Doctoral Admissions
Admission into the Ph.D. program is competitive. All academic and scholarly achievements are employed in the evaluation process. The typical B.S. applicant to the Ph.D. program will have done a major project as an undergrad, and the typical M.S. applicant to the Ph.D. program will have some research background.
An application package is considered in its entirety, but typical admission requirements include:
Application Deadlines
- Spring Admission: September 1
- Fall Admission: January 1
- A strong academic background in computer science and mathematics is required, typically through an undergraduate degree in computer science, and including the majority of the BSCS core. An M.S. degree in CS is not required. However, if you do have an M.S., the same GPA requirements hold as with the undergraduate GPA (minimal 3.5 GPA).
- Grade Point Average (GPA): GPA of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) in your undergraduate CS major (or undergraduate major that includes the CS core), preferably higher in CS courses.
- English proficiency: International applicants who have not completed a degree in the US must show English proficiency through either the TOEFL (at least 100) or IELTS (overall band score of 7 or better) exam.
- A clear statement of study plan, including specific graduate study objectives, discussion of research experience, 1-2 areas of research interest, and 1-2 associated faculty you would like to serve as your research advisor. Applicants are encouraged to consider the PhD Opportunities page that lists faculty with funding for new students. This website will be updated as available faculty funding evolves.
- Graduate Record Examinations (GRE): No GRE exams are required.
Admission is based upon consideration of all of your strengths and weaknesses. Pre-evaluation of students before formal application is not available, since the application is considered as a whole by the entire admissions committee. Please do not request the graduate program director or other faculty members for such an evaluation.
Financial Support
We regularly have many positions open for full financial assistance, both due to graduating students and new research grants. All graduate applications are automatically considered for financial assistance.
Application Fee Waivers
CS does not offer application fee waivers for PhD applications.
Questions?
Faculty (including the graduate program director) should not be contacted to inquire about available financial assistance or a student’s potential for admission. However, it is fine to contact them to discuss research interests. You can also e-mail the department at