Admission Requirements

Application deadlines:

• June 1 for Fall
• November 15 for Spring

In addition to the criteria listed below, applicants must also meet general graduate admission requirements .

Entrance requirements include a good working knowledge of computer science and mathematics. Each applicant’s background will be assessed individually with respect to these skills, and specific requirements for making up deficiencies in preparation will be determined at an initial interview. The program requires the GRE test and, for applicants from countries where English is not the primary language, the TOEFL test.

The MS program is designed to accommodate students with a wide range of backgrounds. In particular, the undergraduate degree need not be in computer science. Students may make up deficiencies by taking specific undergraduate courses. A typical set of such recommended courses includes:

• CS 110 (a sequence of introductory programming courses)
• CS 210 (a sequence of introductory programming courses)
• CS 240 Programming in C
• CS 310 Advanced Data Structures and Algorithms
• CS 320 Applied Discrete Mathematics

Other undergraduate courses may be necessary, depending on the background and experience of the candidate. These courses are described in the Computer Science Information booklet available from the program office.

Graduate students who take undergraduate courses at UMass Boston to satisfy prerequisite course requirements must earn a B or better in each such course.