Apply to Computer Science
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If you decide this is the right fit for you, here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Apply early. Our scholarship deadline for incoming freshmen is Feb.1.
- Our application includes an essay. You can find the questions here. Practice your writing skills.
- Focus on your studies. Academic rigor is important.
Graduate Programs
Thank you for your interest in the graduate programs in the School of Computer Science at the University of Oklahoma!
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is one of the top comprehensive educational and research universities in the region and School of Computer Science (CS) at OU is among the best computer science programs in the region. The school has 20 full-time faculty members who have authored textbooks and published numerous papers. Our faculty is dedicated to excellence and innovation in teaching and research.
The school offers a flexible curriculum designed to provide students with an outstanding educational experience that offers many opportunities after graduation.
Graduate Students
Application is required:
OU Graduate College application - Apply here
The School of Computer Science does not offer or provide application fee waivers. All applications must be submitted with the required application fee. Requests for fee waivers cannot and will not be entertained or granted.
Any graduate academic interest in Information Technology should be directed to the OU School of Business and their Master’s in Information Technology/MIT, given that Information Technology/IT and Computer Science/CS are two wholly different academic and professional areas of study. IT focuses on the utilization of computers to work with data/information, while CS focuses on the computational/mathematical/algorithmic principles that are the basis of hardware, software, and computer functions. A strong background in mathematics (Calculus I & II, Discrete Mathematics or Discrete Computing Structures, Linear Algebra, & Applied Engineering Statistics) is required for Computer Science, but not for Information Technology.
*If a Master’s/M.S. degree in Computer Science or similar area has been earned outside of The University of Oklahoma…or…if a Doctoral/Ph.D. degree in Computer Science or similar area has been earned outside of The University of Oklahoma, a second or duplicate Master’s/M.S. degree or Doctoral/Ph.D. degree in Computer Science at The University of Oklahoma will not be permitted by The OU School of Computer Science or allowed per OU Graduate College policy.
Admission Requirements
Potential computer science graduate students are expected to have taken coursework equivalent to the following University of Oklahoma courses: Math 1823 Calculus I, Math 2423 Calculus II, Math 3333 Linear Algebra, Math 4753 Applied Statistical Methods, CS 2413 Data Structures, CS 2614 Computer Organization, CS 2813 Discrete Structures, CS 3113 Operating Systems and CS 3823 Theory of Computation.
*If a Master’s/M.S. degree in Computer Science or similar area has been earned outside of The University of Oklahoma…or…if a Doctoral/Ph.D. degree in Computer Science or similar area has been earned outside of The University of Oklahoma, a second or duplicate Master’s/M.S. degree or Doctoral/Ph.D. degree in Computer Science at The University of Oklahoma will not be permitted by The OU School of Computer Science or allowed per OU Graduate College policy.
Undergraduate Degree and Grade Point Average (GPA)
In order to be admitted to the graduate program in computer science, students must meet the following requirements of the university's Graduate College:
-The applicant must hold a bachelor's degree or the equivalent from an accredited college or university. For Doctoral/Ph.D. applicants, a Master of Science in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Computational Science is expected and strongly preferred. For Master’s/M.S. applicants, a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Computational Science is expected and strongly preferred.
*Note - The Master’s/M.S. degree with the OU School of Computer Science is not a terminal degree, as it can and will prepare the student for entry into the Doctoral/Ph.D. program. It is strongly encouraged that qualified graduate applicants with a Bachelor’s degree who are interested in the Doctoral/Ph.D. apply to the Master’s/M.S. degree so that success in graduate academic rigor can be demonstrated and rapport with faculty can be established to lead into future academic and assistantship opportunities. The Graduate Admission Requirements with respect to coursework stated above are applicable to all graduate admission routes. With respect to graduate assistantships, both Ph.D. and M.S., graduate assistantships are not and can not be assured or guaranteed, regardless of the degree or academic standing.
-The applicant must have earned at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale over the last 60 hours of letter-graded undergraduate work at an accredited college or university or, if at least 12 hours of letter-graded graduate work have been completed, have earned at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale on all graduate work.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
Copy of Transcript(s)
Applicants need to submit a copy of their transcripts from every college previously attended.
Copy of Degree Certificate(s)
English Proficiency
International students for whom English is a second language must submit official Test Of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores. A score of 550 on the paper version (PBT) or 213 on the computerized version (CPT) or 80 on the internet based version (IBT) is required for admission to the graduate program. Or, an official IELTS score of 6.5. IELTS is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP:IELTS Australia, and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. The original score report must be sent directly from the Educational Testing Service to the The University of Oklahoma Office of Admissions, and a copy of the report must be sent directly to the Department of Computer Science. For more information about the TOEFL, please visit the ETS website at http://www.ets.org. The TOEFL code for the University of Oklahoma is 6879 and for the School of Computer Science 0402.
The GRE General Exam
Effective Spring 2020: The GRE is no longer required, but it can be provided as evidence of potential success for PhD and MS applicants in CS.
Copy of Resume*
Letters of Recommendation*
Three letters of recommendation which evaluate the candidate's potential for success as a graduate student must be sent directly to the School of Computer Science. These must be original letters on letterhead, or a request may be sent directly to the recommender's email via the college application. Two of the three letters are preferred to be from professors.
Statement of Purpose*
Applicants must submit a summary, approximately 250 words, describing their goals, expectations and reasons for wanting to join the program.
*Specifically for Doctoral/Ph.D. student applicants, it is professionally encouraged and strongly expected that you list a minimum of one (1) but no more than a maximum of three (3) of current OU Computer Science faculty that you wish to be your Ph.D. dissertation advisor chairperson…and…it is also professionally encouraged and strongly expected that you list a minimum of one (1) but no more than a maximum of three (3) research areas in Computer Science that you wish to focus on. Having the listing of faculty match the listing of research areas should result in an in-depth matching of faculty with research areas. Current CS faculty can be found at - https://www.ou.edu/coe/cs/people/faculty. It is highly suggested that you have reached out to and received feedback from those 1 to 3 faculty you list to indicate your intent to work with them, as many faculty may indicate whether or not they are accepting new Doctoral students.
*NOTE: The Resume, Letters of Recommendation and Statement of Purpose can be submitted online on the Graduate College Application.
Degree Programs
Computer Science offers graduate degrees at the M.S. and Ph.D. levels.
*If a Master’s/M.S. degree in Computer Science or similar area has been earned outside of The University of Oklahoma…or…if a Doctoral/Ph.D. degree in Computer Science or similar area has been earned outside of The University of Oklahoma, a second or duplicate Master’s/M.S. degree or Doctoral/Ph.D. degree in Computer Science at The University of Oklahoma will not be permitted by The OU School of Computer Science or allowed per OU Graduate College policy.
The Master of Science degree is designed for those wishing to improve their professional competence or to prepare for work towards a doctoral degree. This degree program requires 24 semester hours of courses and 6 semester hours toward completion of a thesis. A non-thesis option requires 33 semester hours of courses. Students pursuing the non-thesis option must pass an oral comprehensive examination.
The doctoral degree program aims to prepare and develop professionals capable of conducting and directing research within the discipline of computer science. This degree program requires a minimum of three years of full-time study beyond the bachelor's degree. It requires a minimum of 45 hours of coursework and a minimum of 30 hours of dissertation research. The combined hours of coursework and dissertation research should be at least 90. Doctoral students are required to pass a general examination and a dissertation proposal defense before they successfully defend their dissertation.
Any graduate academic interest in Information Technology should be directed to the OU School of Business and their Master’s in Information Technology/MIT, given that Information Technology/IT and Computer Science/CS are two wholly different academic and professional areas of study. IT focuses on the utilization of computers to work with data/information, while CS focuses on the computational/mathematical/algorithmic principles that are the basis of hardware, software, and computer functions. A strong background in mathematics (Calculus I & II, Discrete Mathematics or Discrete Computing Structures, Linear Algebra, & Applied Engineering Statistics) is required for Computer Science, but not for Information Technology.
APPLICATIONS
Students applying to graduate school at the University of Oklahoma must complete an application with University's Graduate College.
The online application form for the Graduate College may be found here.
*If a Master’s/M.S. degree in Computer Science or similar area has been earned outside of The University of Oklahoma…or…if a Doctoral/Ph.D. degree in Computer Science or similar area has been earned outside of The University of Oklahoma, a second or duplicate Master’s/M.S. degree or Doctoral/Ph.D. degree in Computer Science at The University of Oklahoma will not be permitted by The OU School of Computer Science or allowed per OU Graduate College policy.
The School of Computer Science does not offer or provide application fee waivers. All applications must be submitted with the required application fee. Requests for fee waivers cannot and will not be entertained or granted.
Application Deadlines:
For all graduate applicants, applications will be accepted until:
MAY 15th for Fall (August) semester
OCTOBER 15th for Spring (January) semester
^Applications submitted after this date may be admitted-deferred to the following semester by the department.
We may accept applications for summer semester on a case-by-case basis.
Financial Aid
Financial support is not guaranteed to all admitted students. Financial support is allocated on a competitive basis by the Director of the School of Computer Science (for Graduate Teaching Assistantships) and by individual faculty with research awards (for Graduate Research Assistantships). Some students are made offers of financial support at the time of their admission. Others receive financial aid after one or two semesters. In addition to the School of Computer Science, other departments on campus may need qualified CS students to work for them.
For additional information on the Graduate College and University of Oklahoma requirements, please direct inquiries to:
Graduate College
University of Oklahoma
1000 Asp Ave., Room 127
Norman, OK 73019-0430
(405) 325-3811
gradinfo@ou.edu
ou.edu/gradcollege
University of Oklahoma
Office of Admissions
1000 Asp Ave., Room 127
Norman, OK 73019-4076
(405) 325-2252
admissions@ou.edu
ou.edu/gradcollege/admissions/apply
University of Oklahoma
Student Financial Center
1000 Asp Ave., Room 105
Norman, OK 73019-4071
(405) 325-9000
sfc@ou.edu
ou.edu/sfc/contact
