Admission Requirements to the Graduate Programs in CSE

1. An undergraduate degree from a college or university of recognized standing is required with a B average or better for all work completed (i.e., a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale),
2. The applicant should have a good background in Computer Science or Computer Engineering. (The USC undergraduate courses corresponding to these requirements appear in brackets.)
   1. Two courses in programming with emphasis on structured programming and on elementary data structures [CSCE 145, 146]
   2. Computer Organization [CSCE 212]
   3. Introduction to analysis of algorithms [CSCE 350]
   4. Operating Systems [CSCE 311]
   5. Mathematical foundations: Discrete Mathematics [MATH 174], Calculus I and II [Math 141, 142],
   The applicant should provide details of this background information on the Graduate Admission Evaluation Form and provide transcripts of all academic work.
3. An official copy of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required. We expect international applicants to achieve scores of at least 500 on the Verbal section, 700 on the Quantitative section, and 600 on the Analytical section.
4. International applicants must attain a score of 570 or better on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
5. The student must supply two letters of recommendation, preferably from prior professors.

No application can be evaluated until the Department receives the above information, and a completed application form. Undergraduate and other relevant transcripts should be translated into English, if necessary. Electronic applications can be filled out at the URL http://www.gradschool.sc.edu/GSbasic/text/AdmissionApplication/FeaS_OnlineApplication.html .

Admission to Certificate Program in Information Assurance and Security : In addition to the admission requirements of The Graduate School, applicants for the graduate certificate program in information assurance and security are expected to have a baccalaureate degree in computer science, computer engineering, or a related field with at least a 3.00 GPA in the last 60 hours of study for the degree and a satisfactory GRE score. In addition, they must have completed courses in data structures and algorithms, operating systems, database management systems, discrete mathematics, linear algebra, and probability and statistics. Students enrolled in other graduate degree programs at USC are automatically eligible to pursue the certificate as long as they have taken the prerequisite courses.

Conditional Admission: An applicant who clearly has good potential for success in the graduate program but does not satisfy the computer science background requirements may be granted Conditional Admission. Conditionally admitted students will be required to complete a set of courses specified by the Graduate Director before they can petition for regular status. Students who have not yet taken the GRE will not be admitted in this category. After students complete the background requirements they will be granted regular admission status.

Non-degree Admission: Any student who has an undergraduate degree and can profit by taking graduate courses in Computer Science, but who does not intend to work towards an advanced degree in Computer Science, may be admitted by the graduate school as a non-degree candidate. Some restrictions apply to the courses one is allowed to register for while holding non-degree status. Also, there is a limit of two courses taken as a non-degree student that may be applied to a graduate degree. Clearance from the Graduate Director must be obtained prior to registration. This category is NOT available for international applicants.

Bachelor's/Master's Accelerated Program - Admission:
A combined B.S./M.S. or B.S./M.E. degree program is available to undergraduate students in computer science and engineering with 90 or more hours earned toward their baccalaureate degrees. Students accepted into this program must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.40 and at least 3.40 in the course work taken in computer science and engineering. Up to 9 credit hours above the 500 level may be applied toward both the B.S. and M.S. or M.E. degree requirements. The approval of the student's advisor and the graduate director is required. Questions about this program should be directed to the graduate director. The form for application to the accelerated program is available on the Graduate School Forms website under the link "Bachelor's/Master's Education Plan." Each semester courses that will be used in the program must be approved using the form "Bachelor's/Master's Accelerated Plan" on the same website.

Computer Science and Engineering Admission Links:

• Online Application to Graduate School
• Application Form for the Accelerated Masters Program
• Course Work Approval Form for the Accelerated Masters Program
• Graduate School Forms Website