CS@GWU homepage
 Home
 About
 Academics
  - Undergraduate
  - Graduate
  - Courses
  - Resources
 Research
 People
 News & Events
 Prospective Students
 Feedback


world wide web
cs @ gwu

Department of Computer Science
The George Washington University
801 22nd Street NW, Suite 704
Washington DC 20052
Voice: (202) 994-7181
Fax: (202) 994-4875
E-mail: cs@gwu.edu

Academics

Graduate Student Handbook

Summary of Graduate programs and Areas of Concentration


The CS Department offers graduate degree programs at three levels. In general, you can register in either full-time or part-time status.

At each level, the student can choose among fourteen areas of concentration. These are groupings of courses that reflect areas of student and faculty teaching and research interest. Each of these areas is described in its own section.
  • Algorithms and Theory
  • Computer Architecture, Networks, Parallel and Distributed Computing
  • Computer Security and Information Assurance
  • Database and Information Retrieval Systems
  • Machine Intelligence and Cognition
  • Multimedia, Animation, Graphics, and User Interface
  • Software Engineering and Systems
General entrance and degree requirements are summarized briefly here, and in greater detail in a section devoted to each degree level.

Application for admission to a graduate degree program is made to the SEAS Admissions Office located in Tompkins Hall, Room 102. An application form for admission may be obtained by visiting the office, writing to the office, or by telephoning, or by downloading the application from the university page. Complete instructions are included with the admissions forms. The requirements for admission are specified in the Graduate Bulletin of The George Washington University.;


On the application, you specify the degree program which you plan to enter.


Generally, successful applicants to each degree program must have the appropriate degrees from a recognized institution, must meet the grade-point (or equivalent) requirement for the program, and in the case of the Doctor of Science program must provide at least two favorable references from qualified individuals. Students whose native language is not English must submit results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), taken within the preceding two years. The minimum permissible scores for admission are indicated in the Bulletin. 


Admission is, generally, not on a competitive basis; that is, if you meet the entrance requirements you will normally be admitted. Financial support is, of course, awarded competitively. You are not required to submit GRE or other standard examination results, unless you are applying for support. If your grade-point average is below that required for admission, high GRE scores might help your case.


In all cases, you must be adequately prepared in the basic sciences and in mathematics (at least four semester courses beyond precalculus). In addition, each area of concentration has a set of entrance requirements in subjects appropriate for the area and listed on that area's page.


Normally, you should have met these requirements in previous degree work; if your previous work was of good quality but in a different field, you will generally be admitted to the department but will achieve full status in your program only upon completion of one or more courses--at undergraduate or Masters level, as the case may be--to fill in the gaps in your background.

Full- and Part-Time Status

A student may be registered either on a full-time or a part-time basis. A full-time graduate student normally registers for at least three graduate courses per semester. A part-time student registers for one or two graduate courses per semester. The student should designate his status upon the registration form. The designation affects the time limit imposed on each degree (see Time Limit sections following).

 
Schedule of courses
Libraries

SEAS Website
GWU Website
801 22nd Street NW, Washington DC 20052 :: T (202) 994-7181 :: F (202) 994-4875
contact us :: sitemap :: directions :: Email webmaster :: SEAS Homepage
l>l>