Please DO NOT staple, clip, bind, brad, or tie your application documents together. Since the documents will be imaged, our staff must take the time to remove all staples and clips, pull off all binders, and cut off all brads and ties, which will slow down the processing of your application. Make sure all documents are in one sealed envelope with your name listed on the application. Only send requested documents! Sending unnecessary documents will also slow down your application process. We appreciate your help in this matter.

Where should I apply?

All applications must be submitted online iformally through the Virginia Tech Graduate School's application process. The entire package comprises:

• Graduate School online application form, including the CS applicant information which is part of that form.
• Non-refundable application fee.
• Three letters of recommendation. These should be sent electronically using the on-line form to ensure that the letters are correctly matched to your application.
• Official GRE scores from ETS. The general exam is required. We encourage applicants to take the GRE CS subject exam.
• Official TOEFL scores from ETS for international students whose native language is not English and who have not earned a bachelor or master's degree from an anglophone univerisity (American, Canadian, British, or Australian). Departmental minimum scores are 550 (paper), 213 (computer), and 80 (internet).
• Two official sets of transcripts of undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) records. One of these must be sent to the graduate school and the other must be sent to the department. Any academic materials below college or university level will not be considered or evaluated. Please do not waste postage sending secondary or public school records.

What is the department address?

The answer to this depends on whether you are applying to the Blacksburg or Northern Virginia campus.  For application purposes, Blacksburg and the Northern Virginia Center (NVC) function as if they were two separate entities. Each campus processes its own applications; therefore, students must ensure that all application materials are sent to the correct campus for the program selected. If you are accepted to one campus, you cannot assume that you are also accepted at the other. If you want to re-direct your application to a different campus after it has been submitted, you will need to contact the Graduate School.

For Blacksburg applications, the address is:
Department of Computer Science
Knowledgeworks II
2202 Kraft Drive
Blacksburg, Virginia 24060

Phone: (540) 231-6932

For Northern Virginia applications, the address is:
Virginia Tech
Graduate Admissions Office
7054 Haycock Road
Falls Church, VA 22043

When should I apply?

To be considered for admission during a given semester, all application materials must reach Virginia Tech by the following dates: January 15 (for Fall semester) and September 15 (for Spring semester). Due to the high volume of applications received, it is strongly recommended that you apply well in advance. This is particularly true for international applicants and any applicant who desires financial assistance. To be competitive for fellowships/assistantships etc., applicants are strongly advised to apply by Dec 15 (for Fall semester). 

Can I upload unofficial copies of transcripts/test scores?

You are required to upload one copy  of your scanned official transcript from each institution where you have earned or will earn a degree.  Please do not mail your official transcripts to us.  For more information visit the Graduate School page at http://graduateschool.vt.edu/admissions/applying/index.html.

I was able to schedule my GRE/TOEFL exam only after the application deadline. What should I do?

You can submit all the remaining materials by the deadline and submit the scores after they arrive. We will continue to review applications as they become complete - so aim to schedule these exams as early as possible.

Can I track my application's review progress?

You can track your application's progress online once it has been submitted. The Graduate School will send you an e-mail with instructions for checking your application status. The CS Department is not able to respond to emails or phone calls regarding the status of applications.

My GRE score is __, my TOEFL score is __, my GPA is __. Can you assess my chances of admission?

We do not do pre-reviews of applications. We will evaluate your application material once you officially  apply via the Graduate School. The only sure-fire way to know if you will be admitted is to apply.

What are the minimum scores you will accept?

Under normal circumstances, your GPA must be at least 3.0 and your TOEFL score must be at least 550/213/79 (PBT/CBT/iBT; same as the university minimums). We do not advertise minimum GRE scores. It is important to note that these scores and grades are not the primary/only criteria we use for decisions. People with lower scores might be accepted and people with higher scores might be declined, because the main factor we are interested in is potential for success in research.

If I have multiple GRE scores, will you consider the best score? Or most recent score? If it is the best, will you consider the best of the total or best of individual scores?

It doesn't matter. The GRE is only one criterion used in admissions decisions. As the answer to the previous FAQ suggests, applicants with lower scores might be accepted and those with higher scores might be declined. You do not have to worry about your application being declined because we used the smaller GRE score.

Where should I furnish my letters of recommendation from? Academic professors? Supervisors from my industrial work experience? Other?

Request letters from people who can provide a detailed assessment of your capability to engage in graduate studies/research, i.e., those who have had ample opportunity to observe you in studies/work. Since we are a research oriented graduate program, we look for evidence of research ability in these letters. Ideally, you should request letters from your most recent academic program and perhaps one letter from your most recent work experience (if applicable).

How recent should letters of recommendation be?

Ideally, the letters should be no more than 2 years old. We will not categorically disregard older letters, but recent letters and letters from people who can directly attest to your research abilities will be given greater consideration.

What types of financial assistance are available?

The primary form of support available to incoming student include Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs) and fellowships. Sometimes, students might be offered Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs) by individual professors but these decisions are made the specific faculty members. When making decisions on offers of Graduate Teaching Assistantships, we do not take financial need or ability of students to support themselves into account. However, international students who are not given a Graduate Teaching Assistantship will not be offered admission unless they have completed a financial certification form indicating sufficient resources available to complete their degree requirements.

For more information on funding opportunities click here.

Which program should I apply to: M.S. or Ph.D.?

Applicants may apply to either the MS or  PhD programs. Qualified students wishing admission to the PhD program, without first completing an MS, are welcome to do so. Note however that the PhD program has some requirements that differentiate it from the MS program, including a PhD qualification process and a limit of two courses that can be taken in a given semester. For more information, see the graduate handbook.

I am interested in the M.S. program. Should I apply for the coursework/thesis option?

Graduate programs across the US are recognized for their contribution to research. We would like grad students to come here, participate in research projects, publish/disseminate their work, and become famous! :)  Doing a coursework option is available, but all other things being the same, research-track students have an edge over coursework students in admissions decisions. But before you check "thesis" on the admissions form, you would need to have a well developed idea of what area of computer science you plan to do research in, who you plan to work with, what your past projects have been, etc. so it is clear that you will be successful on the research track. Hence, letters from people who can attest to your independent/research abilities, any prior publication record, and your experience in independent/unstructured study projects are examples of things the admissions committee takes into account.

And of course there are lots of advantages to do the thesis option. For instance, you only need to do 21 course credits (7 courses) for the thesis option but 33 course credits (11 courses) for the coursework option. More information on these degree options are available in the graduate handbook.

Can I defer my admission to a future semester?

While requests for deferral of admission will be considered, it is department policy to grant these only for exceptional reasons. Requests for a second deferral will not be granted. To make a request you must contact the CS Department by email only at gradprog@cs.vt.edu, explain why you need a deferral, and specify the term to which you would like to be deferred. You will be notified by email of the decision. Prior funding offers are not automatically repeated if a deferral is granted.

I am currently enrolled as a graduate student in Department XYZ. How do I transfer from XYZ to Computer Science?

Transfers from another department into CS are evaluated just like a regular application to the CS department. First, complete and submit a change of graduate program request form (available from the Graduate School forms page). This will enable us to request your application file (GRE scores, transcripts, recommendation letters, and essentially all components of the original application) to be sent over from the graduate school to the CS department for evaluation.

It is department policy to approve transfers primarily for research-track students, i.e., either Masters thesis or Ph.D., and for whom a CS faculty member has agreed to serve as the thesis advisor.

Can you reconsider my declined application?

We are unable to reconsider an application that was declined. If you wish to re-apply, you will need to pay the application fee again and start the process over. However, the outcome will likely change only if there is a significant change in the information contained in the application.

Can my application fee be waived?

The CS department is not involved in making decisions regarding waivers of application fees. This is handled by the Graduate School.

 Any other tips?

A few.

• Email addresses: If you change your email address during the application process, be sure to inform both the Graduate School and the CS department. Normally all communications sent out to applicants will go to the address specified on the original application.
• Names: Because of differences in naming conventions among nations, it is essential that you clearly specify what you intend to be your last name (family or surname), middle, and first (given) name on all documents. It is also important that you be consistent in their use. If we cannot determine your name accurately in our records, your application materials could become separated, misfiled, or lost. For applicants from China, the most common problem results when the family and given names are switched somewhere during the process. For applicants from India, the most common problem results from inconsistent use of abbreviated forms of the name among various application documents.
• Financial certification/visa documents: All financial certification documents and any paper regarding immigration and visa issues should be sent to the Graduate School, not the CS Department. All questions regarding these issues should be directed to the Graduate School.