Graduate Admissions FAQ

Admissions Requirements

Click here for a summary of admissions requirements.

For detailed information about your program’s application, such as required materials, prerequisite courses, and more, visit the following webpages:

Applied Data-Driven Methods

Learn More

Computer Science

Master's  Doctoral

Graduate Certificates

Learn More

Information Science

Master's  Doctoral

Library and Information Science

Master's  Doctoral

Telecommunicatons

Master's  Doctoral

Master of Data Science

The Master of Data Science admissions process is through Coursera and is different than all other SCI programs.

Learn More

A Guided Walk-through of the Application Process

Step 1: Explore Your Program and Resources

Step 2: Begin Your Application

Step 3: Provide Transcripts

Step 4: Prepare Supplemental Information

Step 5: Submit Your Application (And Prepare for What's Next)

General Inquiries

How do I apply to the School of Computing and Information?

If you are a prospective undergraduate student, please apply with the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid.

If you are a prospective graduate student seeking a graduate certificate, master’s degree, or PhD, access the GradCAS application here.

Can I visit the School of Computing and Information?

 

Monthly virtual information sessions are available to schedule here. Please contact the Graduate Admissions Manager, Jane Smith, with further questions about visiting.

GradCAS

How do I find my program in GradCAS?

Once you’ve created your GradCAS account, search for your degree subject (using keywords such as ‘computer’ or ‘library’) and include “Pittsburgh” in your search.  This will return University of Pittsburgh options, and from there, you can find the correct program.

Be sure to confirm the details of the program you want before adding it to your application.

How do I use GradCAS?

There are four sections to the GradCAS application: personal information, academic history, supporting information, and program materials. Simply fill out each section as prompted and submit the application once complete.

Technical and user support issues should be directed to the GradCAS Applicant Help Center.

Application Fee

How much is the application fee?

The application fee is $85.

Do current Pitt students have to pay the application fee?

Currently enrolled Pitt students are eligible for an application fee waiver. 

Do Pitt alums pay the application fee?

Alumni who have earned a degree or certificate from the University of Pittsburgh are eligible for an application fee waiver.

If I am not a Pitt student or alum, can I receive a fee waiver?

Each application fee plays an important part in our ability to ensure timely and accurate processing and review of applications. We expect applicants to submit a fee with their application unless otherwise directed.

How do I obtain a fee waiver?

Students may be eligible for a fee waiver by attending a Master's or PhD Information Session with the School of Computing and Information.

To qualify, students must register for the session in advance, the screen name in the session must match the registration, and you must attend the full session.

If you cannot attend an information session, contact the Graduate Admissions Manager, Jane Smith, to arrange an alternative.

How do I pay the application fee?

Follow instructions to pay by credit card when submitting your GradCAS application.

Deadlines

When is the deadline to apply?

Application Deadlines for Domestic Students

Degree Program	Fall Term	Spring Term	Summer Term
MS in Computer Science	February 15	September 15
PhD in Computer Science	January 15	September 15
PhD in Computational Modeling and Simulation	January 15
MS in Information Science	July 15	November 1	March 15
PhD in Information Science	January 15
MS in Intelligent Systems	January 15
PhD in Intelligent Systems	January 15
Master of Library and Information Science	July 15	December 15	April 15
Master of Library of Information Science Online*	July 15	December 15	April 15
PhD Library and Information Science	January 15
MS in Telecommunications	July 15	November 1	March 15
PhD in Information Science with a concentration in Telecommunications	January 15
CAS in Big Data Analytics	July 15	November 1	March 15
CAS in Information Science	July 15	November 1	March 15
Graduate Certificate in Information and Network Security	July 15	November 1	March 15
CAS in Telecommunications	July 15	November 1	March 15
Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity, Policy, and Law	July 15	November 1	March 15
Graduate Certificate in Applied Data Driven Methods (ADDM)	August 10

Application Deadlines for International Students to Ensure Timely Processing

Degree Program	Fall Term	Spring Term	Summer Term
MS in Computer Science	February 15	June 15
PhD in Computer Science	January 15	June 15
PhD in Computational Modeling and Simulation	January 15
MS in Information Science	February 15	June 15	December 15
PhD in Information Science	January 15
MS in Intelligent Systems	January 15
PhD in Intelligent Systems	January 15
Master of Library and Information Science	February 15	June 15	December 15
Master of Library of Information Science Online*	July 15	December 15	April 15
PhD Library and Information Science	January 15
MS in Telecommunications	February 15	June 15	December 15
PhD in Information Science with a concentration in Telecommunications	January 15

Deadline for International Students to Accept Offer of Admission

Fall	June 15
Spring	November 1
Summer	March 1

What if I miss the application deadline?

Preference is given to those who complete and submit their application by the deadline.

Applications received soon after the deadline may be reviewed. We cannot guarantee that we will review an application received after the deadline.

Applications received after the deadline may be deferred until the next available term.

If we are unable to process an application for the requested term and the applicant is otherwise admissible, we may offer admission to the next available term.

Note: To be considered for financial assistance applications must be received by: January 15 for Fall and Summer terms, June 15 for Spring term.

What if a supporting document arrives after a deadline?

You are responsible for ensuring your application is complete and that the required materials reach us by the above deadlines.  Supporting documents received after the deadline may not be included in the review of your application.

Can I make changes to my online application after it has been submitted?

You may email new/updated test scores, changes to your resume and/or a revised statement of purpose to sciadmit@pitt.edu. We cannot guarantee that updated documents will be considered during review of your application.

If I applied last year and was not admitted, can I reapply this year?

Yes. You must meet your application deadline, and all application materials must be provided again for the new application. This includes your resume, statement of purpose, test scores, transcripts, letters of recommendation, and the application fee.

If I am admitted to SCI, can I defer my admission to a later term?

Students who wish to defer should contact our admissions team at sciadmit@pitt.edu.

Financial Assistance

How do I apply for financial aid?

Domestic students can use the FAFSA to apply for state or federal aid. Please contact Office of Admissions and Financial Aid with questions about the FAFSA.

International students obtaining an F-1 visa to study in the United States are required to provide proof of funding for their education. Such proof can come in many forms – bank statements of personal funds, loans from within a student’s home country, funding by the student’s home government, etc. The Office of International Services will ask for this information after a student accepts their offer of admission.

Are there scholarships?

There are limited scholarships available to graduate students within the University of Pittsburgh. Scholarships offered by the university can be searched for through the university scholarship database, PittFund$Me, after receiving admission to your program.

Special award funds are available on a very limited basis—see SCI’s Tuition and Financial Aid Web page to determine eligibility and how to apply for these funds.

More scholarships may be offered by sources outside of the University of Pittsburgh; resources such as FastWeb, Appily, or Unigo can help to search for additional opportunities.

Applicants to the Applied Data-Driven Methods graduate certificate, who are based in southwestern PA, should fill out this questionnaire to see if they are eligible for a scholarship.

Are there assistantships or fellowships?

At the doctoral level, financial assistance is often offered through a graduate assistantship, and sometimes offered through a fellowship.

At the master’s level, funding through assistantships or fellowships is very rare, and should not be relied upon to fund a master’s degree. 

Tracking Application Status

How do I track the status of my application?

Once you complete your application, you will receive instructions from the University to set up a Pitt log-in, that you may use to access the HighPoint Campus Experience(CX) site.

Missing required documents are listed in To-Do list; please note due to processing delays this does not update in real time.

Once available, you can use this site to view your admissions decision and, if admitted, accept your offer.

How will I be notified if I am admitted?

You will receive your admissions decision directly, by email, from the School of Computing and Information.

When will I receive my admission decision?

The best estimate we can provide is that it can take 5-10 weeks following your application deadline to receive a decision.

This estimate may vary depending on the volume of applications received.

Master's Programs

How long does it take to complete a master's degree?

Students usually complete a master’s degree in 1-2 years of full-time study.

Once I begin a SCI master's program, can I switch to another SCI master's program?

Transferring between departments or programs is not guaranteed, but you may request to transfer to a different SCI program.

(Transfer requests for programs to which a student has already applied, been reviewed and did not receive admission to, will not be considered.)

Transfer requests are reviewed by the receiving department’s admissions committee: they will assess your original application materials, academic performance in previous institutions, and academic performance within your current SCI program. You may be asked to submit additional supplemental materials.

Can I transfer to a SCI master's program from another college/university?

You may apply to SCI’s master’s programs through the GradCAS application.

If accepted, graduate coursework which was not counted towards a completed graduate degree may be reviewed for transfer into your master’s program.  

PhD Programs

How long does it take to complete a PhD?

PhD program durations can vary by program, or due to chosen research, dissertation, or other factors.

Is it possible to work on a PhD degree part time?

PhD in Computer Science: You must complete 12 credits of foundational coursework within 4 terms, prior to taking the comprehensive examination for PhD candidacy.

PhD in Information Science: You can complete your degree through a combination of full-time and part-time study. Two terms of full-time study are required.

PhD in Telecommunications: You can complete your degree through a combination of full-time and part-time study. Three terms of full-time study are required.

PhD in Library and Information Science: You must complete one term of full-time study to meet residency.

PhD in Intelligent Systems: Defense of a research project for preliminary evaluation is preferred to be completed by the end of summer of the second year. Students who have not defended a research project by the end of their third fall term will be placed on provisional status.

Once I begin a SCI PhD program, can I switch to another SCI PhD program?

Transferring between departments or programs is not guaranteed, but you may request to transfer to a different SCI program.

(Transfer requests for programs to which a student has already applied, been reviewed and did not receive admission to, will not be considered.)

Transfer requests are reviewed by the receiving department’s admissions committee: they will assess your original application materials, academic performance in previous institutions, and academic performance within your current SCI program. You may be asked to submit additional supplemental materials.

Can I transfer into a PhD program from another college/university?

You may apply to SCI’s PhD programs through the GradCAS application.

If accepted, graduate coursework which was not counted towards a completed graduate degree may be reviewed for transfer into your PhD program. 

If I am admitted to a PhD program, can I defer admission?

This can only be approved by your assigned academic advisor and the doctoral program chair. Please contact your advisor, chair of your doctoral program, and sciadmit@pitt.edu.

Please note: an approved deferral of admission does not guarantee a carry-over of funding; you will be subject to a new funding review for the term to which you defer.

Test Scores

Is the GRE required?

Use of the GRE in application review varies by program within SCI. All graduate programs consider the GRE as either optional, or not required.

GRE Optional is used by graduate programs that will consider the GRE as part of an application, if it is provided.

GRE Not Required is used by graduate programs that will not consider the GRE as part of an application.

Is an English Language Proficiency test (TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo) required?

International students from countries whose official language is not English must submit an English language proficiency examination. You can take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), the IELTS (International English Language Testing System), or the Duolingo English Test.

Is an English Language Proficiency exam required if I received a bachelor's or master's degree from an insitution in the United States?

Waivers of this requirement are ultimately granted by your program’s department:

Computer Science: The test will be waived if the applicant has or will have a bachelor’s or master’s degree from the U.S. or a country whose official language is English. Please note: the degree must be from an institution WITHIN that country (not a satellite campus that is within a non-English speaking country). 

Information Science, Telecommunications, and Graduate Certificates: The test will be waived if the applicant has/will have a bachelor’s or master’s degree wholly completed within the U.S. or another country whose official language is English.

Library and Information Science: The test will be waived if the applicant has/will have a bachelor’s or master’s degree wholly completed within the U.S. or another country whose official language is English.

Intelligent Systems: The test will be waived if the applicant has or will have a bachelor’s or master’s degree from the U.S. or a country whose official language is English. Please note: the degree must be from an institution WITHIN that country (not a satellite campus that is within a non-English speaking country). 

What English language Tests Score do I need?

Minimum required scores for admission are indexed in this table. Applicants with scores below the minimum are ineligible for admission, regardless of the overall strength their application.

The University of Pittsburgh may require additional English Language coursework upon enrollment to the university. A chart of English Language Proficiency examination scores and ESL course placement is available on the Department of Linguistics webpage.

How do I provide a test score?

All test scores must be uploaded as a PDF document to your GradCAS application. If the scores are not uploaded by the time you apply, you will send test score PDFs sciadmit@pitt.edu.

If a test is required, your application will not be complete until you provide test scores to the school.

Do you require an official score report from the testing agency?

You may attach a PDF copy of your score report to your application for admission.

Upon admission to your program, an official report must be sent to the School of Computing and Information directly from the testing agency.

What are GRE and TOEFL institution codes?

GRE Codes

Institution code: 2927

CS code: 0407

IS code: 0404

LIS code: 4701

Other code: 5199

TOEFL Codes

Institution code: 2927

CS code: 78

LIS code: 90

Other code: 99

May I submit expired TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo test scores?

TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo scores must be no more than two years old. We will not accept an expired score.

I plan to take a test; however, my score will not be available until after the application deadline. What should I do?

We suggest that you take any required tests before December. Score reports for December tests do not arrive until January, taking a test in December may cause a delay in the review of your application.

What scores should I enter if I have taken the GRE test more than once?

Please enter the scores from your most recent test. The PDF score report you upload to GradCAS should show all your scores for the committee to review.

Academic History

I have a three-year bachelor's degree from an institution outside of the U.S. Am I eligible for admission?

This may be determined by the School of Computing and Information on a case-by-case basis. Please contact sciadmit@pitt.edu.

It may be requested that you provide an evaluation of your transcript from this degree from an international transcript evaluation service—please note the cost of an evaluation would be your responsibility.

If it is determined that your degree is not equivalent to a four-year bachelor’s degree in the U.S., please speak with sciadmit@pitt.edu for recommendations to reach eligibility for our degrees.

I am in an accelerated bachelor + master's degree program. Do I put this in the Undergraduate or Graduate section of Colleges/Universities in GradCAS?

Please enter this in both the Undergraduate and Graduate sections of GradCAS.

How should I enter my GPA and College/University Point System in GradCAS?

Please enter your GPA exactly as reported by your College/University. Do not round or convert your GPA.

My fall semester grades are not on my transcript; is this okay?

That is okay. If you are admitted, you will be required to send us a final transcript with your final grades.

Should I send transcripts when I apply?

You may upload digital or scanned copies of your transcripts to your GradCAS application from all prior academic institutions, regardless of whether you completed a degree there.

When do I have my official transcripts sent to you?

If you are admitted to SCI and accept your admission offer, you must have official transcripts issued to us directly by the academic institution.

For most, official transcripts may be issued to us digitally by the universities Registrar’s Office, Bursar’s Office, or Student Records Office.

In rarer cases, institutions may issue only one official transcript, or will only issue transcripts to you. In this case, please bring the original transcript with you to the SCI records office - we will make copies to verify and return them to you.

Are translations of my transcript required?

If your transcript is in a language other than English, it must be translated by a legitimate translation service. Self-translated records are not accepted.

Where do I mail my transcripts?

At the time you apply, you are only required to provide a digital or scanned copy of your transcripts.

If you cannot upload a digital transcript, you may send your official transcripts to:

SCI Records Office
Information Sciences Building, Fifth Floor
University of Pittsburgh
School of Computing and Information
135 North Bellefield Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA, 15260

Is a Transcript Evaluation required?

Transcript evaluations are only required upon request.

The School of Computing and Information evaluates all transcripts from institutions outside of the United States for equivalency. In some cases, we may be unfamiliar with the university or university system.

In these cases, we may request a formal evaluation of a transcript, the cost of which is the applicant's responsibility.

Resume and Statement of Purpose

If I am applying to more than one program, can I use the same Statement of Purpose for both applications?

Please provide a Statement of Purpose for each program.

I have already uploaded my Resume/Statement of Purpose, but I have made revisions. What should I do?

You may email a new or revised resume and/or statement of purpose to sciadmit@pitt.edu. We cannot guarantee that updated documents will be considered during review of your application.

Letters of Recommendation

How should my recommenders provide my letter of recommendation?

After adding them as recommenders on GradCAS, your recommenders should follow the prompts and instructions to submit your letter to your GradCAS application by the provided due date. 

My recommender has not submitted my letter and the deadline is approaching/has passed. What should I do?

You may return to the recommendation section of your GradCAS application to update your recommender's information, extend their due date, or resend their letter request.

It is your responsibility to ensure that application requirements are received by the application deadline.

Can I add, update, or change a recommender after I've submitted my GradCAS application?

Yes, you can make changes to your recommenders in GradCAS even after your application is submitted.

May I submit more than the required number of letters of recommendation?

GradCAS provides space to submit one additional letter beyond the required number for your program. Please do not submit more than the required number for your program + 1.

Who should I ask to write letters of recommendation for me?

Recommenders should know you relatively well and be able to evaluate the quality of your previous work, be it academic or professional. Letters that are simple character references do not provide strong support for an application.

For PhD applicants, we are highly interested in your ability to do independent research. You should select recommenders that can best speak to your research experience. Professors who have worked with you in an academic context are a good choice.  Employers are sometimes appropriate.

Supplemental Information

I have a paper that has not been submitted for publication or was not accepted for publication, but I would still like the committee to consider it. Should I provide it here?

Yes. Published papers are viewed more favorably in the admissions process, but unfinished or unpublished papers are considered.

I've been notified that a paper has been accepted for publication. How can I update this information?

Please send a copy to sciadmit@pitt.edu.