Computer Science Graduate Degree Admission Requirements

The University of Maine Computer Science Graduate Degree Admission  Requirements  

The School of Computing and Information Science, in conjunction with the University of Maine  Graduate School, offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in  computer science. 

About Admissions to the UMaine CS graduate programs:  

For admission requirements in general, consult the Graduate Catalog > Admission. 

Consideration for admission to the Computer Science graduate program is given to highly-qualified  and motivated individuals on the basis of scholastic preparation and intellectual capacity.  Admission requirements are typically met by individuals with an undergraduate computer science  degree, although other applicants will also be considered. Applicants may also be admitted  provisionally who do not meet the requirements; such individuals will be required to take selected  undergraduate courses in addition to the regular required graduate course work. Application to  the program should be made as early as possible before the semester for which admission is  sought. 

In order to receive full consideration for possible admission and possible teaching assistantships beginning in the Fall 2024 term, we will need your completed application filed with the UMaine  Graduate School no later than January 15. 

While we do conduct rolling admissions, if you wish to receive full consideration for admission  (without financial support), you should have your completed application filed with the UMaine  Graduate School by March 15 for the upcoming Fall term, and by October 15 for the upcoming  Spring term. International students should be advised that there are additional steps to securing visas to study in the United States, and they have the responsibility for securing interviews with  their respective consulates and working with the UMaine Office of International Programs. 

Again, if you wish to have your application considered for financial support, the best time to  submit your application would be before January 15, for the following Fall term. 

About Financial Support:  

At UMaine, the admissions and financial support decisions are made separately. Unlike some  other universities where if you are admitted you are guaranteed support, UMaine first determines  admissions for our students, then a separate process is conducted to determine if you will receive  support. Admissions to the UMaine CS Graduate programs entitles you to enroll in our classes; it is  an assessment of your preparation and credentials. The decision about financial support is a  second step and should not be construed as a judgement on your application; it says more about  the limited resources of our university. 

Financial support is controlled by neither the Graduate Program Committee nor the Graduate  Program Coordinator. Support typically is made through one of two mechanisms: (1) Teaching  Assistantships which are technically issued by the Graduate School, and (2) Research  Assistantships which are offered by individual professors and research groups which may have  funding to support students.

Recommendations for Teaching Assistantships are made by the Office of the Director of the School  of Computing and Information Sciences. Typically, they make those assignments and decisions after a student is admitted for graduate studies. Those positions are limited. 

To receive full consideration for both admissions and for financial support, applicants should  submit their materials by January 15. 

Admission Requirements:  

Prospective students should consult the admissions section of this catalog for a complete list of  the requirements of the Graduate School. Admission requirements to the Computer Science  graduate program include: 

  1. The candidate will have completed a bachelor’s degree at a regionally-accredited university  or four-year college. 
  2. Successful applicants will usually have a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.5 (on a 4.0  scale). Normally, no applicant will be considered who has less than a 3.0 or less than a B  average in undergraduate computer science courses. 
  3. As of the Fall 2023 term, the requirement for GRE general scores are permanently waived. 4. International students will need to submit TOEFL (minimum 80), Duolingo (minimum 105),  or Academic IELTS scores (with no individual score lower than 6.5 and a minimum average  of 7.0). 

All successful applicants to the Computer Science graduate programs are requested to conduct  online live interviews with a member of the UMaine Computer Science faculty. Applicants should  seek interviews with faculty members whose research interests align with their individual goals  and interests. If the applicant does not have a preference, they may contact the UMaine Computer  Science Graduate Program Coordinator to arrange an interview. 

Students are expected to have completed the following courses or their equivalent at the time of  admission: 

  1. COS 125 – Introduction to Problem Solving Using Computer Programming
    COS 225 – Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming and Design
    COS 226 – Introduction to Data Structures and Algorithms (foundation) 
  1. COS 250 – Discrete Structures (foundation) 
  2. COS 235 – Computer Architecture
    COS 331 – Operating Systems (foundation) 
  1. One year of calculus OR a semester of calculus and a semester of linear algebra 5. One semester of statistics. 

The expected computer science preparation is captured by the three foundation courses: COS 226 – Introduction to Data Structures and Algorithms, COS 250 – Discrete Structures, and COS 331 – Operating Systems. The other computer science courses listed among the required preparation  are considered prerequisites for the three foundation courses. 

Students who are missing one or more of the computer science foundation courses or their  equivalent can only be considered for provisional admission. Students provisionally admitted may be eligible for placement into the curriculum waiving the prerequisite courses for which the  student demonstrates completion of equivalent courses or other preparation. All such waivers of  prerequisite courses must be approved by the Graduate Program Committee. Provisionally admitted students can qualify for financial aid, teaching assistantships, or research assistantships. A provisionally admitted student must complete the missing foundation courses with at least a B  grade before they can assume regular status in the program. 

Typical Minimum Standardized Test Scores:  

In response to applicants’ inquiries about TOEFL (or Duolingo or Education IELTS) scores, we  require that international students achieve standardized test scores for TOEFL (minimum 80), or Duolingo (minimum 105), or Education IELTS Academic scores (with no individual score lower than  6.5 and a minimum average of 7.0). 

For admission requirements in general, consult the Graduate Catalog > Admission. Application for Admission:  

For formal admission to the graduate program, applicants need to supply: 

  • Application 
  • Application Fee 
  • Personal statement, including academic and research interests 
  • Resume or CV, including citations of publications and other credentials 
  • Original Transcripts 
  • Original TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language or Duolingo or IELTS) international  students 
  • Three Letters of Recommendation 

We encourage all applicants to the doctoral (Ph.D.) program to explore possible collaboration with  UMaine Computer Science faculty through interviews and correspondence, in which they describe  their research interests, their background and experience in doing independent research, and their future goals. The successful student may recruit these faculty as their thesis advisor and work in  

their laboratories. (For other information about funding, see the UMaine Graduate School web page of prospective students on funding your degree). 

We highly encourage all applicants to Apply Online on the Graduate School website. Please note  that even though you enter details about people supplying reference letters and that the University will use its online services to accept the letters, it is up to you to compel reference  letters from those parties. For additional information, please see the Computer Science website,  the Graduate School website, or contact us (see Contact Information).