Admission: Admission decisions are based on a careful review of the applicant’s undergraduate record in computer science and other mathematical sciences, letters of recommendation, supplemental questions detailing the applicant’s computer experience (included as part of the online application), Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, personal statement, and résumé (required for the M.S. program in information systems). The general test of the GRE is required of all M.S. applicants. Ph.D. applicants must submit GRE general test scores; the computer science subject test is recommended. Applicants whose native language is not English and whose main language of undergraduate instruction was not English must submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores.

The minimum background for admission to the M.S. program consists of

1. Programming in high-level languages: Substantial experience programming in high-level languages, preferably including both imperative languages such as C and object-oriented languages such as C++ or Java.

2. Data structures and mathematics: Understanding and working knowledge of pointers, lists, stacks, queues, trees, arrays, and recursion; induction, order of magnitude growth, probability and elementary combinatorics, set notation.

3. Working familiarity with Windows and UNIX.

4. Knowledge of assembly language sufficient to understand self-modifying code.

Promising students who do not have this background may be conditionally admitted with the proviso that they complete the one-year preparatory course (PAC). Students without adequate mathematical training should take Discrete Mathematics, which is offered in the summer only.

In addition, applicants to the M.S. Program in Information Systems are expected to have at least two years of work experience in the software industry.

For more information, see the Web site at www.cs.nyu.edu/csweb/ Academic/Graduate.

 Back to Top