Graduate Admissions in Computer Science ​

Apply here  for our M.S. or Ph.D. program in Computer Science for Spring 2026 or Fall 2026

APPLICATION DEADLINES

Admission Notes:

• Late application is not possible.
• Spring 2026 applications are closed for PhD applicants. If interested in the PhD program, please see the Graduate Student Handbook (Sec 4.9) to learn about the MS to PhD pathway

APPLICATION MATERIALS 

Your application requires all of the following:

• A Statement of Purpose, describing your interests and motivation to pursue a graduate degree.
• A Resume or CV, describing your work experience, academic projects, and areas of expertise.
• Three recommendation letters, from academia or industry. All recommendation letters should be submitted online. For Ph.D. applicants in Computer Science, we highly recommend that a majority of the letters be from academia.
• Scanned transcripts, please upload clear and legible scans of your transcript(s), including any provisional and final degree certificates, or your application will not be reviewed by the admissions committee.  Provisional certificates are not valid beyond one year from conferral; the official degree certificate would be required in such cases. In addition, if transfer credits were used to complete a post-secondary degree, we require an uploaded copy of the official transcript from the academic institution where the transfer credit originated.
   
• Test scores:
  • ​GRE Policy for Spring 2025 and Fall 2025:
    • ​Domestic MS/PhD Applicants: The GRE is not required for United States citizens or Permanent Residents (i.e. Green Card holders).
    • PhD Applicants: For all PhD applicants, the GRE is not required.
    • MS Applicants: An official GRE score, from ETS, is required for international MS applicants unless they have a post-secondary degree from the United States or Canada.
    • Official GRE scores must be sent to Stony Brook University (institution code: 2548), by the application deadline, using ETS. In addition, if a GRE score is self-reported in the online application, the official score must be sent to Stony Brook University by the application deadline for Graduate Admissions Committee Review.

  • Language Proficiency for Spring 2025 and Fall 2025:  In the online application, there is a Language Proficiency survey.  Please read the instructions carefully.  If an applicants answer to the survey determines that a language proficiency score is required, then a language proficiency exam score must be entered in the "Test Scores" section of the online application. In this case, please have ETS send your official TOEFL score to Stony Brook University (institution code: 2548). Or, if you took IELTS or Duolingo instead of TOEFL, please upload a clear and legible copy of your scorecard using the 'Upload Materials' feature in your checklist. On the other hand, if an applicants answer to the survey determines that a language proficiency score is not required, do not enter a language proficiency score in the "Test Scores" section and do not upload a language proficiency score sheet into the online application. 

    *Duolingo will no longer be accepted.

Do not send any official electronic/paper transcripts (or IELTS/Duolingo if applicable) until you receive a specific request. After admission decisions are released, admitted students will be asked to have their official transcripts and official IELTS/Duolingo score (if applicable) sent to the Graduate School Office of Admissions office by postal or official electronic delivery service. Please do not send any official transcripts (or IELTS/Duolingo scores) until you receive such a request, as paper documents tend to obstruct admissions processes and will likely delay the processing of your file.

Applicants to the CS graduate program are eligible for admission only if they do not already have a graduate degree of the same or higher level in Computer Science.

For additional information, please check our FAQ and the Graduate School's admission web pages.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

All students admitted on a full-time basis to the Ph.D. program in Computer Science are offered attractive financial support in the form of teaching or research assistantships and fellowships, together with tuition and fee scholarships.

Students admitted to the M.S. program in Computer Science are generally not offered financial support at the time of admission, but upon arrival some M.S. students do find some form of teaching or research assistantships in the CS or another department on campus. Information regarding tuition, fees, and other costs can be found here. 

   
COMPUTER SCIENCE BACKGROUND

Admission to the graduate program requires a bachelor’s degree.  For MS in Computer Science,  we prefer students with CS or related degrees.  Applicants with exceptional promise who lack CS preparation in one or more core areas may be admitted to the program, but will be required to take additional CS courses as specified in their offer letter.  For PhD in Computer Science, we mainly consider an applicant’s potential for first-class research, and expect the applicants to have sufficient academic preparation and strength to succeed in PhD qualifiers.

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY

The Department of Computer Science values diversity and makes admission decisions based on individual merit. Stony Brook University prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, age, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, disability, marital status, familial status, genetic predisposition, criminal conviction, domestic violence victim status, veteran status and/or military status and all other protected classes and groups in the administration of its policies, programs, activities, or other Stony Brook University-administered programs or employment. For additional information regarding Stony Brook University’s Policy on non-discrimination, please see: the Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Policy