Minimum Admissions Requirements for Cybersecurity MS Program

The Cybersecurity graduate program has different core-course and admissions requirements and is thus a separate program. Below are the minimum admissions requirements for the Cybersecurity MS degree program:

  • Required Degrees: To be admitted to the Department of Computer Science as a CS graduate student you should have an undergraduate or graduate degree in Computer Science or related field from an accredited university. Students without an undergraduate degree in CS will be required to complete undergraduate prerequisites not on their undergraduate transcript before graduating with a graduate degree in CS. Students without a prior undergraduate or graduate degree in computer science should have completed COP4530 (Data Structures) or an equivalent class to be considered competitive for admissions. Here is the list of Undergraduate Prerequisites for the Cybersecurity MS Degree Program.
  • GRE Scores:The minimum GRE scores required for admission are a 145 on the verbal section and a 150 on the quantitative section. The average GRE-V score for admitted students is 155 (65%), GRE-M, 166 (80%). For the old scoring system, the minimum GRE score required for admission is 1100 (Verbal and Quantitative combined) with a minimum of 650 on the Quantitative.The GRE requirement has been waived for Master’s applicants through the end of 2026. PhD applicants are still required to submit the GRE as part of their admissions packet. If an MS applicant already has a GRE score and would like to submit it, they will still be used as part of the admissions review. Preference will not be given to MS applicants who submit GRE scores. However, if an applicant is a borderline case, the scores can help give strength to the candidate’s profile.
  • TOEFL Scores: The minimum required score on the IBTOEFL for admission consideration is 80 (213 computer-based, 550 paper-based). However, the Computer Science Department considers a score of 100-105 competitive, especially when students are seeking assistantships. The ability to lecture in English will be a major consideration in the selection of students for Teaching Assistantships.

    ***Please note that we will accept the following English Proficiency Scores for admission consideration, but they do not satisfy the English Proficiency requirements for Teaching Assistantship eligibility. Only a TOEFL speaking score of 26 or higher can fully satisfy the English Proficiency requirement for Teaching Assistantships.

    • International English Language Testing System (Academic IELTS): Minimum overall score of 6.5
    • Pearson Test of English (PTE): Minimum overall score of 55
    • Duolingo: Minimum overall score of 120 (Summer 2022 and Forward)
    • Cambridge C1 Advanced Level: Minimum overall score of 180 (Fall 2022 and Forward)
    • Michigan Language Assessment: Minimum overall score of 55 (Fall 2022 and Forward)
  • Grade Point Average: Students should have at least a B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) average to be considered competitive. Students with a GPA of less than 3.0 in their undergraduate degree fall below both the department and university standards.