Computer Science Graduate Program FAQ

Admission requirements include a minimum 3.0/4.0 undergraduate grade point average. Applicants must have a Bachelor's degree in computer science, mathematics, engineering, and other related fields. Minimum requirements include knowledge of programming in a high-level language and data structures. Prior course work or experiences in database applications, software engineering, and operating systems are preferred.  Applicants who do not meet these criteria will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Please refer to the Graduate School admission policies for more information.

Applications for the Fall semester should be filed electronically with the WKU Graduate School by April 1st. Three letters of reference are required. Students whose first language is not English should also file a TOEFL score. Application details are available here. Further questions should be addressed to the Computer Science Program Coordinator, Dr. Guangming Xing.

The Computer Science graduate degree requires 30 credit hours for graduation. In addition, there is a WKU “Research Tool” requirement satisfied through CS 500. At least half of these 30 credit hours must be completed in 500-level courses. Students must maintain a 3.0 average throughout the program. Full details of graduation requirements are available here.

A thesis option is available for students who would like to undertake thesis research. If you are interested, you should contact a faculty member whose interests overlap with yours during your first semester at WKU.