The 5-Year program provides a streamlined path for qualified UConn undergraduates in CS, CSE, or CompE to earn the M.S. in Computer Science. Students can begin graduate coursework while completing their undergraduate degree and apply up to 12 credits toward both degrees.

Admissions

Who may apply:

• Students in the 5-Year program must be current UConn undergraduates in CS, CSE, or CompE during their senior year.

Admission criteria:

• Applicants must have earned at least 86 credits, qualifying them for senior classification.
• Applicants must have either a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, a GPA of at least 3.0 across the last two undergraduate years, or exceptional academic performance with a GPA of 3.5 or higher in the final undergraduate year.
• Applicants who have taken graduate coursework prior to admission must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 across all graduate coursework.

Timeline and Teaching Assistantship option:

• Fall admission applications are accepted through April 15, and admission and Teaching Assistantship decisions are issued by the end of the spring semester.
• Students may apply for departmental Teaching Assistantships, which include a tuition waiver and stipend, at the same time they submit the Graduate School application. The Teaching Assistantship Application Form is available on the School of Computing’s Graduate Forms page.

GRE policy:

• Students applying through the 5-Year B.S./M.S. track are not required to submit GRE scores for admission to the M.S. in Computer Science program.

Academic Pathway

The 5-Year program uses the standard M.S. in Computer Science degree, with some administrative adjustments. Admission is handled directly by a School of Computing faculty committee based on the criteria above, and advisory committees are assigned by the department. Most students follow the Plan B (coursework-only) option, but students who establish a research relationship with a faculty advisor may pursue the Plan A (thesis) option. For more details on Plan A and Plan B requirements, see the M.S. in Computer Science page.

Double-counting of graduate coursework:

• Students may apply up to 12 credits of traditional CSE graduate courses (numbered 5000–6000) toward both the B.S. and the M.S. in Computer Science degrees, which reduces the number of post-B.S. credits required to complete the M.S. degree to as few as 18.
• Students taking a course that is cross-listed at the graduate and undergraduate levels must register for the graduate course number if they wish to count the course toward both degrees.

Funding

• Students admitted to the 5-Year program may be considered for departmental Teaching Assistantships during their graduate year or years, which provide both a tuition waiver and a stipend.
• Information and the application form are available on the Graduate Forms page and in the Graduate School’s assistantship resources.

Next Steps

• Students should discuss the program’s fit and timing with their undergraduate advisor early, ideally by the junior year.
• Students should verify that they meet the admission criteria and plan their coursework accordingly.
• Applications for fall entry must be submitted by April 15.
• Students who wish to be considered for a Teaching Assistantship should submit the TA application along with their Graduate School application.