Our primary admissions criterion is our expectation regarding your ability to have a productive career as a research-track graduate student. We base this assessment on the academic record, proficiency in English speaking and writing, letters of recommendation, research experiences such as independent study projects, and prior internship/work experience. All of these are imperfect indicators of the real trait that we are interested in assessing, namely ability to succeed in research. If you have direct evidence, such as research publications in competitive conferences, or if your letter writers can speak to these abilities, that is considered more valuable than any score cutoffs.
Our department accepts students from a variety of backgrounds besides computer science, such as mathematics, many branches of engineering, physics, biology, and many art disciplines. We require a background equivalent to two years of undergraduate training in Computer Science, including at least:
an introductory course on programming and beginning data structures (typically referred to as CS2),
a sophomore or junior-level course in data structures (i.e., something that goes beyond the data structures content normally expected from a standard CS2 course), and
a course in operating systems.
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.
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 90 (internet).
Copy of transcripts of your undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) studies. You must upload a scanned copy of your official transcripts at the time you apply for admissions. If you are admitted to Virginia Tech, you must provide an official paper copy of your transcripts when you come to campus.