Doctoral Admission Requirements

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 (there are no minimum cutoffs), but typical admission requirements include:

• Graduate Record Examinations (GRE): Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have waived GRE requirements in Fall 2022. We are continuing to waive GRE requirements for the PhD applications currently.
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): for foreign students, 610 (paper exam), 253 (computer exam), or 100 (internet exam) on the TOEFL OR overall band score of 7 or better on International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The TOEFL/IELTS exam is waived for students whose native (first) language is English.
• Grade Point Average (GPA): GPA of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) overall (or for the last 60 hours; preferably higher in computer science courses).
• A clear statement of study plan, including specific graduate study objectives, discussion of research experience, and 1-2 areas of research interest.
• A strong academic background in computer science and mathematics, including certain prerequisites.

If one of the areas of your application is particularly strong, it might offset a weakness in one of the other areas. 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.

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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..