This page contains instructions for applying to the UT Austin Department of Computer Science on-campus graduate program.

For general information about our graduate program, please visit our Prospective Students page.

For a list of Frequently Asked Questions, please see out our Admissions FAQ page.

Looking for application information for the online master’s programs? Visit the Computer & Data Science Online website

Applications for Fall 2024 are closed. Our application for Fall 2025 admission to our PhD and on-campus Masters programs will open October 15, 2024.

We expect to let students who are admitted to the PhD program know that they have been admitted by February 2024. Admitted Master's students will be notified by the end of March, though we hope to inform them sooner if we can. All admission decisions are emailed.

Fall 2024 Application deadline: December 15, 2023 (23:59 CST). Please use this checklist to ensure that you are submitting all the materials necessary. Note: For application to the Computer Science graduate program, you are required to submit the following materials via both the ApplyTexas and the CS Department Supplement applications. We recommend starting your application well in advance of the application deadline to ensure that you have sufficient time to submit all materials.

1) Submit via www.applytexas.org

  • Application for admission
  • Application fee
  • Transcripts (1) – Within 48 hours of the submission of your application, you will receive an email from the Graduate and International Admissions Center directing you to the MyStatus page where you will be asked to upload your transcripts.  Please do not mail these credentials.  For additional information regarding the submission of transcripts to UT-Austin, please see https://gradschool.utexas.edu/how-to-apply
  • Proof of Submission of Department Application: When you complete and submit your CS Department Supplement (outlined in Step 2) print the final submission page to a PDF and return to your MyStatus page to upload this as proof that you completed the Department Supplement. 
     

2) Submit via CS Department Supplement:

  • Statement of purpose - Approximately 2 pages describing your reasons for pursuing graduate study and academic and professional interests and goals. This may include events/experiences that prepared you for CS graduate study and how your interests complement the department's faculty and research.
  • Transcripts (2) - The department will not view the transcripts you upload to the MyStatus page; you must provide us with separate copies through the CS Department Supplement.
  • Three letters of reference – You must supply your references’ names and email addresses to the CS Department Supplement [this information is not downloaded from ApplyTexas]. After you provide their contact information, emails will be sent to your references with instructions on how to upload their letters. Letters should emphasize research experience and academic achievements, particularly in computer science. Your references should submit their letters by December 20, 2023 (17:00 CST) for full consideration.
  • (International students only) TOEFL or IELTS scores
  • Optional: GRE scores*, CV and up to three publications. CV should also include a scan of any aid award letter that has award details such as NSF, Fulbright, etc. If you provide GRE scores, you must also have an official score report sent to UT-Austin.

3) An official report of Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (optional for Fall 2024)*. Please request that ETS send official test scores to UT-Austin. (UT-Austin code 6882 – you do not need a departmental code).

4) An official score report for the TOEFL or IELTS (international students only)**. Scores must be sent to the university by the testing agency (self-reported scores are not accepted). The Educational Testing Service (ETS) institution code for UT Austin is 6882. There is no institutional code for the IELTS examination. To fulfill the requirement with scores from the IELTS, please use the IELTS electronic score delivery service to send your scores to the “University of Texas at Austin” account.

*As a temporary accommodation in response to COVID-19, the GRE requirement will be waived for all applicants for the Fall 2024 semester. Students may continue to submit official GRE scores for consideration, but they will not be required to do so. GRE scores when provided, will continue to serve as just one of the many factors considered in our review of a student’s application. Please take into consideration that providing GRE scores can bolster your application if there are aspects of your application that you feel may be not as competitive as others. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us and we can better assist you.

**International applicants who are from a qualifying country are exempt from this requirement. Additionally, applicants are exempt from the requirement if they possess a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. institution or a qualifying country. The requirement is not waived for applicants who have earned a master’s—but not a bachelor’s—degree from a similar institution.

We want to emphasize that all materials should be uploaded electronically. We will carefully dispose of any paper materials we receive, unless we have requested them.

We do not evaluate applications on a rolling basis. An application is evaluated on its own merits and in comparison to all the applications for a given year. Review typically begins in late December, with decisions made by early spring.