| Admission deadlines: | Fall – January 15 |
| Spring – September 1 | |
| Summer - March 1 (non-F1 visa seeking applicants) | |
| Standardized test scores: | The GRE General Test is optional for all applicants. For applicants who want to submit scores, they must be submitted officially from ETS using the institutional code 5246. |
| The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the PTE Academic is required of all applicants except those who hold a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from a college or university in the United States or from an institution located in a country in which English is the official language, provided English was the language of instruction. Minimum scores: | |
| - Academic IELTS: an overall band score of 6.0 with no individual score below 5.0; applicants requesting funding consideration must have an overall band score of 7.0 with no individual score below 6.0; or | |
| - TOEFL: 550 on paper-based or 80 on Internet-based; applicants requesting funding consideration must have 600 on paper-based; or 100 on Internet-based; or | |
| - PTE Academic: 53; applicants requesting funding consideration must have 68. | |
| Recommendations required: | Two (2) recommendations required. If possible, one recommendation should be from your advisor at the institution from which you earned your highest degree. |
| Prior academic records: | Transcripts are required from all colleges and universities attended, whether or not credit was earned, the program was completed, or the credit appears as transfer credit on another transcript. Unofficial transcripts from all colleges and universities attended must be uploaded to your online application. Official transcripts are required only of applicants who are offered admission. |
| If academic records are in a language other than English, a copy in the original language and an English language translation must be uploaded. Transcript evaluations should not be uploaded. Applicants who have earned a degree from an Indian university are required to submit individual semester marksheets. | |
| Statement of purpose: | In an essay of 250 to 500 words, state your purpose in undertaking graduate study at The George Washington University; describe your academic objectives, research interests, and career plans; and discuss your related qualifications, including collegiate, professional, and community activities, and any other substantial accomplishments not already mentioned. |
| Additional requirements: | Bachelor's degree with a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 hours of coursework; two courses in mathematics beyond pre-calculus; one year of science with laboratory; courses in computer science using a structured language, discrete structures, data structures, and computer architecture. |
| All applicants should choose an area of focus that most closely matches their interests and note this on the online application. All applicants must submit a resumé or CV. | |
| International applicants only: | Please follow this link - https://graduate.admissions.gwu.edu/international-student-application-requirements - to review the International Applicant Information carefully for details on required documents, earlier deadlines for applicants requiring an I-20 or DS-2019 from GW, and English language requirements. |
For additional information about the admissions process visit the SEAS Admissions Frequently Asked Questions page.
Contact for questions:
engineering@gwu.edu
202-994-1802 (phone)
202-994-1651 (fax)
Hours: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday
The following requirements must be fulfilled: Thesis option—30 credits, including 9 credits in required courses and 15 credits in elective courses, and 6 credits in thesis. Non-thesis option—30 credits, including 9 credits in required courses and 21 credits in elective courses.
At least 24 of the 30 credits required for the degree must be taken at the 6000 level or above. As a rule, any course taken below the 6000 level must be a Computer Science (CSCI) course and must be eligible to be taken for graduate credit according to the course description in this Bulletin. Any course below the 6000 level must receive the prior written approval of the advisor.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| CSCI 6212 | Design and Analysis of Algorithms | |
| CSCI 6221 | Advanced Software Paradigms | |
| CSCI 6461 | Computer System Architecture | |
| Electives | ||
| Thesis students take 15 credits and non-thesis students take 21 credits in elective Computer Science (CSCI) courses offered for graduate credit. Unless a student’s admission letter states they are required to take CSCI 6010 and CSCI 6011, the student can take up to 6 of these credits in non-CSCI courses with the prior written approval of the advisor. Students who are required to take CSCI 6010 and CSCI 6011 cannot take any non-CSCI courses as part of their program requirements. Such students are strongly encouraged to take CSCI 6010 and CSCI 6011 in their first semester. | ||
| Thesis | ||
| Students pursuing the thesis option take the following courses, set up a thesis committee (see below) and defend the thesis. | ||
| CSCI 6998 | Thesis Research | |
| CSCI 6999 | Thesis Research | |
Master's Thesis Committee
- A master’s thesis committee must consist of at least three members (including the research advisor and any co-advisors).
- The committee must have a presiding chair who must be a regular full-time faculty member with a primary appointment in the Department of Computer Science. The committee chair may not be the student's research advisor or co-advisor.
- The committee must be approved by the chair of the Department of Computer Science.