Mechanical Engineering

QS Ranking	University	Programme
1	MIT	Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
2	Stanford University	Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
3	University of Cambridge	Master of Mechanical Engineering
4	Harvard University	Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
5	Delft University of Technology	MSc in Mechanical Engineering

This is a very small list of universities and courses which do not have GRE scores as a prerequisite for a Masters's or Graduate programme.

In addition, all schools require TOEFL or IELTS/ other English proficiency test

Universities in USA for Masters without GRE 2024

Generally, GRE exemption is not there in most of universities; however, a lot of American universities are providing PG courses-masters without GRE. The following US universities have exempted GRE as an entry requirement from the academic year 2024:

Universities in USA for masters without GRE:

University	Courses
University of Kansas	Science, IT, Engineering, Creative Arts and Media
University of Utah	Health Science, Engineering, Creative Arts, and Education
Florida International University	MS and PhD courses in CS
Concordia University Chicago	PG in Management, IT, Health Science and Education

Universities in Europe for Masters without GRE 2024

GRE scores are considered a crucial test for pursuing a PG programme, but most of the European universities give GRE waiver off. A few of Universities in Europe for masters without GRE are tabulated below:

Universities in Europe for masters without GRE:

University	Courses
University of Oxford	MS Mathematics, MSc CS
University of Toronto	MSc in Mathematics, Engineering, Applied Computing
University of British Columbia	Engineering
MIT Cambridge	Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Universities in Canada for Masters without GRE 2024

A list of universities that waived off GRE for Fall 2024 in Canada are listed below:

Universities in Canada for masters without GRE:

University	Courses
University of Manitoba	MS and PhD courses
Concordia University	MS and PhD courses
Carleton University	MS and PhD courses
Laval University	MS and PhD courses

Universities in Germany for Masters without GRE 2024

The popular german universities that offer GRE exemption and make it possible to do a masters without GRE are mentioned below:

Universities in Germany for masters without GRE:

University	Courses
Technical University of Berlin	All PG courses
Technical University of Munich	All PG courses
University of Bayreuth	All PG courses
RWTH Aachen university	All PG courses

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Will the GRE be mandatory for MS in the US in 2023?

No, most U.S. colleges and universities have waived the GRE requirement for 2023. The admissions office instead is considering a high GPA score and work experience from applicants for admission.

2. Does Harvard University require GRE for admission to master's courses?

In January 2021, the admission committee at Harvard waived the GRE requirement for admission to its master's programs. Applicants are not required to submit GRE scores for admission.

3. Will the GRE continue to be waived for 2024?

There is no correct answer to this because the decision to waive the GRE for 2024 MS admissions will depend on what the universities and colleges decide at the time of admission intake.