Admissions
Requirement Summary
The admissions committee will consider the following in their decisions: Current degree (BS, MS) and the reputation of the programs where the degree was obtained, GPA, GRE scores, TOEFL/IELTS scores, curriculum vitae, research statement, research/industry experience, publications, recommendations, and whether a faculty member agrees to advise.
PhD candidates should reach out to a faculty member for recommendation prior to applying.
Minimum Requirements
- MS or BS in Computer Science (or related areas)
- Undergraduate GPA of 3.25 or graduate GPA of 3.5
- Those who submit GRE scores should have above the 40th percentile on the verbal section and 80th percentile on the quantitative section. Those whose score(s) are below that level on either section will need to show compensating strength in their background.
- TOEFL score of 79 or IELTS overall score of 6.0 and a minimum score of 5 on each subscale
- Extensive experience in computing, programming experience in C++, and a course in Data Structures and Algorithms (CS 2420), as well as a working grasp of calculus and statistics
- Faculty recommendation heavily emphasized
Application Materials
Official Transcripts
Each previously attended college and/or university, including Utah State University, must be listed on the application form, and the applicant must have an official transcript from each institution (except Utah State University) sent directly to the Utah State University School of Graduate Studies. Transcripts accumulated on one record are not acceptable. Transcripts must be submitted for all coursework above the high-school level and all prior degrees. Transcripts not in English must be accompanied by a notarized translation. Transcripts submitted as application credentials become the property of the School of Graduate Studies and will not be copied for or returned to the applicant.
GRE Scores (Optional)
GRE scores are optional, but highly recommended. Applicants should request that their test report be sent directly to the School of Graduate Studies.
Three Letters of Recommendation
Three letters of recommendation are required; each must address the applicant's potential for success in the proposed graduate degree program. At least two of the letters must come from persons from whom the applicant has taken academic coursework. The letters must be sent directly to the School of Graduate Studies. The request is sent out electronically through the online application.
TOEFL or IELTS Scores
- International applicants from non-English-speaking countries must demonstrate competency in the English language by taking either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam. Dulingo does not provide sufficient proof of English proficiency. The minimum required scores are as follows:
- TOEFL internet-based test: 79
- IELTS exam: overall score of 6.0 and a minimum score of 5 on each subscale.
- Scores that are more than 2 years old are not accepted. If an international applicant has a degree from a university in an English-speaking country, the TOEFL or IELTS is not required.
- International applicants may apply to USU as an undergraduate student in the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI) and:
- Take and pass the IELI placement exam, or
- Take the IELI placement exam and complete the required classes.
- Note: IELI does not offer level 0 or low-beginning English classes. IELI offers level 1, which is high-beginning. Students entering IELI must have a basic knowledge of English in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Passing the IELI placement exam or completing the required IELI classes does not guarantee matriculation into a graduate program.
Portfolio
A curriculum vitae and a two-page research statement are required for Computer Science doctoral students. The research statement should contain at least the following: research experience and interests, short-term research agenda, long-term research agenda, and CS faculty members you want to work with. Include whether a faculty member has agreed to advise you, as faculty recommendation is heavily emphasized for Computer Science doctoral applicants.
Note: Application materials may be submitted after paying the $55 nonrefundable application fee. For more information on application materials, visit the School of Graduate Studies' Steps to Apply and Admissions Policies.
Application Deadlines
| Semester | Date |
|---|---|
| Fall (Begins in August) | February 1 |
| Spring (Begins in January) | October 15 |
Note: Admitted students may defer their acceptance for a maximum of one year. Beyond one year, students need to reapply for their program.
Coursework
Program Pathway
- Be accepted to the Computer Science PhD program and work with your temporary advisor: Caitlin Thaxton, Graduate Program Coordinator
- Register for courses. CS 6900 Seminar must be completed during your first Fall semester
- Second Semester (due Nov. 1st or Apr. 1st): Form your graduate committee and complete the Supervisory Committee Approval Form (SCAF)
- Second or Third Semester (due Apr. 1st or Nov. 1st): Submit your Program of Study (POS) by emailing Caitlin Thaxton, Graduate Program Coordinator, to let her know it is ready for approval. If you submit your POS late you may lose your tuition award.
- Within two years: Complete your Qualifying Exam
- Within three years: Complete your Proposal and complete the Application for Candidacy (ACDD) form
- Take 18+ credits of CS 7970 and conduct your research. Take remaining credits of coursework, as listed on your POS.
- Write your dissertation and submit it to your major professor then committee.
- Tentatively schedule your defense with your committee and complete your Appointment for Examination (AFE) at least 2 weeks prior
- Defend your dissertation then complete any edits requested by your major professor
- Complete post-defense forms: Format and Style, Authorship and Copyright, and Title Pages. Send finalized dissertation and title page to Caitlin Thaxton, Graduate Program Coordinator, who will send them to the Graduate School for approval
- Complete the program when you have completed the coursework on your POS and your successfully defended dissertation has been approved
Supervisory Committee
- New students are assigned a temporary advisor.
- After having attended CS 6900, students should know their research area and have identified a professor to supervise said research.
- Students formulate a research idea/topic and approach the identified professor.
- If the identified professor agrees to accept the new student, the professor becomes the student’s permanent advisor for your PhD Supervisory Committee (also called your Major Professor).
- Together, the student and the Major Professor decide the other members of the student’s Graduate Supervisory Committee. See the webpage for your specific degree for information on who is eligible to serve on a committee.
- The CS Department Head and the Vice Provost for Graduate Studies must approve the committee list.
- For students joining the department in Fall semester, they will need to submit a Supervisory Committee Form (SCAF) by April 1st of the next semester. For students joining the department in Spring semester, they will need to submit a SCAF by November 1st of the next semester.
- PhD students don't usually change their initial, temporary advisor until they form their Supervisory Committee. If you already have a major professor and want to change because you are not making progress, or if you have additional questions, contact Caitlin Thaxton, Graduate Program Coordinator.
- If your advisor leaves USU, it is your responsibility to get a new advisor. The advisor cannot, in general, direct your progress from another university (exceptions may be made for students who have passed the PhD proposal or are otherwise nearing completion of their degree).
Program of Study (POS) without MS Requirements
The Program of Study (POS) is a contract among the student, committee members, and the School of Graduate Studies outlining which courses the student will take to meet the School of Graduate Studies' requirements and complete their degree program.
Students joining the department in a Fall semester will need to submit a Program of Study by April 1st of their second semester if they are on an assistantship or by November 1st of their third semester if they are not on an assistantship. Students joining the department in a Spring semester will need to submit a Program of Study by November 1st of their second semester if they are on an assistantship or by April 1st of their third semester if they are not on an assistantship.
In order to be approved, the POS must follow the Computer Science PhD degree requirements listed on the USU Catalog. Requirements for a Computer Science PhD POS without a previous MS are as follows:
At least 70 credits
1 credit of CS 6900
At least 18 credits of CS 7970
18 credits of CS 6000+ courses. Excluding CS 6250 and CS 7970
12 additional credits of graduate coursework at the 5000-level or above
18 or fewer credits of 5000 level courses
Up to 3 credits of CS 6250
Up to one course from CS 5950, CS 6950, and CS 7950
Cannot include CS 6970, CS 6990, or CS 7990
If CS 5250 and CS 5260 are included, they must be taken the same semester.
May include up to 9 credits outside the CS department. Outside credits must be from: ECE, MATH, STAT, PSC 6150 or SOC 6150
Cannot include independent study, research, or continuing graduate advisement outside of the CS department.
Can only include LAEP 7800 in the remaining courses/dissertation category
At least one course in each of three areas of breadth: foundations, data analytics, and applications/systems.
Program of Study (POS) with MS Requirements
The Program of Study (POS) is a contract among the student, committee members, and the School of Graduate Studies outlining which courses the student will take to meet the School of Graduate Studies requirements and complete their degree program.
Students joining the department in a Fall semester will need to submit a Program of Study by April 1st of their second semester if they are on an assistantship or by November 1st of their third semester if they are not on an assistantship. Students joining the department in a Spring semester will need to submit a Program of Study by November 1st of their second semester if they are on an assistantship or by April 1st of their third semester if they are not on an assistantship.
In order to be approved, the POS must follow the Computer Science PhD degree requirements listed on the USU Catalog. Requirements for a Computer Science PhD POS with a previous MS are as follows:
At least 70 credits minus the number of credits that transfer from prior MS
1 credit of CS 6900
At least 18 credits of CS 7970
12 credits of CS 6000+ courses. Excluding CS 6250 and CS 7970
9 or fewer credits of 5000 level courses
Up to 3 credits of CS 6250
Up to one course from CS 5950, CS 6950, and CS 7950
Cannot include CS 6970, CS 6990, or CS 7990
If CS 5250 and CS 5260 are included, they must be taken the same semester.
May include up to 9 credits outside the CS department. Outside credits must be from: ECE, MATH, STAT, PSC 6150 or SOC 6150
Cannot include independent study, research, or continuing graduate advisement outside of the CS department.
At least one course in each of three areas of breadth: foundations, data analytics, and applications/systems.
Can only include LAEP 7800 in the remaining courses/dissertation category
Course and Credit Requirements for PhD Programs
| Credit Distribution | PhD without MS Requirement | PhD with MS Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| CS 6000-level or 7000-level | 18 | 12 |
| Additional Courses | 12 | 0 |
| Seminar CS 6900 | 1 | 1 |
| Dissertation (CS 7970) | 18 | 18 |
| Credits from MS | 0 | 0 – 30 |
| Remaining Courses/Dissertation | 21 | 9 – 39 (depending on credits transfered from MS) |
| Minimum Total | 70 | 70 |
GPA Policy
- Students must maintain a 3.50 GPA on all courses shown on his or her Program of Study Form
- Students must maintain a 3.0 on all courses taken as a matriculated graduate student and all CS courses numbered 5000 or above.
- Ph.D. students are required to maintain at least a 3.5 GPA for degree-program courses. Grades of B- or lower will not be accepted for a graduate degree.
Qualifying Exam
Pass a set of written examinations and an oral examination showing depth and breadth of knowledge in computer science and their area(s) of emphasis. While there is some flexibility in the scheduling of the qualifier, it is important that it be completed early in one’s program. For that reason, the following timelines are given:
- Those without an MS must have completed 18 credits and have a 3.5 GPA in order to take the qualifier.
- Those with an MS must have completed 12 credits and have a 3.5 GPA in order to take the qualifier.
- Students may complete (register for) a maximum of six credits of CS 7970 (dissertation credits) before successfully completing the qualifier.
Students must complete this exam within a maximum of 24 credits or two years. Extensions beyond the 24 credits or two years require approval of the student’s graduate committee.
Financial Aid
Graduate students frequently wonder whether they can get financial assistance from the Department. This is available to qualified students in a variety of forms:
- Fellowships provide a stipend to our best entering students.
- Teaching assistantships provide a stipend in return for 20 hours work per week.
- Research assistantships are awarded by individual professors who have research funds to support graduate students; consult the web pages of individual faculty to determine whether they are seeking research assistants.
In addition to the stipend, students receiving financial aid usually qualify for a waiver of up to 9 credits non-resident and resident portion of tuition. All applications need to be submitted by February 1.
Students who accept the offer of admissions by April 15 will be eligible to apply for financial aid for the following Fall semester.
Some students are able to find campus employment with other departments or research groups.
- Apply for admission as a graduate student
- School of Graduate Studies financial assistance (Fellowships, Assistantships, Tuition Waivers and Remission)
- University Financial Aid
- Learn more about student employment through the Career Design Center. For more information about employment in the CS dept., contact Genie Hanson.
Computer Science Tuition Award Policy
- No student may receive a tuition waiver if they have been found to have violated the Computer Science Code of Conduct or the Computer Science Cheating Policy and been reported to Student Services.
-
Students who were previously a GTA must receive satisfactory review from their previous supervisor in order to be considered for a GTA position in future semesters.
- Students who are employed outside of the Department will not be awarded tuition waivers from the Computer Science Department. They will need to petition the Department where they are working.
- First priority will be given to students who are supported by research grants.
- Second priority will be given to students selected for specific tasks by the Department.
- Third priority will be given to Ph.D. students and MS Plan A students who are recommended by their major professor
- If any tuition waivers remain, they will be assigned based on the discretion of the Department.
- If you are a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA), you must do well as a GTA. Consistently poor GTA reports may result in end of support.
- You must have a CS faculty advisor (excluding adjuncts). Department support does not go to students supervised by faculty in other departments.
- You must have a current CS faculty advisor. If your advisor leaves, get a new one. The advisor cannot, in general, direct from another university (exceptions are made for students who have passed the Ph.D. proposal or are otherwise nearing completion of their degree).
- You must continuously be making progress towards your degree in classes and research.
- MS students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 for degree-program courses and Ph.D. students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.5 for degree-program courses.
Resources
Forms
- Graduate School Application Forms
- Graduate School Academic Forms
- Supervisory Committee Approval Form
- Program of Study
- Application for Candidacy
- Appointment for Examination
- Format and Style
- Authorship and Copyright
- Title Pages
- CS 6250 Cooperative Work Experience Form
- CS 5950 Independent Study/CS 6950 Directed Readings/CS 7950 Reading and Reports Form
- PhD Handbook