Each applicant must submit results of the GRE verbal, quantitative, and analytical reasoning tests. No subject area test is required. In addition, students who graduated from foreign undergraduate institutions (even from English-speaking countries) must submit a TOEFL score of at least 570. Stay tuned for more information about how UMBC will respond to the new GRE test, scheduled to take place in 1997.
Yes. Applications to the MS and PhD programs without GRE scores will be rejected. GRE scores are not required, however, for status as a Special Student (see below).
Admissions is a complex process in which we consider the entire application folder, including research potential, prior accomplishments, motivation, prior course work, GREs, communication skills, letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, character, and areas of research interest.
For admission as a degree-seeking student in the MS program, we expect each applicant to have completed the equivalent of our BS program in computer science. More specifically, we expect the successful applicant to have completed equivalents to each of the following eight courses:
If the applicant has completed almost all of these course but is missing a small number of these courses, the Department may admit the student with a condition that the student take the missing required courses. An applicant who has not completed substantially all of these courses will not be accepted as a degree-seeking student but is invited to take courses as a "Special Student" and to reapply after taking these courses.
A special student (as opposed to a degree-seeking student) is not in any degree-granting program. Special students may take courses for credit; however, there are significant restrictions on how many credit hours taken as a special student may transfer toward a degree program, if the student subsequently gains admission as a degree-seeking student. For details, see the catalog. To be admitted as a special student, there are two requirements: grade point average of at least 3.0, and--for students who graduate from foreign institutions--a TOEFL score of at least 550. GREs are not required for special students.
Support (as fellow, teaching assistant, or research assistant) is highly competitive. Your application for admission automatically puts you in consideration for all available support. You do not have to do anything else. You will be informed immediately if support becomes available. For fellowships and teaching assistantships, the top applicants are rank ordered. Although priority is given to PhD students, exceptionally well-qualified MS students may also receive support. If a position becomes available, it is offered to the highest-ranked applicant on the list. Research assistantships are selected by the sponsoring faculty member, from the pool of all current and admitted students. Exceptionally strong students who are seeking research assistantships are encouraged to contact the sponsoring faculty member directly by email.
No. The admissions committee will never see or even know about your application. The Graduate School witholds from the Department all applications submitted without the mandatory application fee. Every year, hundreds of applicants fail to understand this rule. In extreme hardship cases, the applicant may petition the Graduate School to waive the required fee. Such waivers are rarely granted. We understand that for some people a $40 application fee is a tremendous barrier. On the other hand, reviewing each application costs UMBC more than $40, and UMBC cannot provide unlimited charity for all people in the world.
To delay matriculation, you must submit a request in writing to the Graduate Director. Such requests are typically granted, but only once and only for up to one year. After one year, or on the second such request, a new application must be submitted, with an additional application fee.
33 credit hours are required. More specifically, this total must include
Since your folder already has many of the required admission materials you are not required to submit a new application. Instead it is sufficient to write a letter to the Graduate Program Director requesting that you wish to be reviewed for possible admission to the PhD program. You must, however, also submit the following items: new statement of purpose, and at least three new letters of recommendation from UMBC CMSC faculty. Preferably, these new letters should come from regular faculty who know you well, including your 693 advisor and any professors with whom you intend to work. In your new statement of purpose, you should explain why you wish to change status, and you should discuss what research you plan to undertake and with whom you intend to carry out this research.
There are approximately 10,000 undergraduate students and 2,000 graduate students. In Computer Science, there are approximately 700 undergraduate students, 100 MS students, and 40 PhD students. Approximately 40% of all graduate students are part-time.
The acronym UMBC stands for The University of Maryland Baltimore County. Founded in 1966, UMBC is a campus of the University of Maryland System specializing in science and technology. UMBC is located in Baltimore County, near Baltimore City, which accounts for its geographically-correct name. UMBC is a separate campus from UMAB (University of Maryland at Baltimore), located in Baltimore City. UMBC and UMAB share a common graduate school, known as The University of Maryland Graduate School, Baltimore. UMAB is the original campus of the University of Maryland system; currently it is best know for its medical and professional schools. UMBC is also separate from UMCP (University of Maryland College Park), located in College Park, inside the Washington D.C. beltway. Historically a land-grant agricultural school, UMCP is now a large comprehensive university, well known for its huge number of students, sports teams, and large classes. UMBC is entirely separate from the professional school UB (University of Baltimore), which is best known for its law and business schools.