Entrance requirements for Master's degree

Admission to the Master's degree program is granted by the Dean of the Graduate School upon recommendation by the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and the Dean of Engineering.

The applicant must meet the following departmental requirements for admission to the programs with regular status:

1. The majority of our accepted students have a 4 yr undergraduate degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Mathematics. Well prepared students in other majors are encouraged to apply.
   • The applicant must have mathematical preparation equivalent to that obtained from courses in Calculus through Differential Equations; demonstrated knowledge (formal course grades) of computer science and computer engineering, including logic design, computer architecture, data structure, operating systems, and analysis of algorithms. The majority of our accepted students have an undergraduate degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Mathematics. Well prepared students in other majors are encouraged to apply.
2. Minimum grade point average (GPA) of B average (or equivalent)  for all coursework completed during the last two years of undergraduate program.
   • Test scores for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) must be within the five years preceding application to the graduate program.
   • As a reference, the median GRE scores of recently admitted students were Quantitative of 770 and Verbal+Quantitative of 1220 for tests taken prior to August 1, 2011. For GRE tests taken after August 1, we require a minimum of 161 on the Quantitative portion and a minimum of 150 on the verbal.
   • The GRE may be waived for MS-degree applicants with an undergraduate degree from an accredited United States university
3. Three letters of recommendation.
4. Statement of purpose.

Additional Requirements For International Students

1. Submission of TOEFL scores with an Internet-based score of 79 or higher for applicants from non-English speaking countries. If consideration of an assistantship is desired, the speaking score component of the TOEFL must be 26 or above, or a score of 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System, (IELTS).
2. The TOEFL requirements may be waived if the applicant meets one of the following conditions:
   • Has scored 500 or higher on the GRE Verbal Test, (Old Scores) or 153 with the New GRE scoring.
   • Has earned a college degree at a U.S. institution of higher learning.
   • Has earned a college degree from an institution whose language of instruction is English, (must be noted on the transcript).
   • Has scored 6.5 on International English Language Testing System, (IELTS).
3. All transcripts must be in English; the Department of Computer Science and Engineering does not require course translation. If you are applying while still completing an undergraduate degree, you must submit transcripts of at least six (6) semesters of completed undergraduate work. Final transcripts showing the award of a bachelor’s degree will be required if an applicant is admitted and enrolls.
4. International students should apply well in advance of admission deadlines since their applications take longer to process.
5. International students must also submit a Financial Statement (this is necessary to receive an I-20) if they are not award assistantships.
6. For complete information on International student concerns related to visa status, etc., contact: http://web.usf.edu/iac/isss/