Undergraduate Admissions

High School Preparation
In addition to general University admission requirements, pre-college preparation should include as many computer science courses as possible, and four years of high school mathematics, to include algebra, trigonometry and pre-calculus. Also recommended are physics and chemistry.

Admission Requirements
Admission to computer science courses varies according to course level and other departmental standards. However, students must have completed all prerequisite courses with a grade of at least a "C- ".

Lower Division Courses
Most 100 and 200 level courses (notable exceptions are CS 131, 132, 241, 242 and 281) are open on a first-come, first-served basis to all students who have the prerequisites. First preference for enrollment in CS 121, 131, 132, 241, 242, and 281 is given to students who have declared computer science as their major or minor. Students simply taking computer science courses to satisfy a general education symbolic system sequence should normally take CS 101, 201 and/or 207 instead of CS 131 and/or 132 as these latter two courses are normally reserved for students contemplating or intending to major or minor in computer science.

Upper Division Courses
Admission to 300-400 level courses requires successful completion of the prerequisites.

Major/Minor Status
Completed change of major forms along with college transcripts must be turned into the department when declaring computer science as a major or minor.

Special Degree Requirements
Refer to graduation requirements listed previously in the catalog by visiting here.

For further information, please visit: Undergraduate Admissions

Graduate Admissions

1. Application Materials and Deadline
Application deadline: None (rolling admissions). If you wish to receive a Teaching Assistantship for the academic year, your complete application packet must be received by March 15.

Instructions for applying to the Graduate School are in the Applying for Admissions section of the Graduate School web site: Graduate Admissions

2. Program Requirements for Admission
• The department will consider applicants who have completed two courses of calculus-level mathematics and two computer science courses equivalent in level to CS 131-132. Students who do not meet these requirements are advised to register with graduate non-degree status.

• Unless completed previously, the following prerequisite courses (or their equivalents) are required but do not count towards the graduate degree program. These prerequisites can be taken at the same time as required courses. Students lacking these prerequisites should plan for one more year of study in the program/

• Prerequisite courses: o Fundamentals of Computers (CS-131 and 132 or equivalent) o Data Structures (CS 241) o Programming Languages (CS 242) o Architecture (CS 281) o Algorithms (CS 332) o Operating Systems (CS 344) o Software Engineering (CS 346) o Calculus-level math (Math 152 and 153 or equivalent) o Discrete Mathematics (Math 225)

• Once admitted, CS-MS graduate degree students will have an opportunity to prove themselves while attending UM!

3. Full Admission Status
In order for a student to be granted full admission status, the students must meet the following conditions:

1. The student must have taken the general GRE exam, and we must have an official copy of the scores.
2. International applicants whose native language is not English, must take one of the following exams and have official scores sent to the Graduate School:
TOEFL scores of at least 580 (paper-based exam), at least 237 (computer-based exam) or at least 92 (internet-based exam); IELTS score of at least 7.0 or the MELAB score of at least 82. These minimum score requirements may be waived at the discretion of the Graduate Advisor and the ESL Supervisor.
3. The applicant must have completed all of the prerequisite courses (or equivalents) as specified in the catalog description of the program with a grade of B or better.

Prospective graduate students who do not qualify for FULL admission, are eligible for PROVISIONAL admission in accordance with the following policies:

1. International applicants whose test scores fail to meet the minimum for full admission will be required to register for ESL (English as a second language) course work at The University of Montana until they meet the minimum test requirements for full admission given above.
2. The student is expected to receive a B grade or better when taking prerequisites and ESL courses. When a student receives a grade of less than B in a prerequisite course or ESL course, the department will send a recommendation to the Graduate School to drop him/her from the program.
3. "Application of Candidacy" paperwork will not be approved until FULL admission status has been achieved.
4. The student will meet with the graduate advisor, and together they will make a plan of study to fulfill the requirements for full admission. The student is expected to follow the plan of study.
5. With the approval of the Graduate Advisor, the Department may accept more advanced courses in place of some of the prerequisites. A grade of B or better will be required in the more advanced course.
6. At the end of each semester, the Graduate Admissions Committee will review the status of each graduate student who is on provisional admission. When a student has met the conditions for full admission, the department will send a request to the Graduate School recommending full admission. If a student has not made satisfactory progress towards making up the deficiencies, the Graduate Admissions Committee may send a recommendation to the Graduate School to drop the student from the program.
7. All course work taken by CS-MS graduate students to fulfill prerequisites or degree requirements must be for a letter grade (i.e. courses cannot be taken for credit/no credit).
8. The Department of Computer Science will not accept a late drop petition from a CS-MS graduate student, except in an extreme hardship case.
9. At the discretion of the Graduate Advisor, assistantships may be granted to students provisionally admitted.

4. International Studies
International applicants whose native language is not English, must take one of the following exams and have official scores sent to the Graduate School:
•TOEFL scores of at least 580 (paper-based exam)
•A minimum of 237 (computer-based exam) or at least 92 (internet-based exam)
•IELTS score of at least 7.0 or the MELAB score of at least 82
These minimum score requirements may be waived at the discretion of the Graduate Advisor and the ESL Supervisor.

These requirements are in addition to the requirements for domestic graduate applicants.

International students should submit application materials at least six months before the term they wish to enter.
Please click here for International Student Admissions.

Teaching and Research Assistantships:
The Department of Computer Science offers a number of graduate teaching assistantships and research assistantships. Teaching assistants typically teach lower level courses and/or assist in upper division classes. Research assistants assist faculty with funded research projects.

To be considered as a candidate for either type of assistantship, a student should have a strong background in computer science (a B.S. degree in computer science or have completed most of the prerequisites or their equivalents). Teaching experience is also desirable for teaching assistants. International students must either have TOEFL scores of at least 580 (paper-based exam), at least 237 (computer-based exam) or at least 92 (internet-based exam); IELTS score of at least 7.0 or the MELAB score of at least 82.

In addition to their salaries, teaching assistants receive a tuition fee waiver (instate or out-of-state) and a waiver of the registration fee. Other fees charged by the University are not included in the TA fee waiver package. Teaching and research assistants are required to register for 9 credits each semester.

If you would like more information, contact:

Computer Science Department
The University of Montana
Social Sciences Building Room 401
Missoula, Montana 59812
Phone: (406) 243-2883
Email