Admissions

University Admission Requirements

A student applying to a master's program must:

• have earned a four-year bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a college or university that is accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting association, or do so within one academic year
• present unofficial transcripts from each college or university other than Illinois State at which graduate, undergraduate, or non-degree credit was earned. The unofficial transcript should be easily readable and clearly indicate degree(s) awarded, courses and course grades for each term. If accepted, official transcripts can be emailed from the university to GraduateAdmissions@IllinoisState.edu or mailed in a sealed envelope to: Illinois State University, Graduate School, 209 Hovey Hall, Campus Box 4040, Normal, IL 61790-4040.

International students can learn more about specific application requirements by visiting the Office of Admissions.

Additional Program Admission Requirements

To be considered for this program, you must meet the following requirements.

GPA

You must have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 on a 4.0 scale for either the last 60 hours of your undergraduate coursework or any previous work in a Master's program.

GRE

Submit your score from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Revised General Test. 

Admitted students typically meet or exceed Quantitative score of 155, and combined Verbal + Quantitative score of 315.

Computer Science MS GRE Waiver Petition
Applicants to the Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS) program at Illinois State University may petition to have the GRE requirement waived if they meet one of the following criteria:

• Successful completion of a Master’s degree from an accredited institution in any discipline. Applicants must hold a Master’s degree from an institution accredited by globally recognized bodies (e.g., AACSB, ABET, or equivalent), or have completed at least three graduate-level courses in a related field with a GPA of 3.5 or higher from accredited institutions in US.
• Demonstrated exceptional academic potential through significant scholarly contributions (such as peer-reviewed publications, academic awards, or presentations at major academic conferences) or professional accomplishments in fields related to information systems or computer science (including patents, software development, or significant project management roles). Interested applicants may petition for a waiver by completing the necessary form.

Approval for GRE waivers will be at the discretion of the Graduate Admissions Committee based on all available information regarding your potential success in the program.

Academic Background

This program requires an undergraduate degree in computer science or closely related areas. If you lack sufficient background, you will need to complete fundamental courses before enrolling in the MS Computer Science degree courses. 

Students lacking sufficient background should expect to complete some or all of the following fundamental courses with a grade of B or better before enrolling in MSCS: 

• IT 168: Structured Problem-solving Using The Computer 
• IT 179: Introduction to Data Structures 
• IT 180: C++ Programming 
• IT 225: Computer Organization 
• IT 279: Algorithms and Data Structures 
• IT 383: Principles of Operating Systems 
• IT 378: Database Processing 

English Proficiency Score (International Students Only)

International students must obtain a minimum TOEFL score of 94 (internet-based testing), IELTS of 7 or Duolingo of 115.

View English Proficiency details about acceptable documentation or English waiver guidelines.

Admission Dates and Deadlines

Graduate Coordinator