Prerequisites

The Ph.D. program in Software Engineering draws students from a range of backgrounds. While many of our students enter the program directly after recieving their undergraduate degrees, we are also highly interested in students with industrial, government, or graduate school backgrounds.

In a general sense, the admissions committee is looking for candidates who demonstrate:

Proficiency in computer science at an undergraduate level, laying the groundwork for success in graduate coursework, demonstrated through transcripts.

Evidence of research potential as demonstrated by recommendation letters, past research experience, and publications.

An understanding of the field of software engineering, along with ideas for engaging in research, demonstrated through a statement of purpose.  The prerequisite understanding may be gained either through practical experience as a software engineer (internships or full-time), or through study of academic software engineering.