The Computer Science graduate program does not pre-screen applicants or offer individualized, pre-application counseling. CSC provides information on its website to enable prospective graduate students to assess their competitive potential for admission.
There are several issues to weigh when domestic prospects consider spring versus fall admission. New arrivals in spring miss out on essential components of their introductory experience within CSC and NC State. This places them at an immediate disadvantage with their peers. We also have some courses that follow a fall/spring sequence, and this puts spring enrollees out of sync with course progression. Furthermore, financial aid is usually of paramount importance to PhD applicants, and the CSC admissions committee considers departmental support only within the fall application cycle, not spring. Although opportunities arise later for continuing students to receive support, the competition for these is especially intense and the odds of success more remote.
October 16. However, you can open an account, begin preparing the application, uploading transcripts, and start sending recommendation requests any time before then.
Applicants to CSC's graduate program must meet the department's deadlines rather than the Graduate School's "priority" deadlines, in spite of what appears to be conflicting information between the two offices.
Yes, we admit many PhD applicants who lack master's degrees. However, we examine their application for evidence of research interests, aptitude, and experience, nonetheless. Naturally, these attributes are more readily demonstrated by applicants with prior graduate study. But some undergraduates may already show considerable research skills. If our admissions committee believes an applicant is prepared for graduate study but isn't quite ready for the doctoral program, we may recommend admission to the masters program instead.
Certainly. Many of our applicants are in their last undergraduate year. However, the transcript you upload should reflect at least three years of study, including grades and, preferably, whatever courses are in progress when you apply.
PhD applicants are welcome to contact faculty who might be a close match for their research interests. But note that many CSC faculty prefer to leave admissions and financial aid decisions up to the department's admissions committee. And please, don't e-mail our faculty with requests for support or advice.
Our graduate program doesn't conduct tours for prospective students. Instead, we host an annual recruiting event for top U.S. PhD candidates. This "invitation only" event provides promising doctoral applicants the opportunity to meet our faculty, spend significant time with current students, and familiarizes them with our campus and the greater Raleigh community. However, if you're planning a visit to NC State, you may want to email csc_gradadmissions@ncsu.edu once you know the date, since our program director would like to meet you if he's available.
A bachelor's degree in an unrelated field doesn't necessarily disqualify you from applying to our program. However, you may want to begin by asking yourself, "Is a graduate degree in computer science the logical or preferred path to achieving my goals?" After all, there are more efficient and less costly means to obtain knowledge and skills in a particular discipline without pursuing an advanced degree in it.
The critical consideration for admission is whether you've had sufficient computer science and math coursework, comparable to our Prerequisites for Study, to be successful in our program -- and of course, how well you did in those classes. The department's Computer Programming Certificate, offered via distance education, is generally considered to provide the necessary minimum background for those without a computer science/engineering degree. You should contact CSC's undergraduate advising office to learn about the CPC.
Individuals who've graduated from three year programs are at a distinct competitive disadvantage within our applicant pool because we have so many highly qualified candidates with traditional 4-year degrees. Also, if the institution is not in Europe or a Bologna Process participant, the applicant must provide the Graduate School with a transcript evaluation by an accepted international credential evaluation service. (A third-party evaluation is in addition to the university transcript, not in place of it.)
U.S. citizens and permanent residents may pursue PhD programs with us part-time. However, the department generally discourages this. Doctoral study represents a major commitment of time, money, and creative energy for student and faculty advisers alike. Based on the department's past experience, the odds that a doctoral student will complete and successfully defend a dissertation decline the fewer the hours enrolled. It doesn't mean part-timers don't complete, just that the outlook for doing so is noticeably less promising. Furthermore, there are requirements at NCSU for what is called "residence credit" for all PhD students, which specify full-time enrollment during a limited period. You may read more about this at http://www.ncsu.edu/grad/handbook/sections/3.15-registration-and-residence.html.
Name changes are a routine occurrence and present no real issue of concern. The Graduate School's online application form provides a field in which to enter previous names used. However, if the name used on a GRE or TOEFL test differs from your application, then it's likely to prevent automatic report matching, which usually occurs within five business days from the date the application is submitted. Concerns about test reporting should be directed either to Graduate School admissions (graduate_applications@ncsu.edu) if you suspect a name matching problem, or to the testing agency.
CSC doesn't set targets specifically for international admission, and the university doesn't limit or "cap" the number we can admit. Our overall admission rate for Fall 2012 was about 30 percent, down from about 38 percent the previous year, down from 45 percent the year before that. We expect it to decline further as long as our international applicant pool continues to grow.
There is no way to know about an admission decision short of simply awaiting notification from the Graduate School. Your account in the online application system provides indicators to show if test reports have been matched, if your references have submitted their recommendations, and whatever documents you uploaded. And you'll receive a reminder from the Computer Science department if you haven't completed its supplemental information form before the deadline.
Our non-thesis masters program (abbreviated either MR or MCS) is the default degree into which all the department's admitted MS in CS applicants are placed. Therefore, no change in your degree objective is necessary. Only if you were requesting to change the objective to our specialty master's, the MS in Computer Networking, would you need to have it changed on your application.
NC State University has a rule that prohibits awarding second master's degrees in the same field. However, you might be eligible to apply to the department's master of science in computer networking, our only specialty degree.
At the present time, we do not admit non-resident international applicants to our distance ed programs. However, U.S. citizens who are temporarily residing in foreign countries, such as deployed military personnel, may pursue the MCS-DE or MSCN-DE degrees. Contact Engineering Online to learn about the technical details and limitations to DE study abroad.
Anyone reapplying to CSC Graduate Programs must submit an entirely new application and pay a new fee. At present, there is no means within the online system to electronically duplicate and copy the data, recommendations, and other documents from a previous application to a new one.
The minimum GPA standard is applicable only where schools use the 4.0 GPA system common in the United States. Academic performance of applicants from other grading schemes is evaluated differently. When uploading your transcript, be sure to include the legend or page explaining the school's grading scheme.
There is no magic formula to compensate for a GPA below the minimum admission standard established by the Graduate School. Any exception requested by a department must be justified by citing concrete evidence from the applicant's record – major GPA of undergraduate and/or graduate coursework, references, GRE score, professional experience, etc. – as well as comments from our admissions committee. There are no guarantees, and we won't pre-screen you; we must have a complete, submitted application to make a decision.
You don't transfer, you apply to our graduate program just as anyone who's interested in NC State. And international students (i.e., non-immigrant visa holders) may only apply for fall terms. That said, it's possible you might transfer a portion of your graduate credits to NCSU. Consult the Graduate School Handbook to learn more about the rules governing transfer of credit.
The institution code 5496 is the only one needed to report scores to NC State University. ETS then electronically transmits test results to a central data system accessible to all departments here. So selecting a department code from the ETS department menu has no effect whatsoever on score reporting. Test results remain in the university's database indefinitely.
Strictly speaking, the Graduate School specifies that a TOEFL or IELTS test must be no older than 24 months prior to the beginning of the requested entry term. CSC generally considers tests that would expire within 60 days of the entry term as valid. Our past experience suggests the Graduate School would also accept this guideline, but you should contact its admissions office to determine if they would be more restrictive than CSC in any specific case.
We only consider the most recent GRE and TOEFL/IELTS test reported. Incidentally, no one who's required to prove English proficiency with a TOEFL or IELTS test should apply unless the scores satisfy the university's overall and sectional minimums.
The Master of Science (MS) is a research-oriented degree. The curriculum requires 31 graduate credits, including a maximum of six for thesis research. A student registered full time, nine (9) to twelve (12) credits per semester, can typically complete the required credits and thesis within two years. Non-thesis master's degrees, which require no research credits or the preparation of a thesis, are routinely completed within three semesters of full-time study.
Admitted applicants may defer enrollment for up to one year from their original entry term. Because June 15 is the deadline for paying enrollment deposits for fall entry, and August 1 is the deadline to request enrollment deferral, there is no advantage to asking for deferral far in advance of the deadlines. If you defer enrollment until spring, your deadline for paying the deposit becomes October 15. If you defer a full year to the next fall term, your deposit deadline becomes June 15 of that year. And if you've paid the enrollment deposit prior to deferral, then you must also request deferral of the deposit by notifying the Graduate School by September 1 of the year in which you were originally admitted. Otherwise, you'll forfeit the deposit.
To request enrollment deferral, send an email to the Computer Science graduate program at csc_gradadmissions@ncsu.edu, stating your full name, applicant ID#, and the term to which you want to defer enrollment.
Up to 12 credit hours of eligible graduate coursework taken through NDS with grades of B or better may count toward the degree. Keep in mind that the "clock" for completion time of your degree starts with the earliest semester from which courses are credited toward it.
This is a rare instance where the Graduate School policy on English proficiency doesn't directly address your question. Although you'd be classified a domestic applicant, if you studied in a country where the official language is not English, you'd need to pass the TOEFL or IELTS test, but only if your secondary education was also obtained abroad rather than domestically.
No. Everything – including the CSC supplemental information form – must be immediately available to us no later than the deadline date. Even test reports, which are usually auto-matched to the application within five business days, should really be ordered from ETS two or three weeks before you submit. And an application shouldn't be submitted unless everything is ready, period! On a related note ... There's considerable risk when an international prospect applies before taking the TOEFL or IELTS, because if they don't meet the university minimums, then CSC must deny admission outright and the applicant will have wasted their time and money.
No, only U.S. citizens and permanent residents (Green card holders) are classified as domestic applicants. This is true even if you've lived in the U.S. for years. If you are a non-immigrant here on a visa - work (H-1B), student (F-1) or any other type - you're not a permanent resident and would be classified as an international applicant at NC State. What's more, you may only apply to Computer Science grad programs for fall admission.
It's tempting, but don't do it. Enter your overall grade average on our supplemental form using your school's native grading scheme. Enter the number, and only that number – no explanatory information – to three significant figures. (The form also accepts text, if your school grades using only qualitative descriptors like "Excellent," "Above average," etc.) Then enter the grade scale on which your average is based in the next field, also to three significant figures.
As explained on our Application Procedure page, instructions and a link accessing the online supplemental form are included in an email message (subj: The Application Process) sent to every CSC applicant the instant they submit their application. It takes about two business days, though, before you can log into the system to complete it.
Every email sent to csc_gradadmissions@ncsu.edu goes to one person, the department's graduate admissions specialist, who scans every single message. If he knows the answers are found on searchable web pages, you'll keep getting canned responses. And rephrasing the question or making it more individual/particular doesn't change that. Besides, searching for information online is an essential skill every grad student should possess, especially one studying computer science.
It sounds as if you may have only very recently become "enrollment eligible," a status milestone we closely monitor on the university IT systems. If that's true, then sometime within the next few business days, CSC will email you with general introductory information, advising contacts, and program-specific guidance concerning registration. Carefully read this message, because it's the Help! you're seeking. By the way, it's also possible we sent it long ago, but you overlooked it in your inbox. (It's emailed to the address listed on your application.) Oh, and welcome to NC State; we look forward to meeting you!
There could be two possible things operating here. One may be that you've only very recently become "enrollment eligible," a status milestone we closely monitor on the university IT systems. If that's true, then sometime within the next few business days, CSC will email you with general introductory information, advising contacts, and program-specific guidance concerning registration. Carefully read this message, because it's only after we send it that we release your advising hold. (Releasing the hold first would be "putting the cart before the horse.") The other possibility is that we sent our introductory message and released your advising hold long ago, and what you have is a "cashier's hold." For that, you'll need to contact the Cashier's Office. Oh, and welcome to NC State; we look forward to meeting you!
Although we prefer recommendation letters be uploaded on letterhead, the crucial thing we notice - and actually flag it on applications - is when references originate from personal email accounts rather than organizational domains, because their source is immediately questionable.
Find yourself a different referee. This is a computer science program to which you're applying ... in the 21st century. How credible is a reference from someone who doesn't possess the knowledge or capability to submit an online recommendation?
We'll assume you've asked because you've seen CSC's deadlines, are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and just can't accept that we don't offer spring admission to international applicants. Well, we don't. You'll have to apply for fall if you're interested in the Computer Science graduate program at NC State.
The curricula for our distance track degrees (MCS-DE and MSCN-DE) are essentially identical to their on-campus counterparts. There's even the equivalent of a colloquia requirement, just like on-campus students, which is satisfied when DE students take CSC 600-601. See the MCS-DE and MSCN-DE web pages for more detail.
We recognize that professionals considering a return to academic life aren't as likely to have fresh contacts among academia, and so must rely on professional references. In those cases, it's even more important that your referees be qualified to assess your abilities. In other words, your references should be timely (active/recent relationships), relevant (CS/CE/IT professionals), and qualified (managers, not co-workers or friends/relatives). These factors lend credibility a long-forgotten professor can't convey, no matter how much s/he adored you. Our admissions committee are faculty themselves and can easily spot the difference.
By comparing the content or description of your particular undergraduate course against the course descriptions for our admission prerequisites. If you're still uncertain, you may wish to consult NCSU's undergraduate course equivalency calculator. An approach of last resort is to provide our course description to the instructor at your institution for an opinion concerning content equivalence.
Because NCSU's Graduate School receives more than 15,000 applications annually, the Computer Science department doesn't allow changes on its applications. If you made the mistake of submitting an incomplete application and want to change a referee who hasn't submitted his/her recommendation, you can do that yourself via your app account.
The Computer Science department reserves teaching assistantships (TAs) exclusively for PhDs. Research assistantships (RAs), on the other hand, are decided by faculty rather than the department. The majority of RAs (but not all) are PhD students. Fellowships are generally for PhD students. On the topic of financing your education, here are a few other things to keep in mind.
The cost of education at NC State is a bargain, even for out-of-state students.
Job opportunities for CSC students abound, both part-time during the school year and full-time in summers. Many are with top employers averaging $33 per hour. In fact, one summer of full-time employment can often cover one semester of tuition and living expenses.
CSC graduates averaged $93,000 per year salary (Fall 2012), and consistently report a 100 percent success rate securing employment. They also tell us student loans are quickly repaid.
The CSC graduate program wishes to see attested English translations of transcripts, not third party transcript evaluations. If your school registrar doesn't issue English translations and you must seek professional translation services, then you should upload copies of both the original language transcript and the certified translation. We wouldn't consider an application complete without these items.
We couldn't begin to answer this question without a complete application, but people rarely gain enough on a retake to warrant the effort and expense. Besides, CSC only considers the most recent test result anyway, so you risk losing ground on one or all three sections, which isn't uncommon when general GRE testers focus on one section more than the others.
Our GRE/TOEFL Requirements page explains the statistical averages. Kindly note that we don't offer individualized, pre-application counseling, and disregard any solicitations to that end.
The more immediate concern is whether we admit graduates of 3-year undergraduate programs (see related FAQ). So-called integrated programs of three undergraduate years, plus one to two graduate, do not result in a master's degree by NC State's standards. What you've earned is the equivalent of a bachelor's degree. Therefore, the university's policy concerning second master's degrees does not apply. And by convention, it also means we don't require evaluation of your credentials by an independent transcript evaluator.
CSC values applicants who respect its admission deadlines, policies, and procedures. And we draw an abundance of excellent prospects from around the globe who have no difficulty complying with them. If you have to ask for exceptions, exemptions or waivers, you've already undermined any impression you make as a suitable candidate.
You should direct this question to the Graduate School for a definitive answer, but generally speaking, in the absence of regional and/or ABET accreditation, it's unlikely the university would recognize a degree from that school.
Am I eligible to apply to your program and have a chance of being admitted?