Admissions

Admissions Process

Step 1 : Review Application Requirements

The following requirements must be met to be eligible to apply for the program:

Regular Admission

• Online Application
• Resume or CV
• Baccalaureate degree in computer science or related field from an accredited senior institution
• Official transcripts from ALL institutions where undergraduate or graduate courses have been taken
• Official GRE test scores (if requested)

No single criterion will be decisive. Each item will be considered in relation to the applicant’s total qualifications. Although Charleston Southern University has preferred levels for such criteria, each application is evaluated on an individual basis.

* The testing requirement may be waived if previous graduate level courses have been taken or the undergraduate degree conferral date has been more than 10 years.  Decisions to waive this requirement will be made on a case-by-case basis by the director of the computer science graduate program.

Provisional Admission (nondegree, undergraduate, international)

Provisional admission may be granted to a student who has a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution, but has not met all requirements for regular admission. Requirements for provisional admission are as follows:

• Provisional admission can be given only upon the specific recommendation of the director of the computer science graduate program once the appropriate documents have been received by the enrollment office.
• A student may take a MAXIMUM of nine graduate hours in the computer science master’s program under provisional or nondegree admission. Once the student has taken nine graduate hours, no further graduate coursework may be undertaken until the student has met the following criteria:
• The student must have a completed admission’s file in the enrollment office.
• The student must show a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on the first nine (9) credit hours of graduate course work at Charleston Southern University.
• The director of graduate studies in computer science must recommend the student for regular admission.

Note: Financial Aid is not available to students under Provisional Admission.

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Step 2 : Apply

Submit your online application.

While an applicant may plan to begin in the summer semester, he or she may be admitted to begin coursework in any term. Deadlines for admission are flexible, but for full consideration, applicants are encouraged to ensure that all materials required for the application process are received at least two weeks prior to the first day of the semester in which they intend to begin. If an applicant has particularly strong credentials, it is possible that he or she may be processed more quickly, and for that reason, applicants will be accepted until classes begin.

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Step 3 : Interview

After preliminary review of the application and submission of all required documents, an applicant may be requested to complete an evaluative admission interview conducted by the director of the computer science graduate program. This interview may be completed either in person or by telephone, and will assist in evaluation of the applicant’s level of maturity, interpersonal skills, career focus, motivation and discussion of thesis or nonthesis track studies.

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Step 4 : Acceptance Requirements

Each student admitted to the program is assigned an academic advisor.  Prior to registration, the advisor will discuss with students the upcoming course offerings and determine the program of study. Graduate students are eligible to complete online registration once this advising conference is completed. The conference may be in person or via the internet or telephone to facilitate advising for students who are not in the Charleston area. Graduate students are provided with a course checklist and are responsible for degree progress checks with their advisor.

Transfer Credit
Graduate credits accepted for transfer from other accredited institutions must be completed within the six (6) year period allowed for a master’s degree. Only coursework completed with a grade of B or better will be considered for transfer credit. Only nine (9) hours are accepted as transfer credit, a maximum of six (6) hours in either the core or elective computer science courses. The student must provide catalog descriptions of the courses to be considered for transfer credit to the director of graduate studies in computer science for approval. A student desiring to take a graduate course at another accredited institution must secure permission to do so in advance from the director of graduate studies in computer science and the dean of the College of Science and Mathematics.