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.
Admission Requirements
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. Most decisions about admission are made by April 1 for Fall admission and November 1 for Spring admission.
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:
- The candidate will have completed a bachelor’s degree at a regionally-accredited university or four-year college.
- 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.
- All GRE general scores are required by the School of Computing and Information Science. We do not require the subject test in computer science, although it may be submitted if desired.
- International students will need to submit TOEFL (minimum 80), Duolingo (minimum 105), or Academic IELTS scores (with no score lower than 6.5 and a minimum average of 7.0).
Spring 2023 and Fall 2023 COVID-19 Exceptions and Revisions to the
Computer Science Graduate Program Admissions Requirements
Because of concerns arising from the COVID-19 public health crisis that began in early 2020, the requirements for GRE general scores have been waived for Spring 2023 and Fall 2023 admissions. English proficiency will be required for immigration purposes and may require that the student provide TOEFL/IELTS-Academic/or Duolingo scores.
In place of requiring the GRE general scores, successful applicants to the Computer Science graduate programs will be required 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:
- COS 125 – Introduction to Problem Solving Using Computer Programming
COS 225 – Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming and Design
COS 226 – Introduction to Data Structures (foundation) - COS 250 – Discrete Structures (foundation)
- COS 235 – Computer Architecture
COS 331 – Operating Systems (foundation) - One year of calculus OR a semester of calculus and a semester of linear algebra
- One semester of statistics.
The expected computer science preparation is captured by the three foundation courses: COS 226 – Introduction to Data Structures, 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 GRE and TOEFL (or Duolingo or Education IELTS) scores, we suggest that the student achieve scores representing the 65th percentile or higher in the GRE Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical sections. For international students, we require standardized tests for TOEFL (minimum 80), or Duolingo (minimum 105), or Education IELTS scores (with no score lower than 6.5 and a minimum average of 7.0).
For admission requirements in general, consult the Graduate Catalog > Admission.
Spring 2023 and Fall 2023 COVID-19 Exceptions and Revisions to the
Computer Science Graduate Program Admissions Requirements
Because of concerns arising from the COVID-19 public health crisis that began in early 2020, the requirements for GRE general scores are waived for Spring 2023 and Fall 2023 admissions. English proficiency will be required for immigration purposes and may require that the student provide TOEFL/IELTS-Academic/or Duolingo scores. See the full note above.
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 GRE’s (Graduate Record Exam)
- 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. (See details under Graduate Funding, Research Assistantship Opportunities).
Spring 2023 and Fall 2023 COVID-19 Exceptions and Revisions to the
Computer Science Graduate Program Admissions Requirements
Because of concerns arising from the COVID-19 public health crisis that began in early 2020, in place of standardized test scores, the UMaine Computer Science Graduate Program requires all successful graduate applicants 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.
Please provide your interviewer with your application materials in advance of your interview.
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).