MS in Computer Science

Minimum Admission Requirements

Applications are considered on an individual basis by the Graduate Admissions Committee. A complete set of transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work is required before an applicant is considered. In addition to the application requirements of the Office of Admissions and the policies set by the Graduate College, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

  • Baccalaureate Field Computer science or computer engineering. Outstanding candidates from other related fields with substantial course work in computer science will also be considered.
  • Grade Point Average At least 3.50/4.00 for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate study.
  • Tests Required GRE General scores are recommended for all applicants and required for financial aid applicants and all applicants with degrees from outside the U.S. A minimum of 300 GREV+GREQ score (with a minimum of 140+ GREV). All international students are required to submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the IELTS (International English Language Testing System), or PTE-Academic scores as well.
  • Minimum English Competency Test Score
    • TOEFL 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Test); 60, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Writing 21 (revised Paper-Delivered Test), OR,
    • IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores, OR,
    • PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.
  • Letters of Recommendation Two Required. Applicants for financial assistance must provide three letters of recommendation.
  • Personal Statement Required.
  • Deadlines The application deadline is the same as the Graduate College deadline.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:

  • Minimum Semester Hours Required 36.
  • Course Work At least 28 hours (with thesis), 32 hours (with project), 36 hours (for course-work-only); 12 hours of which (for thesis and project) and 16 hours (for course-work-only) must be CS course offerings at the 500 level (excluding CS 590, CS 597, CS 598, and CS 599). No more than one special topics course (CS 594) may be counted toward the 500-level CS requirement. At most 8 hours of preapproved non-CS graduate courses may be counted toward the overall requirement.
  • Comprehensive Examination None.
  • Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only Options Thesis, project, or course-work-only required.  
    • Thesis: Thesis students must earn 8 hours in CS 598; no more than 8 hours of CS 598 may be applied toward the degree.
    • Project: Project students must earn 4 hours in CS 597; no more than 4 hours of CS 597 may be applied toward the degree.
    • Course-Work-Only: Students must earn all 36 hours from course work as described in Course Work above.