Computer Science, M.S.

In addition to the general requirements for admission, Computer Science applicants must also:

• Have a 4-year bachelor’s degree
• Current general GRE taken within last 3 years, submitted both electronically from ETS and uploaded as a PDF to Cal State Apply. GRE School Code: 4684
• Two letters of recommendation, uploaded by your recommender in Cal State Apply.
• Statement of Purpose

Note: Simply meeting the minimum application requirements does not guarantee admission 

Letters of recommendation: 
Use the Evaluations tab on Cal State Apply to manage submission of letters of recommendation. Letter writer email addresses should be from professional or academic organizations (ex. @sfsu.edu, @CA.gov or @ibm.com), not personal email addresses. 

1. Letters of recommendation should come from an academic or professional reference and should include information to help us determine if you are a serious and qualified candidate.
2. Your letters of recommendation must include your full name used on your application.

Note: We do not accept photocopies or letters of recommendation that have been opened or sent by the applicant.

Applicants with a bachelor’s degree in computer science:
All documents, including transcripts, official TOEFL and GRE scores and letters of recommendation, along with the application, must be submitted by the application deadline, or the application will not be reviewed. Please plan ahead to submit ALL your documents before the deadline. (We may accept Letters of Recommendations within two weeks of the application deadline.)

Although there are no minimum score requirements for the GRE, many of our successful applicants score in the 75th percentile or higher for the quantitative section. Verbal GRE scores may be lower than this, however a score of 4.0 or higher on the analytical writing portion of the GRE clears English Level I requirements.

The Graduate Division will check the application materials to ensure that the applicant has satisfied general SFSU requirements. In addition, the Computer Science Department will check the preparedness of the student to successfully participate in the Computer Science Master’s Program.

Applicants should direct questions to the Graduate Division office to obtain information on the status of materials sent to the Graduate Division (e.g., transcripts, TOEFL scores).

Students who have obtained, or will shortly obtain, a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from SFSU or other CSU campuses are urged to consult with the department chair as early as possible for assistance in applying to the graduate program.

Once all application materials have been received, the application will be reviewed, with the decisions forwarded to the applicant shortly thereafter.

Applicants with bachelor’s degree in other majors: 

These students may be admitted on condition that they achieve the requisite grade point average in specified prerequisite courses in the minimum possible time. Therefore, we strongly encourage students who have completed a bachelor's (or postgraduate) degree in other disciplines, such as Biology, Mathematics or Physics, or who have significant practical experience in a computer-related field to apply to our master’s program.

These students should upload a completed Course Equivalency Form (CEF) to their applications on Cal State Apply. The CEF will be used to determine the necessary conditional courses to be completed after admission to the program.

The conditions for admission will be clearly stated in the admission documents. Students must satisfy those conditions to continue in their graduate program. 

Prospective students are welcome to send any questions after thoroughly reviewing all posted materials by emailing the graduate advising assistant at csgrad@sfsu.edu.

Fall: March 1
Spring: October 1

All application materials must be received by CalApply before the deadline for admission consideration. Evaluation begins after the deadline. 

Ready to apply? Visit the Graduate Students page to get started.