Graduate Admissions Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

GRE

If you are applying for the PhD or MS programs, you are required to submit GRE scores. If you gave our institutional code when you took the exam, we will have access to your scores directly from ETS. If you did not give our institution code and intend to send us an unofficial copy of your scores, they must be sent directly to the department and not to Graduate School. Initially, we will accept copies sent by you. However, once you have been admitted and have indicated your intention to matriculate, we will then require that official GRE scores be sent to us.

GRE scores are just one factor when we review files. A high GRE score will not automatically admit you to our program nor will a very low GRE score automatically cause your application to be rejected. However, we do expect to see scores in the upper percentile.

There are no minimum GRE scores.

TOEFL, MELAB, IELTS

The TOEFL is required by the University and the guidelines for what is acceptable can be found at the Graduate School’s TOEFL information page.

Graduate Record Exam and TOEFL Codes

Letters of Recommendation

We require three letters of recommendation from people who can speak to your ability to do graduate level work and research. We will not accept hard copies. We require that you include the name and email address of each of your recommenders in the space provided on the Computer Science application. Do NOT include them on the Graduate School Apply Yourself application.

Assistantships

The department has a limited number of assistantships available to new PhD students. These are awarded to top students with demonstrated research interests. These awards are made separately from admissions and students are usually notified late February or early March. Numerous email solicitations to Computer Science faculty and faculty in other departments will jeopardize your chances for departmental support.

Costs

The tuition and fees for next year are not yet set, but you can view the costs for this year.

• Graduate School tuition rates
• Estimated Cost of Attendance

How many new students are admitted?

We expect to enroll about 75-80 new students each year. We receive between 800 and 1000 applications each year and admit a sufficient number to meet our enrollment goal. For more details about the application/admissions/enrollment numbers, please see the Graduates School’s statistics.

International Student Information

International students have unique questions and concerns. The University of Minnesota has an excellent source for answers and help in our International Student and Scholars Services Office (ISSS). Please visit their web site for more information as a prospective student and as a newly admitted student.

These are just a few common questions that many applicants are concerned about. This site will be continually updated with new questions and answers so check back. If your question is not answered, please email .