SLV/rev.2.2022
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What programs do you offer in the Department of Computer Science?
• MS in Computer Science ( thesis)
• MS in Computer Science (non-thesis)
• MS in Cybersecurity and Privacy (non-thesis)
• Masters in Applied Math Science (MAMS)-Computer Science
• Cybersecurity Certificate
• PhD in Computer Science
Degree program descriptions can be found here: https://cs.uga.edu/graduate-admissions. Please review
admission criteria and degree program.
2. What are the Double Dawg Pathways?
The Double Dawgs program was created to give ambitious and motivated students a competitive
advantage in today’s knowledge economy. By earning both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in
five years or less, students can save time and money while positioning themselves for success after
graduation.
a. BS.CS/MS.CS (non-thesis) Pathway
b. BS.CS/MS Cybersecurity and Privacy ( non-thesis) Pathway
https://doubledawgs.uga.edu/ProgramList
Application to the Pathway is made in Athena, and on the CS website here:
https://cs.uga.edu/doubledawgs-program
• March 20: Deadline for application to the Pathway Program to begin in summer/fall.
• October 20: Deadline for application to the Pathway Program to begin in spring.
3. What is the deadline for submitting my graduate school application?
The Graduate School has posted deadlines for submission of fall and spring applications on their website
at http://grad.uga.edu/index.php/prospective-students/student- information/admissions-
bulletin/deadlines/admissions-deadlines/. The Department of Computer Science accepts applications on a
continuous basis. Incomplete applications that do not meet the deadline for the upcoming semester are
considered for the following semester. We enroll students for fall and spring only.
Domestic Applicants
a. Fall Semester – July 1
b. Spring Semester – November 15
International Applicants
c. Fall Semester – April 15
d. Spring Semester – October 15
2
**Students who submit all application and supporting documents by the deadline will be considered for
departmental financial assistance, if accepted and qualified.
4. How do I find out the status of my graduate Computer Science graduate application?
You may check the status at gradapply.uga.edu/apply/status. Go to Important Information, and see
Application Status. When the application is complete, it will be indicated as “Decided”.
5. How do I apply to the Certificate in Cybersecurity?
a. Open to UGA/non-UGA students with a Bachelor's degree. Courses for program:
https://csci.franklin.uga.edu/cybersecurity-certificate-program. No financial aid is available for
certificate program.
b. Apply with UGA Graduate School Online Application
• Required-Official transcript of Bachelor's degree.
• No entrance exam, UNLESS English is not the primary language in your country of educational
instruction. If not, then TOEFL or IELTS scores are required within 2 years.
Separate applications are needed when seeking a certificate and a degree. Admission to the Certificate in
Cybersecurity does not guarantee admission to a degree. Questions? Contact CS Graduate Coordinator,
cs-grad-coordinator@uga.edu .
6. I did not receive the minimum scores for TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo. Are there any other
options?
You may repeat English proficiency before the stated application deadlines. See also information
on the Intensive English Program. https://dae.uga.edu/iep/intensive-english-program/. You may
also look at taking the ITA-TEP test or Duolingo English Test Video
Assessment. https://resources.coe.uga.edu/students/international-teaching-assistant-testing Contact
the IEP office at [email protected].
7. I am thinking of applying to the Department of Computer Science, but before I do, I would
like to know if I would be eligible for admission with financial aid. My curriculum/vitae is
attached. Would it be possible for me to know if the Department would admit me with
financial aid?
The department follows a two-phase process for admission to the graduate degree program (MS,
MAMS, PhD) and priority for award of department assistantships are given to selected PhD
students. If the department has a need and funds are available, then assistantships may be awarded to
MS students. NOTE: The Department of Computer Science does not do an “informal” review or
assessment of applications or documents by phone or email.
3
8. I recently received an offer of admission to the graduate program? Am I automatically
considered for department financial aid?
The short answer is no. For students offered admission to the graduate CS degree program and
interested in departmental Teaching Assistantships (TA), you must qualify with English proficiency, per
TA policy. TA policy is found here: https://ctl.uga.edu/grad-student/ta-policy/
These are the minimum to meet English proficiency for UGA TA ship:
• TOEFL speak 26 or greater
• IELTS overall 8.0 or greater
• Duolingo 135 or greater
• ITA TEP- Level 3 or Level 4
For departmental Research Assistantship (RA), students may contact a CS research faculty for
opportunities. All qualified students are encouraged to apply for TA or RA on the CS website.
9. How do I apply for TA or RA with Computer Science?
If you are accepted for admission AND meet English proficiency requirements, you may apply for TA
ship online. If you are accepted for admission, and interested in RA ship, you may apply online.
Apply online here: https://cs.uga.edu/graduate-financial-assistance (note deadlines) TA
and RA ships are prioritized to Doctoral students, then Masters students, if needed.
10. I was waived English proficiency for admission due to a US Master’s degree. Do I still need to
take TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo to qualify for UGA TA ships?
The short answer is yes. A US Master’s degree does not waive English proficiency to be met for TA
ship.
11. I was waived English profiency for admission due to a US Bachelor’s degree or Bachelor’s
degree from an English-speaking country. Do I still need to take TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo
to qualify for UGA TA ship?
The short answer is no; you are waived due to your US Bachelor’s degree or if degree is from an
English-speaking country, for UGA TA ship.
a. Please see the following URL for more details:
https://grad.uga.edu/index.php/prospective-students/international-
applicationinformation/international-supplement/english-language-proficiency-requirement/
b. TA ship- International students who have completed a four-year undergraduate degree at an
accredited institution in a country where English is the primary language (as recognized by the
Graduate School) no more than four years prior to beginning your degree at UGA are exempt from
the English proficiency requirement.
4
12. What are the minimum UGA requirements for English proficiency for admission?
• Minimum TOEFL score requirement: overall score of 80 with at least 20 on speaking and writing
• Minimum IELTS score requirement: overall band-width of 6.5, with no single band (score) below
6.0
• Minimum Duolingo score requirement: overall score of 105
• Minimum Intensive English Program requirement: successfully complete Level 6 and provide
confirmation from Intensive English Program Director (iep.uga.edu)
13. How do I determine my English proficiency for UGA TA ship? See Guide to Demonstrating
English Proficiency.
14. What are my chances of getting admission given my GRE score, GPA and/or TOEFL,
IELTS?
The GRE is only one of several criteria that the Graduate CS Admission Committee uses to evaluate
applicants. We do not have minimum GRE scores. We do not waive the GRE for graduate
Computer Science programs. We do not screen applicants by email or phone. Students would need
to apply with all criteria to be considered.
15. Where can I find information on Computer Science graduate degrees? Are any online?
Graduate Admission information can be found here: https://cs.uga.edu/graduate
Admissions. All of our graduate Computer Science degrees are on-campus only in Athens, Georgia.
We do not offer any Computer Science graduate degree program, online.
Admission decisions are determined by the criteria above and overall quality and size of the applicant
pool at the time of your application is under consideration. Also note, the Graduate School has stipulated
some basic requirements for domestic and international applicants at
http://grad.uga.edu/index.php/prospective-students/. In addition, some international applicants must
satisfy basic English language proficiency requirements as described in
http://grad.uga.edu/index.php/prospectivestudents/internationalapplicationinformation/internationalsuppl
ement/english-languageproficiency-requirement/
16. Can the GRE requirement be waived in my case?
The GRE is a UGA Graduate School requirement and can only be waived in cases of applicant
possessing a valid doctoral degree. Acceptable GRE scores may be taken within 5 years. Official scores
will need to be sent to the UGA Graduate School. The institution code is 5813.
17. Ideally, when should I apply for financial aid?
5
Most financial aid awards are made in the fall semester. Deadlines for nominating students for
Presidential Graduate Fellowships are typically made in January. Deadlines for Graduate School
Assistantships are typically made in February (see Graduate School website for deadlines). Decisions
regarding departmental assistantships are typically made in May-July for fall semester and Oct-
December for spring semester. Students should have a completed application with required and
supporting documents as early as possible if you are seeking financial assistance.
NOTE: Departmental financial aid is based on applicant’s background, teaching experience and
department need and department funding availability. Awards are typically on a semester basis only and
are not guaranteed for each semester.
Accepted students may apply here for TA/RA: https://cs.uga.edu/graduate-financialassistance
18. What is the UGA Teaching Assistantship policy?
The Center for Teaching and Learning has specified the TA policy. Please refer to
http://www.ctl.uga.edu/pages/ta-policy. The policy states that all TAs must:
• Attend TA orientation,
• Complete GRSC 7770 or LLED 7769, and
• For international students, demonstrate proficiency with the English language.
19. How do I apply for Research Assistant (RA) position?
Research Assistant (RA) positions are funded typically by research grants or contracts awarded to
individual faculty members. You may peruse the Computer Science departmental web page
(www.cs.uga.edu) and the webpage of individual faculty members to determine their research interests
and current research projects. You may then contact the relevant faculty members to ascertain whether
they have an open RA position and whether your credentials fit the requirements of the RA position. You
may also apply here.
20. Will my tuition be waived, if I accept my admission to the graduate program?
The short answer is no. Tuition waivers are provided to accepted students, who have received a TA or
RA offer with Computer Science. A tuition waiver reduces the tuition to $25.00 +student fees.
21. Where can I find Student Account/Fee information?
See https://busfin.uga.edu/bursar/bursar_quick_links/
22. I have been admitted to your program, but have not received the I-20. What should I do?
Once you indicate the Intent to Enroll with the Graduate School, then you will apply for the I-20 in
Compass. You will need to provide proof of funding.
6
You should be receiving further information from the UGA Office of Global Engagement,
[email protected]. You may ask them for a break out of the tentative costs.
You may also review tuition and fees here: https://busfin.uga.edu/bursar/. Please also review your degree
plan and total credits needed for degree. See https://cs.uga.edu/graduate-admissions.
23. I have been accepted to your degree program for the upcoming semester, but I have not yet
received my visa to the USA. I am afraid I may not be granted a visa in time to enter the
University of Georgia for the upcoming semester. Can I defer my application to the following
semester?
Yes, you may defer your application once. Please email [email protected] with your full name and
program, and request to defer your application to a specified term (i.e fall or spring yyyy). This must be
done prior to the first day of classes for the accepted term. Please kindly cc:cs-grad[email protected]
24. I have been admitted to your degree program, but I have not arrived on the UGA campus.
Can you please advise me (via email or telephone) regarding the courses I should be taking?
To be formally advised before or soon after arriving on campus, you are encouraged to meet with
You will check in with the Office of Global Engagement in the Compass portal.
Please check Athena list of courses offered for the term, for seat availability. You may choose to waitlist
courses in Athena.
25. How do I get cleared of the Academic Advisement hold and Permission of Department holds?
Students are cleared of their Academic Advisement holds automatically by Graduate Program
Administrator. Students are encouraged to visit with their faculty advisor and/or Graduate Coordinators
for course/degree advisement. For Permission of Dept (POD) holds on Independent Study courses, please
complete the required forms and submit to course instructor and Samantha Varghese, slvargh@uga.edu.
CS department advising forms are found here: https://cs.uga.edu/graduate-student-resources. Students are
responsible for clearing ALL other holds prior to registration.
26. The annual expenses stated on the I-20 form exceed the assistantship award. What do I need
to do?
For purposes of filling out the I-20 forms and the like, University of Georgia could come up with a total
estimate of costs which somehow exceeds the assistantship award by a few thousand dollars. The
estimate is arbitrary, and often higher than it needs to be; however, it must be dealt with. In this
situation, you have to prove that the funds to cover the shortfall are available from your personal assets.
You will need to fill out a Certificate of Finances” form and provide a supporting bank statement.
However, you will not actually need to spend these funds if you are at all careful with your
7
discretionary choices of housing, etc. in Athens, GA. International students may contact
immigra[email protected]du for an estimate of costs.
27. Do I need a Proximity Card and UGA Card?
All new Graduate Computer Science students should get a UGA ID card with a Proximity chip in it. The
cost is $25.00 US Dollars. This will allow you to open the doors of the Computer Science labs as a TA or
RA for the semester. Graduate Computer Science students will need to go to the card office in the Tate
Center at UGA to have this processed. It’s important that the student tells them that he is requesting a
proximity card. At that point, student can email [email protected] to be added to CS building access
list.
28. Where do I find out information on the academic calendar, registration dates, payment dates,
final exam schedule, parts of term, and more?
See Office of Registrar at https://reg.uga.edu/
See Student Accounts: https://busfin.uga.edu/bursar/bursar_quick_links/
29. Where do I find about Graduate School forms, and Graduate School deadlines?
Forms: http://grad.uga.edu/index.php/current-students/forms/
Deadlines: http://grad.uga.edu/index.php/current-students/important-dates-deadlines/
30. I am a new student and need to know about campus map, campus transit, campus orientation
for international students, tuition and fees, student health insurance and other student
services. Where can I find out more information related to these topics?
See http://grad.uga.edu/index.php/incoming-students/
31. Where can I find Computer Science Student Resources?
See link here http://cs.uga.edu/students/ta-resources
Email Graduate Coordinator: cs-grad[email protected]
32. How do I transfer my current graduate degree/program to the graduate program in
Computer Science at University of Georgia?
See Acceptance of Credit by Transfer. You may transfer courses for your graduate CS degree, if
approved by CS faculty AND if not used for a previous degree. You may request for a departmental
8
waiver of a previous course taken, by contacting cs-grad[email protected]. For transferring the I-20,
contact [email protected]u.
33. What is the duration of the MS and PhD degrees, in Computer Science?
If planned appropriately, MS students can complete the program in 4 semesters. PhD students can
complete the program in 4 years. Students are encouraged to review their degree requirements and
Athena, Schedule of Classes prior to semester start to ensure smooth completion of coursework.
