Program eligibility requirements
The Computer Science and Cybersecurity (CSC) department bases admission decisions on the applicant's prior academic work (especially in Computer Science), professional or other non-academic background and experience in Computer Science, and recommendation letters. The following three items are the minimum criteria for the CSC department to consider an applicant for potential admission. Meeting these requirements is not a guarantee of admission.
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related discipline from a regionally accredited institution with either a cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), or an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 in all Computer Science and Mathematics or related courses. Applicants without a formal degree in computer science should have completed coursework in the following topics: 1) Discrete mathematics 2) Problem solving using a modern programming language such as C, C++, or Java 3) Data structures (stacks, queues, trees, graphs, etc.), algorithms, and computation complexity 4) Object-oriented programming and design. Note: In rare circumstances, an applicant not meeting the GPA requirements might be considered if their other application materials are stellar (e.g., outstanding recommendations, excellent GRE scores, etc.)
- Two positive recommendations from people qualified to judge the applicant's ability for graduate studies
- English language proficiency or permanent resident status, documented/demonstrated in one of the following ways:
- Is a US citizen or permanent resident
- Has a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from an English-speaking institution in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand
- Has a minimum TOEFL score of 80 (Internet-based), or 550 (paper-based) achieved within 24 months of intended matriculation.
- Has an IELTS score of 6.5 or higher achieved within 24 months of intended matriculation.
Applicants must have an undergraduate degree in Computer Science or a related field. Applicants are expected, at a minimum, to have intermediate programming skills with a good knowledge of data structures and concomitant mathematical background. Applicants who do not have such a background will need to take remedial courses before being admitted to the program. This would be the equivalent of having completed ICS 140, 141, 232, 240, 340, 372, and MATH 215 in our undergraduate program (further work in Computer Science would be preferable).
Applicants lacking background in upper level computer science courses would be required, as a condition of admission, to take one or more following courses (will be indicated on the acceptance letter) with a grade of B- or better as part of their program study plans,
- ICS 440 Parallel and Distributed Algorithms (4 credits)
- ICS 460 Computer Networks and Security (4 credits)
- ICS 462 Operating Systems (4 credits)
Up to 8 credits of those 400-level courses may count as electives toward the 38 credits required to graduate.
Application instructions
Questions?
For questions about applying to the Computer Science PSM program, email graduate.studies@metrostate.edu (preferred) or call 651.793.1302.
Deadlines
Fall semester
June 15: United States applicants
May 1: Overseas international applicants
Spring semester
November 15: United States applicants
October 1: Overseas international applicants
There are no summer admissions. The CSC Department graduate program director will inform applicants of the admission decision for fall semester by July 1 and for spring semester by November 30.
Application file
A complete application file consists of two parts (three for international students). Begin the application process by first applying online using the online graduate application. All application materials become the property of Metropolitan State University and are not returned. All application materials must be received in the Graduate Studies Office by the application deadline, and will be made available to the MSCS Graduate Admissions Committee for review.
Part One - Apply Online
- Complete the Online Graduate Programs Application. You will use your Minnesota State StarID to complete the application.
- If you don't have a Minnesota State StarID, you will create one at the beginning of the application.
- If you encounter difficulty with the online application please email graduate.studies@metrostate.edu.
- Pay the non-refundable application fee online using the online application. The current fee of $20 is waived for graduates of Metropolitan State University.
- Submit official transcripts or transcript evaluation showing a baccalaureate degree or equivalent earned from an accredited institution with grade-point average or narrative description describing courses completed.
- Transcripts from ALL schools attended after high school and from any graduate or professional programs are required.
- All transcripts from non-U.S. schools must be evaluated (course-by-course) by:
- Educational Credential Evaluators (third-party website) (preferred)
- World Education Services (third-party website)
- Electronic transcripts (preferred) sent to graduate.studies@metrostate.edu
- Paper transcripts sent directly from the sending institution (preferred) to:
- Metropolitan State University
Attn: Graduate Admissions
700 East Seventh Street
Saint Paul MN 55106
Part two - upload remaining documents
Once you've applied online you can login to the Applicant Portal using your StarID and password and upload remaining documents and check on the status of your application. To be considered for admission you must provide:
- Two Letters of Recommendation (required); Upload
- From professional sources, at least one of which is a current or former college instructor, and at least one of which is a current or former work supervisor.
- Current Resume (required); Upload
- Documenting relevant work experience
- Purpose Essay (required); Upload
- Describing why you wish to enroll in the program
- Address why you feel you have the necessary background to succeed in the graduate program (for applicants without a computer science major)
- Official GRE Scores (recommended);
- General or Computer Science Test
- Send to Graduate Studies Office at address below
Part three - international students only
In addition to parts one and two, international applicants in the U.S. or abroad, on any type of visa, are required to provide this information for admission to the university.
- Proof of English proficiency (official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo score)
- Minimum scores: TOEFL 80 IBT, 213 CBT, 550 PBT, IELTS 6.5, or Duolingo 105-110
- IBT=internet based; CBT=computer based; PBT=paper based
- Financial statement (F1 visa only)
- Immunization records
- Copies of passport, visa, I-94, and international home address and phone numbers