Graduate Admissions and Scholarship Standards for the M. S. Program
Department of Computer Science and Operations Research
North Dakota State University

Kendall E. Nygard, Graduate Coordinator
Brian M. Slator, Head

Version: July 2006 by John Martin, outgoing graduate coordinator

This is an excerpt from the more complete Graduate Handbook, which describes many of the policies in the
Computer Science graduate program.

Table of Contents

I    Graduate Admissions and Scholarship Standards

A. Admissions Requirements
B. Admission Status
C. Admission of InternatioJune 13, 2011ship Standards
E. Preparing for the Program

I. Graduate Admissions and Scholarship Standards
 

A.    Admissions Requirements
 

Admission to the Graduate School is open to qualified graduates of universities and June 13, 2011 race, color, sex, religion, national origin, or disability. Admission to the Graduate School is a selective process intended to identify those applicants who are outstanding among recipients of baccalaureate degrees. Because of the large and increasing number of applications, not all qualified applicants can be admitted; satisfying the minimum requirements below does not guarantee admission.

The following minimum qualifications are required of all students seeking a masters degree:

     (1) The applicant must have a baccalaureate degree from an educational institution of recognized standing. Under special circumstances, students who have less than 12 semester credits to complete for the baccalaureate degree are permitted to apply to the Graduate School and to take courses for graduate credit.

     (2) The applicant must show, by a combination of educational background, academic performance, and work experience, the potential to succeed in advanced study and research in computer science. Minimum preparation usually includes the ability to program in one or more common high-level languages (preferably Java, C++, C, Modula-2, or Pascal), at least one semester of calculus, and experience in using simple data structures such as linked lists and binary trees. Unconditional admission to the masters program normally requires courses in computer science principles and theory equivalent to the NDSU courses CS 160, CS 161, CS 222 or CS 235, CS 372, and CS 373.

     (3) The applicant at the baccalaureate level must have earned a cumulative grade point average in all courses of at least 3.0 out of 4.0 or equivalent to attain full standing in a graduate degree program. Students with a previous graduate degree with a GPA of 3.25 or equivalent may be admitted in full standing.

The application process starts with a student getting an application form from the Graduate Studies Office of NDSU. The student must complete the entire application and submit it along with the indicated fee (currently $20 in United States dollars) to the Graduate Studies Office. The applicant must arrange for all institutions previously attended to send official transcripts of all his or her work to the Graduate Studies Office. Three letters of recommendation must be submitted as well. An application will not be considered until all of these materials have been received.

Once the application and supporting materials have arrived, the Graduate Studies Office will send them to the Computer Science Department for evaluation. The departmental admissions committee develops a recommendation for each application. The recommendation is returned to the Graduate Studies Office, which makes the final decision and informs the applicant. The entire process generally takes two to four weeks. Applicants concerned about the status of their application should contact the Graduate Studies Office at (701) 237-7033, rather than contacting the department directly.

B. Admission Status

Graduate Students will be admitted under one of the following classifications:

Full Graduate Standing: These students have met the requirements for admission and have been accepted by the Department and the Graduate School. A student must have full graduate standing to receive a graduate degree.

Conditional Status: These students do not meet all requirements for admission or have deficiencies in prerequisite course work but show potential for successful graduate study. Evidence must be provided showing that the applicant's potential is not adequately reflected by his/her record. In Computer Science, a minimum grade point average of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale (B-) is required as well as at least 2 quantitative classes. Students with a lower average and at least 3 years of computing-related job experience may be considered for conditional status.

Students admitted conditionally may, in consultation with the major advisor, request a change to full graduate standing after the conditions of admission have been satisfied. This request is made to the dean of the graduate school by the major advisor when approved by the department chair.

Conditions attached to a student's admission are viewed very seriously by the department, and the student should give a high priority to satisfying these conditions as soon as possible. In particular, students whose status is conditional are subject to the following restrictions: 1) they are normally not considered for assistantships; 2) they may not earn more than a total of twelve semester hours of graduate credit; 3) they may not file a Plan of Study; and 4) they may not take the department's Comprehensive Examination. (In some circumstances, this last restriction may be relaxed to the extent that a student enrolled in courses whose completion will satisfy the conditions may take the exam in that same semester.)

Non-degree Enrollment: These students are in a post-baccalaureate but non-degree enrollment status. Students must have prerequisite courses or background/experience necessary for the course or courses in which they desire to enroll. This may require consultation and approval by the course instructor. In courses with limited enrollment, preference will be given to degree-seeking students. Students enrolled in the non-degree status are not eligible for graduate assistantships or tuition waivers.

There are two categories of non-degree students: Unclassified and Provisional.

Unclassified students are those holding a baccalaureate degree from an institution of recognized standing who are pursuing studies beyond the baccalaureate degree for personal growth and improvement of skills but are not working toward an advanced degree. Submission of course transcripts, letters of recommendation, and scores on special examinations are required only when specifically requested.

Students who do not meet the requirements for admission may under special conditions be admitted under a provisional status. Students enrolled under the provisional status will be assigned a faculty advisor by the graduate dean upon recommendation of the department chair. These students must take a minimum of six but not more than nine semester hours of graduate credit, with no grade less than B, before a change may be requested.

Students enrolled in the non-degree status may request admission to a degree program by submitting a complete application to the Graduate School. Appropriate course credits earned in the non-degree status may be used to fulfill graduate degree requirements only if approved by the student's program committee and the dean of the Graduate School. Unless otherwise specified, no more than one-third of the course work applied toward a graduate degree may be taken in the non-degree status. No course taken in the non-degree status in which a grade of less than "B" has been earned will be permitted on a plan of study for an advanced degree.

C.      Admission of International Students

North Dakota State University welcomes international students as part of the student body, and the Graduate School encourages applications from qualified students throughout the world.

Applications are forwarded by the Graduate School to the Director of International Programs for confirmation of compliance with immigration regulations, financial requirements, etc. Even though an applicant may be academically acceptable to a department and the Graduate School, the Director of International Programs may refuse admission if the applicant cannot meet that office's requirements.

In order to have adequate time to properly process the financial statements and other documents necessary for obtaining visas for international students not currently in the United States, the Office of International Programs has established the following deadlines for application to the graduate school:

For admission in the fall semester,  April 1
For admission in the spring semester, August 1

These dates are recommended deadlines.  It may still be possible for international students whose applications are completed after these dates to obtain admission for the next semester; however, the department strongly recommends that the application be substantially completed by these dates or as shortly thereafter as possible.

In addition to meeting the previously stated admission requirements, to qualify for admission in an advanced degree program, all international students must demonstrate proficiency in English and must provide evidence of adequate financial support for the duration of the graduate program.

English proficiency must be demonstrated prior to admission by a satisfactory score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The computer science department considers a satisfactory score to be 550 or higher. Information about this test is available from Educational Testing Service, Box 955, Princeton, NJ 08540. In special instances, English proficiency may be demonstrated by attaining a score of 85 or higher on the Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency (MTELP) administered only at North Dakota State University and followed by a personal interview. This requirement may be waived for most students from countries where English is the official language and for students who have earned a degree from a U.S. university or college.

Under certain circumstances, applications from students not able to demonstrate the minimum level of proficiency in the English language may be accepted conditionally, but English proficiency at the required level must be demonstrated prior to attainment of full standing in a graduate degree program. North Dakota State University offers a five-week intensive English program during the summer designed to raise the English proficiency of students who have scored at least 500 on the TOEFL and are otherwise academically acceptable.

Once documentation of the required level of English proficiency has been received by the Graduate School, and all other admission requirements are met, the student may be admitted to the graduate degree program.

Evidence of adequate financial resources for self-support (e.g., tuition, living costs, and transportation) during the entire graduate program is required of each international student. Detailed information on estimated annual expenses for international students is available from the Office of International Programs. Students should not assume funds or work opportunities will be available at a later date.

An international student must achieve a score of at least 600 on the TOEFL to be considered for a teaching assistantship. In the case of a new international student, previous teaching experience will increase the likelihood of a teaching assistantship being awarded. Other types of assistantships include research assistantships, which are arranged directly with members of the faculty who have research funding, and graduate service assistantships, which may involve computer-related work with other faculty or organizations on campus. In both cases, the chances of a student's being awarded such an assistantship may be greater after the student has been at NDSU for one or two semesters. The Graduate School does not allow tuition waivers without an assistantship.

International students are required by the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education to have medical insurance. Proof of valid coverage must be provided to the Office of International Programs before an international student is allowed to register. The requirement for insurance applies to the student, the student's spouse, and any other dependents accompanying the student. In addition, the Board requires as a condition of enrollment that all students demonstrate that they are immune from measles and rubella.

Students who have earned graduate credits from an international institution (other than U.S. or Canadian) will not receive transfer credit for those courses. They may earn credit in a similar course at NDSU through examination.

D.     Scholarship Standards

In fulfilling graduate course requirements on any plan of study, only grades of "A", "B", or "C" are acceptable. All courses for which grades are given will be used in calculating the grade point average, unless a course has been repeated. In this case, both grades will appear on the transcript, but only the most recent grade will be used in calculation of the grade point average. (A specific course can be retaken only once and only a total of three courses may be retaken). To be in good standing and to receive a graduate degree, a student must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or "B".

The Department and/or advisory committee may require a higher performance than "C" in certain courses. While some courses may be used for graduate credit with a grade of "C", acquisition of more than two (2) grades of "C" or less may be grounds for dismissal upon recommendation by the department/program chair.

A student who fails to maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 after the first two semesters of attendance will be placed on academic probation. He/she may not continue the pursuit of a graduate degree without special permission from the Dean of The Graduate School acting on the recommendation of the Computer Science Department. This recommendation must include a review of the student's status and a program of remediation that will afford the student the opportunity to return to a 3.0 cumulative grade point average within two additional semesters. If the cumulative grade point average is not 3.0 or better after two additional semesters, the student will be dismissed from the Graduate School. Students on academic probation are not eligible for graduate assistantships or tuition waivers.

E. Preparing for the Masters Program

Once you have been accepted for the M.S. degree program in Computer Science at NDSU, you should plan to arrive on campus about one week before the start of classes. A letter to the Department prior to your arrival is not necessary unless you wish an assistantship. You should come to the department and learn who will be your initial advisor. You should also learn where your mailbox and perhaps your office will be, and whether or not there will be any meetings that you should attend.

If you wish to be considered for an assistantship, you must write to the Department Chair as soon as possible. Assistantships are usually awarded on a yearly basis in April preceding the fall start of the academic year. Only a very limited number of assistantships are available after that date. The Graduate School does not allow tuition waivers without an assistantship.

When you arrive for the start of your courses, you should be comfortable with programming in at least one high level language (preferably Java or C++), and with elementary data structures (linked lists, trees, graphs, etc.). Many of our graduate courses use the UNIX operating system.