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Academics

Graduate

GradFest

GradFest is an invitation-only event for newly admitted Ph.D. students. This year's GradFest will be held on February 26-27, 2010. GradFest is a prime opportunity to discover what makes the Department of Computer Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin unique, explore research areas of interest, meet our faculty and graduate students and enjoy the famous Austin, Texas lifestyle (consistently ranked in the top 10 U.S. Cities to live in).

Invited students will receive a link to the GradFest website by late January 2010.

Computer Sciences Graduate Studies

The foundation of the department's graduate program is its research. The department is currently ranked 9th among research departments in the U.S. Particular areas of strength include Systems (hardware, software, and the interface between them), Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, and Formal Methods and Verification. See Research Areas for a tour through the department's research projects.

The Computer Sciences Department offers two Graduate Programs:

The Ph.D. program is designed for students who wish to pursue research careers, either in academia or in industry. We encourage outstanding students to apply, including those in allied fields (such as mathematics or electrical engineering) who have a strong aptitude in computer science.

There are 186 students currently pursuing their Ph.D.'s in the department.

The Masters program is designed for both types of students:

• Those who have a bachelor's degree in CS or a related filed and want to broaden and deepen their knowledge of computer science, typically to enhance their careers in industry.

AND

• Those who have a degree in a field other than CS and want to prepare themselves for computing careers. These students should read the masters degree requirements to see if they meet the background requirement for admission to the CS Masters program.

There are 57 Masters students in the department.

The Masters is intended as a terminal degree. Students who know that they want to pursue a Ph.D. are encouraged to apply directly to the Ph.D. program, even if they have not already earned a Master degree.

Admission to our graduate program is very competitive. For example, for Fall 2009, 519 students applied to the Ph.D. program, 86 were accepted, and 30 enrolled. 365 students applied to the Masters program, 55 were accepted, and 21 enrolled.

Current UTCS Undergraduate students who are admitted to the 5-year integrated program should talk to one of the CS undergraduate advisors for information on applying to our masters program. The deadline is the same, but the application process is handled between the Undergraduate and Graduate CS Offices.