Graduate Admissions FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply?

What are the deadlines for the required admissions applications at The University of Texas at Austin?

IMPORTANT - You are strongly encouraged to apply early for your assigned UT EID. This EID is required when creating your Computer Sciences application.

FALL

ApplyTexas - December 1 to be sure you have your UTEID assigned in time to submit the departmental application.
CS Department – December 17
Letters of recommendation submitted to CS department application - December 31

Does the CS Department accept spring or summer applications?

No. The CS Department only accepts Fall applications.

Which GIAC application should I choose?

New to UT-Austin - Graduate Admissions
Former UT-Austin student - Graduate
Current or former non-CS student - Application to Another Graduate Major
5-year integrated – Graduate admissions and choose the 5-year program major (restricted to current UTCS undergrads)
Current CS masters students – none, submit only department application

Follow the instructions on how to apply to the university listed at: http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/admissions/howtous.html.

How do I obtain the UTEID required for the CS department application?

Complete and submit your ApplyTexas application . GIAC will send your UTEID by email a few days after you apply. The Graduate and International Admissions Center assigns the UTEID so, contact GIAC directly if you have any question about this or the ApplyTexas application. UT EID should be included in all correspondence to the department and university.

Please do not create another EID for yourself. Only the EID that will be sent to you in the email acknowledging receipt of your Apply Texas application will be linked to your academic record.

What documents do I need to submit for my application to the CS department?

ApplyTexas application required. The application fee, GRE and TOEFL scores, and transcripts are submitted here. You can upload the transcripts by going through the My Status page. My Status will say you need to upload a statement of purpose but this is not necessary.
CS department application required
Transcripts – If you are currently enrolled or about to enter a program at a university, list it on your Apply Texas and CS. Only transcripts from senior colleges attended need to be listed and uploaded, this includes 3 year Bachelor's degrees.
Tests: Tests must be taken before CS application Deadline. If test scores are not received from ETS by deadlines, write your test dates(s) on the Apply Texas and the CS Department applications. Institution code 6882. Department code is not needed.
- GRE – required
- A GRE Computer Science Subject Test - no longer offered after April 2013 but ETS will report scores through 2018 if you took this exam. Scores from a Subject Text in Engineering, Mathematics, or Physics may be substituted.
- TOEFL –Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System(IELTS) Required if your native country’s primary language is not English. Waived if you have a bachelor's from an accredited U.S. institution or other English-only speaking country. If you qualify for waiver enter ‘0’ on department application. See Graduate School's site on Test Scores. (Applicants whose scores have expired may still apply by submitting the previous scores. If admitted an new TOEFL might be requested.)
A statement of purpose - Approximately 2 pages describing reasons for pursuing graduate study and academic and professional interests and goals. Might include events/experiences that prepared you for CS graduate study and how your interests compliment our department's faculty and research. Not required for GIAC application, only for the CS department application.
Three letters of reference – Letters should emphasize research experience and academic achievements, particularly in computer science.
Optional materials that are accepted: Resume and up to three publications uploaded to the CS application. Resume scan should include a scan of any aid award letter that has the award details such as NSF, Fulbright, etc.

What are the requirements for scanning/uploading my transcripts to the department application?

Transcript must be official (incluldes 3 year Bachelor's degrees)
English translations required
Obliterate social security numbers
Include 1 scan of the grading information ("transcript key") if it isn't on the front of the transcript.
Do not submit ‘mark sheets’.
Must have proof of degree on transcript or on separate page.
Do not scan back of document to show Official stamps.
Shrink images to <= 5Mb
Check your scan before uploading. Is it legible?

How do I check the status of my GIAC and departmental application?

Check your GIAC status. Admissions decisions also post here. Check your CS application status

Do I need a degree in Computer Science to be admitted to the department?

No. It is beneficial though not required. Work experience is considered. The following UTCS undergraduate courses, or equivalent, are required as background. These requirements may be satisfied after admission to the program.

CS 345 Programming Languages or CS 375 Compilers
CS 429 Computer Organization & Architecture
CS 439 Introduction to Operating Systems
CS 353 Theory of Computation or CS 357 Algorithms or beginning Fall 2012 CS 378 Algorithms and Complexity also called CS 331 beginning Fall 2013

Scoring 90% or higher on the Computer Science Subject Test given by ETS also will satisfy the background requirements; however, the CS subject test was last given April 2013 and will no longer be offered by ETS. If you took it then ETS will report the scores through Spring 2018. Graduate level courses may not be used to satisfy background requirements. Please see the Undergraduate Course descriptions for more information.

May I apply for the Master’s program if I have an equivalent level of degree in Computer Science or a closely related field?

No. You should apply to the Ph.D. program.

What criteria are used to evaluate students for admission to the department?

The main criteria used to evaluate applicants for graduate study in CS: grades, test scores, computer science background, letters of reference, and a statement of purpose. We encourage applicants to provide a resume.

Why didn’t my recommender receive an email request to upload the letter of recommendation and/or how does the email to my recommenders work?

Be sure you submitted the CS application. An email is only sent out if you actually used the 'submit' button. Some email systems filter our email requests as spam/junk. Tell them to set the spam/junk filter to receive email from csadmis [at] cs [dot] utexas [dot] edu. Email requests to recommenders go out 24 hours after the CS application is submitted. An initial email and 2 reminders are sent to upload letters by December 31.

Are there minimum GRE and GPA scores required for admission?

There is no minimum GRE test score.

A grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or comparable grade point average in upper-division work (junior- and senior-level courses) and in any graduate work already completed.

If you feel that your grade point averages or test scores are not valid indicators of your ability, you should explain your concerns in your statement of purpose.

Are there minimum TOEFL Scores?

A score of 550 (paper test), 213 (computer-based test), or 79 (internet-based test) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) OR an overall band of 6.5 on the Academic Examination of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is considered the minimum acceptable for admission to The University of Texas at Austin.

Average scores for CS department admitted students are below.

Ph.D. program

TOEFL: 587 paper / 95 iBT with 26 reading, 21 listening, 24 speaking, and 25 writing.
IELTS: Band 7.

Masters program

TOEFL 627 paper / 108 iBT with 28 reading, 28 listening, 25 speaking, and 28 writing.
IELTS: Band 7.5.

Where should ETS send my test scores?

Request ETS to report official test scores to UT Austin (institution code: 6882). A department code is not needed.

When do I send in the Certification of Financial Responsibility?

This form is not required for our review. You may wait for the decision before uploading it to your GIAC application.

PhD applicants - You will need to upload the form with your personal information. The department will provide aid information to the International Office (I.O.) if you receive a financial award from our department.

Masters applicants - You will need to upload the form with proof of personal support if you are granted admission.

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