How to Apply
Fall 2027 Application Now Open
The Fall 2027 application is now open. Apply by the priority deadline of January 15 to be considered for all scholarships.
MSCS Program Eligibility
Prospective students to the master's in computer science program at USF must meet the following standards. If you have additional questions, please email ComputerScience@usfca.edu.
Bachelor's Degree
A bachelor's degree is required, preferably in CS or related field. The program accepts three-year bachelor's degrees from international applicants. There is no strict GPA requirement for admission. Applicants with a GPA of 3.0 or higher (on 4.0 scale) have more competitive applications and a higher chance of scholarship award.
Prerequisites
For applicants with a non-CS degree, you must demonstrate through prerequisites a high aptitude for CS coursework. Applicants that don’t meet these requirements are encouraged to apply to our three-year MSCS Bridge program.
Required Prerequisites:
- CS 110 High-Level Programming (e.g. C, Python)
- CS 112 Object-Oriented Programming (e.g. Java, C++, C#, Objective-C)
- CS 245 Data Structures and Algorithms
- CS 315 Computer Architecture or CS 326 Operating Systems
- MA 201 Linear Algebra and Probability
- MA 202 Discrete Math
Application Requirements
Please complete and/or upload all of the items listed below to your application account.
Transcript (Academic Record)
Upload a copy of an unofficial transcript from each university and college attended. Please ensure the institution’s name, your name, course titles, and grades are clearly visible on the document you upload. Transcripts from any schools and study abroad programs must be submitted since Bachelor's Degree institutions typically do not list transfer and study abroad courses with grades. If still enrolled in your Bachelor's program, submit a copy of your unofficial transcript showing in-progress courses. If admitted, an official transcript with proof of graduation is required.
Statement of Purpose
The statement of purpose is an essay that describes your background in computer science and software development. We encourage applicants to include in their statement:
- Significant software development projects, including your role and contributions.
- Research projects and any publications in which you have been involved.
- Professional experience, including leadership roles.
- Experience in public or community service projects.
- If you have low grades in your Bachelor's degree, explain why you believe you will be able to maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher in the program.
The statement should be one to two pages, single-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman font, and with one-inch margins. Essays that do not conform to these specifications will not be read.
Resume or CV
Your current resume or CV lists and describes your educational history, work or job history, coursework related to this graduate program, and any experiences relevant to your pursuit of graduate studies.
Letter of Recommendation
One letter of recommendation is required to complete your application. Additional letters are accepted, but they are not required. Recommenders may be academic (e.g., professors, research advisors) or professional (e.g., supervisors, managers). Academic letters should address your academic ability and readiness for graduate study; professional letters should highlight your relevant experience and potential for growth.
To request a letter, enter your recommender's contact information in the online application. This will trigger an email with upload instructions sent directly to them. You do not need to wait for your recommender to submit their letter before submitting your application
GRE (Optional)
The GRE general test is optional. USF school code for GRE is 4850.
International Applicants
There are additional items and instructions for international applicants.
English Language Exam
For international applicants, an English Language exam score is required. For more information on accepted test formats and exceptions please visit the English Language Proficiency page. USF school code for TOEFL is 4850.
Visa Application
International admitted students are encouraged to apply for a visa as soon as you receive your I-20. Students may need to try several times before successfully obtaining a visa, so we encourage students to try multiple times if necessary.
Work Eligibility
Most international students are able to work on-campus, and are eligible to work off-campus in the practicum option in the second academic year.
Additional Application Information
Admission Interview
Many, but not all, applicants are invited to interview. Those invited to interview complete an online technical interview with a member of our faculty. The interview consists of questions drawn from our prerequisite subjects, technical coding questions, and also serves as a chance for applicants to ask questions about the program.
Scholarships
All students, including international students, are considered for MSCS scholarships at time of admission review. No separate application is required for admission scholarship consideration.
Accelerated Path
The MSCS program can be completed in 1.5 years for qualified students. You can qualify by your interview performance, academic performance after the first semester of the program, and a character recommendation from faculty. You can indicate your interest in your application or if you have questions please email ComputerScience@usfca.edu.
Alternate Program
If you are unsure about your eligibility for the MSCS or Bridge program, please complete one application for which you feel the most qualified and indicate that you would like to be considered for the other program if qualified.
Notification of Admission Decision
Applicants are contacted about an admission decision approximately six weeks after the final application date or your submission date thereafter.
Application FAQs
Prerequisites
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It is feasible for students already in the United States to take some of our undergraduate CS courses as a visiting student. However, many of these courses have prerequisites and our undergraduate majors have registration priority. We cannot guarantee space in those courses, or admission into our program.
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For prerequisites, we only accept collegiate level courses verified through transcript. However, additional elective courses taken freely online at places like Coursera, Udacity, or EdX will help strengthen your application.
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Experience with web, script, and markup languages such as HTML, CSS, Javascript, MySQL, or PHP will help strengthen your application. However, they do not count as high-level or object-oriented programming languages for the required background.
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Applicants interested in switching programs must follow the same application procedure as everyone else. However, we will consider the courses you have already taken at another program in your application.
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No, as a general rule we do not offer transfer credits for graduate courses. This is a university-wide policy.
Application Requirements
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There is no strict GPA (grade point average) requirement for admission to the graduate program. However, applicants with a GPA of 3.0 or higher (on a scale of 4.0) will have more competitive applications and a higher chance of receiving a scholarship.
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Yes, you may still apply if you have a low GPA. Please address your GPA in your essay and provide an argument that, if admitted, you will be able to maintain the minimum 3.0 GPA necessary for our graduate program.
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International applicants must provide a TOEFL or IELTS score. The USF school code for the TOEFL and the GRE is 4850. See below for more details. The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) general exam is optional.
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Yes. For details on the waiver policy for TOEFL or IELTS scores, please see the International Students page (look for the "Exception Policy" listed under "Test Scores"). Please contact the Office of Graduate Admission for the College of Arts and Sciences for questions.
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No, you need at least one letter of recommendation. Applications missing this requirement will not be reviewed.
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Yes, you can send in a recommendation letter from a supervisor (but not colleague). However, we recommend at least one recommendation letter be from a professor if possible.
Application Process
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You can check the status of your application by logging into your online application account. You will also receive an email when an admission decision is posted.
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Submitted and completed applications are reviewed by the MSCS Admission Committee, which is chaired by the graduate director. The entire application is considered during review including transcripts, test scores, recommendation letter(s), the essay, etc. We typically begin reviewing applications after the priority deadline. During that time, it usually takes between four to six weeks for an admission decision to be made.
Unsubmitted or incomplete applications remain in the Office of Graduate Programs and are not reviewed until the application is complete.
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Yes, we will consider applications until the program is full and maintain a waitlist until mid-summer. Please note that international applicants should apply early so that there is ample time for the visa application process.
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No, only submitted and completed applications are reviewed for admission. Submitted but incomplete applications are not reviewed for admission. Please check your application status frequently, and please contact the Office of Graduate Admission for the College of Arts and Sciences for questions.
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Please contact the Office of Graduate Admission for the College of Arts and Sciences with application questions.