Applications for entrance into the Ph.D. Program in Computer Science can be made online only. The deadline for applications for the Fall semester is April 15th. (Note that the Program does not admit students to begin in other semesters.) In certain extreme situations, hard copies of applications may be considered. Please contact the Assistant Program Officer for information. For students applying to the Program in need of financial assistance from the Program, the deadline for a completed application is February 15th.

The Program’s Admissions Committee usually considers applications within two weeks of the February / April 15th deadlines.

Incomplete applications are returned for consideration for admission in the following academic year. Notification of the Committee's decision is usually issued within a few weeks of consideration.

Any individual seriously considering applying for entrance into the Ph.D. Program in Computer Science should obtain a copy of The Graduate Center Bulletin and The Graduate Center Student Handbook: both sources provide an excellent and comprehensive guide to Graduate School policy and services. These publications are available for pick-up at the Office of Admissions and the Office of the Registrar.

All interested individuals must submit the completed online application form and applicable fee to the Graduate Center Admissions Office. The application fee of $125 is nonrefundable. A check or money order payable to The Graduate Center is acceptable. Cash by mail is not accepted. Credit card payments will be accepted but the City University of New York implements a 2.65% service fee on all credit card transactions (see Bursar).

In addition to the usual application materials (a personal statement, official copies of all university transcripts, etc.), we present in this section some additional information:

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE)

GRE scores must be received for each applicant. Under the GRE’s current grading format, 700 is the minimum Quantitative score considered for admission. Verbal scores should be above the 50th percentile and a minimum score of 4.0 is required on the Analytical section. (Students with lower scores may be considered for admission – on a case by case basis.) Applicants are strongly recommended to submit scores for the Computer Science advanced area of the GRE in addition to the scores for the standard exam.

Background and whether a Masters degree required for admission?

Admission to the Program should be considered only by those individuals who have done exceptionally well in their previous university studies in Computer Science, Mathematics or related sciences. A Masters degree is not a 'formal' prerequisite for admission but is strongly recommended. Applicants who do not have an MS or MA degree in Computer Science (or a related field) should demonstrate exceptional promise and sufficient background for entrance in their applications. Specifically, entering students are expected to have a background (minimally at an undergraduate level) in the following areas:

• 1) Operating Systems
• 2) Fundamental Algorithms
• 3) Object-Oriented Programming
• 4) Databases
• 5) Discrete Mathematics
• 6) Computer Architecture
• 7) Theoretical Computation
• 8) Programming Languages
• 9) Probability

On rare occasion, students may be admitted with deficiencies in their backgrounds and will be required to take certain graduate or undergraduate courses to compensate. Graduate courses required to fulfill deficiencies may be included in the first thirty credits for the degree – if approved by the Program's Executive Officer – and the student achieves a minimum grade of B in the course.

The TOEFL Examination

Applicants who have completed their undergraduate course work in an institution where the language of instruction (during the duration of an applicant's study there) was any language other than English must also submit TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam scores.

Both written and spoken ease with the English language is a prerequisite for admission. On occasion, applicants may be contacted for an interview (in person or on the telephone) in order to gauge their facility with English.

Letters of Recommendation

All applicants to the Program must submit at least two (and preferably three) letters of recommendation from individuals expert in the realm of Computer Science and personally acquainted with the applicant's academic achievements. It is recommended that letters be submitted from academic faculty but in certain cases letters from business or industry will be considered appropriate.