Admissions

Declaring a major of B.S in Computer Science or B.E in Computer Engineering

Students contemplating a computer science or computer engineering career will need a solid background in mathematics and the physical sciences. Because mathematics is of such great importance, it is recommended that students choose as many courses as possible in these subjects while still in high school. High school students should also concentrate on perfecting their use of English in reading and writing. Students who meet all of the admission criteria for the Grove School of Engineering will generally be able to enter their intended program of Computer Science or Computer Engineering as freshmen directly after high school.

Prospective students who do not meet Grove School of Engineering criteria but are otherwise eligible for admission to City College may enter the College of Liberal Arts and Science (CLAS), and later apply for admission to the Grove School of Engineering after earning at least 24 college credits and meeting the other requirements listed below.  A student from another campus of the City University of New York, or from another college, may also apply for transfer to the Grove School of Engineering if he/she:

1.)  Satisfies all of the Grove School Engineering's freshman admissions requirements;
2.)  Achieved a minimum overall GPA of 2.7 in his/her college courses;
3.)  Achieved a minimum 2.5 GPA in college math and science courses, with none of these grades
      below C;
4.)  Passed two semesters of Calculus;
5.)  Demonstrated proficiency, evidenced by his/her transcript, in math and science; and
6.)  Completed 24 or more college-level credits.

Declaring a minor in Computer Science

Open to students with a minimum GPA of 2.7, who have passed Math 20100 and Math 20200 or 21200 with a grade of C or better and who have passed one of the following Science courses:  BIO 10100 or CHEM 10301 or PHYS 20700 with a grade of C or better.

Applying for M.S. in Computer Science

Here are some of the criteria we look for when evaluating your application. They are not a guarantee of acceptance or rejection, but should serve as a guideline: each case will be evaluated and judged individually. For instance, with the approval of the admissions committee, exceptional students can be admitted conditionally even if some of the prerequisites listed below are not satisfied. No member of the department is allowed to prescreen a potential applicant based on information such as a transcript or work resumé provided by email.

We cannot offer our masters students any financial support. The department may have a very limited number of lab assistant positions, and individual professors may occasionally hire students with grant funds. These positions are offered on a competitive basis, and their availability depends on a number of factors, and the amount is not enough to live on. So a prospective student needs to be prepared to cover the entire expense of education and living without relying on the possibility of the financial support given by the department.

We expect an applicant to the M.S. program in Computer Science to have completed a bachelors or comparable degree similar to our own B.S. in computer science degree. In particular, we expect a good background in mathematics (similar to calculus 1–3, probability and statistics, discrete mathematics and linear algebra) and a solid background in programming. You should be able to program in several programming languages and programming environments. You should also be able to pick up additional languages and systems as needed. We expect fundamental courses in algorithms, operating systems, software engineering, theory, programming language principles and computer architecture. We also expect several science courses, and a few advanced upper division electives.

If your grades are measured in the American system, we expect a GPA of 3.00 or better (on the 1-4 scale); if you graduated under a different system, we ask for a comparable undergraduate average. We recommend that you submit your scores for the Graduate Record Examination if you apply for M.S. in Computer Science program.

The choices for applicants interested in our M.S. in Computer Science program who do not have the equivalent of a B.S. in computer science are the following:

1)   complete a second undergraduate degree in computer science, or

2) complete the requisite computer science and mathematics courses in a computer science degree program as a non-matriculated student not in CCNY.

Our undergraduate curriculum can serve as a guide to the required courses in computer science and mathematics. The second option could be followed at several of the senior colleges within CUNY, but not at CCNY because Grove School of Engineering (GSoE) rules require students to be enrolled in regular engineering programs to take courses in the school, and the Computer Science Department is part of GSoE.

Since the masters program is relatively short, we discourage transfer of graduate courses from other institutions. The department will permit at most two courses to be transferred for M.S. in Computer Science. Course transfer requires the approval of the department chair and curriculum committee, who will check the appropriateness of the transfer based on documentation submitted by the student and information available on the web. No online course or work experience will be equated to our academic credit.

The M.S. program in Computer Science will admit domestic and international students for the Fall and Spring semesters. The minimum TOEFL/IELTS scores required is 533 (PBT), 73 (IBT) and 6 respectively. The deadline for Fall and Spring application is May 1st and November 1st respectively. International applicants must meet the minimum academic credentials defined by the Graduate Admissions Office. For instance, a three-year bachelor’s degree is not considered sufficient for graduate study at CCNY.

Note finally that we are handling daily duties as well as responding to inquiries about the admission requirements, almost all of which can be merely answered by carefully reading this content. Additional information required for application, tuition and fees, estimated living expenses, etc., can be found in the college’s website. Please curb your casual contact with the department.

Applying to the B.S. Program 

Admission to the undergraduate Computer Science program is administered centrally by the City College of New York. Please visit the City College Admissions Page.
Additional information on admission to the B.S. program can be found on the Grove School of Engineering, Office of Undergraduate Affairs Admissions page.

Applying to the M.S. in Computer Science Program

Admission to the graduate Computer Science program is handled by the City College of New York Office of Admissions. For details on graduate admission requirements and procedures, please visit the City College Admissions Page.

Applying to the M.S. in Computer Engineering Program

Admission to the graduate Computer Engineering program is handled by the City College of New York Office of Admissions. For details on graduate admission requirements and procedures, please visit the City College Admissions Page.

Applying to the Ph.D. Program

Admission to the Ph.D. Computer Science program is through the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. For details on admission requirements and procedures, please visit the Doctoral Program in Computer Science at the CUNY Graduate Center and the CUNY Graduate Center Admissions Page.