Admission Requirements

Admission to the Master's Program

Students entering the Master's program in Computer Science are generally expected to have a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or closely related discipline, with a grade point average of 3.0 out of 4.0. Students with a grade point average of 2.75 can be considered for Conditional Admission. Students who have very little computer science background should apply to Kent State as a Post-undergraduate Student (see "Types of Admission to the Master's Program" below).

GRE is strongly recommended for admission and used as one of the criteria for financial aid consideration. International applicants must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), and receive a score of 550 or over on the written exam or 213 or over on the computer exam. IBT requires a minimum score of 79. The Test of Spoken English (TSE) is not required, but a good score on that test may increase a student's chance of obtaining financial aid.

A student entering the program must have the core components of an undergraduate computer science curriculum. In mathematics, students must have successfully completed course work equivalent to Discrete Mathematics (CS/MATH 31011), Calculus I (MATH 12002), Calculus II (MATH 12003), and Linear Algebra (MATH 21001). In computer science, students are required to have successfully completed coursework equivalent to Data Structures (CS 33001), one additional introductory programming course (CS 23021), Computer Architecture (CS 35101), Operating Systems (CS 33211), and Design & Analysis of Algorithms (CS 46101).

Types of Admission to the Master's Program

Students who meet all of these requirements are usually granted full admission into our Master's program. Full admission allows a student to take graduate courses toward a Master's degree, and qualifies the student to receive a graduate appointment (see Applying for Financial Aid).

Students who have met ALL BUT ONE OR TWO of these requirements, and who have a strong academic background, are sometimes granted a Conditional Admission after applying to our Master's program. A Conditional Admission admits them into the Master's program, subject to their completing the missing coursework (which does not count toward their Master's degree). However, students with a Conditional Admission can not receive a graduate appointment.

Students who have NOT MET MOST of these requirements might want to apply to Kent State as a Post-undergraduate Student, take these courses (and possibly their prerequisite courses as well), and then apply for admission to the Master's program at a later date. A post-undergraduate application form can be obtained through the Office of Admissions. (Post-undergraduate students should also see Choosing an Advisor and Advice for Post-Undergraduate Students.)