Department of Computer and Information Sciences

Telephone: (302) 831-2712
Email: cis-gradprgm@udel.edu
Department website: https://www.cis.udel.edu/academics/graduate-programs/
Faculty Listing: https://www.cis.udel.edu/people/faculty-directory/

Overview

The Department of Computer and Information Sciences offers programs leading to PhD and MS degrees, dual degree programs, accelerated 4+1 programs and graduate certificates. In addition, the department offers interdisciplinary programs including the PhD in Bioinformatics Data Science, MS in Bioinformatics Data Science, and a Graduate Certificate in Bioinformatics Data Science all of which are coordinated by the Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology.

Research

Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, and Bioinformatics Data Science are vigorous and exciting fields of research and study that continue to grow in importance. These programs are broad in scope and deal with software and hardware technology, the theory of computation, scientific computing, and their applications. Departmental research strengths include artificial intelligence (machine learning, multiagent systems, planning, and problem solving), bioinformatics, computational theory (computational learning theory, design and analysis of algorithms, computability theory), compiler optimization and compilation for parallel machines, natural-language processing, (discourse and dialogue, generation, information extraction, summarization), systems (parallel and distributed computing, grid and volunteer computing, algorithm and architecture design for massive parallelism), networks, (distributed computing, transport layer protocols, mobile and wireless networks, algorithm and architecture design for massive parallelism, networks management, security performance modeling, simulation), graphics and computer vision, rehabilitation engineering (augmentative communication, speech recognition, and enhancement), software engineering (program analysis and testing), symbolic mathematical computation (algebraic algorithms, parallelization), and robotics.

Financial Aid

A number of fellowships, research assistantships, and teaching assistantships are awarded each year to full-time PhD graduate students in the Department. Additionally, a few fellowships are awarded by the University to particularly outstanding PhD students. Types of awards can be reviewed in the graduate student assistantship section of the graduate catalog. Most master’s students are not awarded graduate student assistantships. Both entering and continuing graduate students are eligible to apply for financial aid.

Admission to the graduate program does not automatically entitle an applicant to financial aid. Aid is awarded on a competitive basis from the pool of admitted applicants. Usually awards are made in March-May for the fall semester, and in December for the spring semester.

Computer and Information Sciences PhD, MS and MS/MBA

The PhD and MS programs provide a solid foundation in the fundamental areas of computer science and numerous advanced courses and seminars to acquaint students with current computer science research. The primary difference between the programs is that the PhD is designed to prepare students to conduct advanced research.

A prior MS degree is not required for admission to the PhD program. Strong applicants are encouraged to apply directly to the PhD program.

Admission to the PhD and MS programs is competitive. Those who meet the stated minimum requirements are not guaranteed admission.

Strong applicants lacking prerequisites may be admitted. Students who have gained knowledge equivalent to the prerequisites, through work or other experience, should submit appropriate evidence as part of their application.

Requirements for Admission

The equivalent of a bachelor’s degree at the University of Delaware. A minimum grade average of 3.2 in the major field of study and an overall cumulative index of 3.0 is required.
Scholarly competence in mathematics and computer programming. Applicants are expected to know the material covered by at least one undergraduate course in each of the following topics: structured high-level language programming; data structures; computer architecture; operating systems; and analysis of algorithms. Additionally, applicants must have completed the equivalent of at least four undergraduate courses in the following topics: calculus; discrete mathematics; probability and statistics; mathematical logic; and comparable formal subjects, such as Theory of Computation.
Minimum GRE scores of 153 for the verbal section, 155 for the quantitative section, and 4.0 for the analytical writing section. The GRE subject test is not required.
International applicants must demonstrate a satisfactory level of proficiency in the English language if English is not their first language. The University requires an official TOEFL score of at least 79 on the Internet-based test. A TOEFL score of at least 100 is required to be considered for a teaching assistantship.
Three (3) letters of recommendation from professors (preferably), employers, or others who are able to assess your potential for success in graduate studies.

Admission to the graduate program is competitive. Those who meet stated minimum requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet all of those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths. Required courses can be found at the bottom of the page. Apply using the central UD graduate application.

Accelerated Bachelor/Master of Science in Computer Science (4+1)

Qualified UD undergraduate students may begin work toward the MS as a senior and complete the degree in as little as one year.

The program is open to UD undergraduates pursuing the BS or BA in Computer Science or the BS in Information Systems. Consideration will also be given to all BS candidates who have a primary designation within the College of Engineering. Only full-time students at the time of application are eligible. Students must have completed at least 90 credits toward their undergraduate degree prior to enrollment in the program.

Admission to the 4+1 program is competitive. Those who meet stated minimum requirements are not guaranteed admission.

Applicants must apply using the UD 4+1 admission application.

Requirements for Admission

A minimum of 75 credits completed toward the undergraduate degree.
A minimum GPA of 3.2 in the major field of study and an overall GPA of at least 3.0.
Scholarly competence in the following areas of computer science and mathematics: structured high-level programming; systems programming; data structures; and calculus or statistics or discrete math.
Unofficial UD transcript.
A completed graduate course approval form for 4+1 admission.

M.S. in Artificial Intelligence

The MS in Artificial Intelligence program aims to equip students with the advanced knowledge and technical skills required to address complex problems in the field of AI. The program’s thesis and non-thesis tracks provide tailored pathways for students pursuing careers in academia, industry, or entrepreneurship producing leaders in AI who can drive technological advancements and address the challenges of an AI-driven world. Graduates will:

Utilize and develop cutting-edge AI technologies, such as machine learning, neural networks, natural language processing, and computer vision, to design innovative solutions tailored to real-world challenges.
Demonstrate a rigorous understanding of theoretical foundations and practical applications to excel in research, development, and implementation of AI systems
Ethically and responsibly analyze and address the societal impacts of AI technologies
Demonstrate competencies in critical thinking and problem-solving in AI.

Requirements for Admission

Minimum requirements include:

The equivalent of a bachelor’s degree at the University of Delaware.
A minimum grade average of 3.2 in the major field of study and an overall cumulative index of 3.0 is recommended.
Scholarly competence in mathematics and computer programming is required. Applicants are expected to know the material covered by at least one undergraduate course in each of the following topics: structured high-level language programming, data structures, computer architecture, operating systems, and analysis of algorithms.
Applicants must have completed the equivalent of at least four undergraduate courses in the following topics: calculus, discrete mathematics, probability and statistics, mathematical logic, or comparable formal subjects, such as theory of computation.
Applicants must have completed at least one undergraduate course in such areas as machine learning, data mining, AI, or data science.
Minimum GRE scores of 153 for the verbal section, 155 for the quantitative section, and 4.0 for the analytical writing section. The GRE subject test is not required.
A satisfactory level of proficiency in the English language. For international applicants, the University of Delaware requires an official TOEFL score of at least 79 on the Internet-based test or IELTS test score of 6.5 overall with no individual Speaking sub-score below 6.0. A TOEFL score of at least 100 or IELTS score of 7.0 overall is required to be considered for a teaching assistantship. 7Three letters of recommendation from professors (preferably), employers, or others that assess the applicant’s potential for success in the program.
Essay. The clarification can be found at https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/grad/prospective-students/grad-admissions/app lication-essays/.
Curriculum vitae

Admission to the program is competitive. Those who meet stated minimum requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet all those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths.

Accelerated Bachelor/Masters in Artificial Intelligence 4+1

Requirements for Admission

The program is limited to UD undergraduates in the following majors: Computer Science (BS or BA) Information Systems (BS). Applicants must be full-time students at the time of application. Students must have completed at least 75 credits toward their undergraduate degree before applying. Students must have completed 90 credits before enrolling in the graduate level courses.

Minimum requirements:

1) A minimum grade average of 3.2 in the major field of study and an overall cumulative index of 3.0 are recommended.

2) Scholarly competence in the following areas of computer science and mathematics:

a) structured high-level programming (for example, CISC106, CISC 108, or equivalent)

b) systems programming (for example, CISC210 or equivalent)

c) data structures (for example, CISC 220 or equivalent).

d) calculus (for example, MATH 241 or equivalent), statistics (for example, STAT200 or MATH 205 or equivalent), and discrete math (for example, MATH 210 or equivalent)

3) Students must have completed by the end of their last year of BS/BA:

a) CISC 320 Introduction to Algorithms or its equivalent or more advanced course in algorithms and computer science theory. The goal is to demonstrate the readiness for the graduate level course in algorithms.

b) At least one course in such areas as machine learning, data mining, AI or data science. The goal is to demonstrate the readiness for the graduate level courses in AI.

4) Required documents:

A. Three letters of recommendation from professors (preferably), employers, or others that assess the applicant’s potential for success in the program. The applicant should consult with the graduate program director or graduate advisor to determine whether the letters must be sent directly to the admissions committee or not.

B. Transcripts from prior and current degrees.

C. Essay. The clarification can be found at https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/grad/prospective-students/grad-aadmissions/application-essays/. The applicant should consult with the graduate program director or graduate advisor to determine whether the essay must be sent directly to the admissions committee or not.

D. Curriculum vitae. The applicant should consult with the graduate program director or graduate advisor to determine whether the curriculum vitae must be sent directly to the admissions committee or not.

E. A completed and approved graduate course approval form for 4+1 admission application

F. Applicants should utilize the specialized 4+1 application form following all instructions and upload requests (including uploading the above-mentioned form and an unofficial UD Transcript).

Artificial Intelligence Graduate Certificate

Requirements for Admission

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university. A minimum grade point average of 3.2 in the major field of study and an overall grade point average of 3.0 in a 4.0 system is required. Significant relevant work experience or a graduate degree in a relevant technical discipline may be considered in lieu of meeting the GPA guideline.
*Scholarly competence in the following areas of computer science and mathematics, described as follows:
1. structured high-level programming (for example, CISC106, CISC 108, or equivalent)
2. data structures (for example, CISC 220 or equivalent).
3. at least one (and preferably more) course(s) in higher-level math such as calculus/discrete mathematics/linear algebra/mathematical logic/comparable formal subjects, such as Theory of Computation
4. basic background in probability and statistics
International applicants must demonstrate a satisfactory level of proficiency in the English language if English is not their first language. The University requires an official TOEFL score of at least 550 on paper-based or at least 79 on the Internet-based test.
A resume or curriculum vita outlining work and academic experience.
Two (2) letters of recommendation.
Applicants external to UD must apply to the Graduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence using the online graduate admission application and must submit evidence of all the above qualifications.

Applicants who are currently enrolled in another program at UD may use the graduate certificate form for UD undergraduate students, or the graduate certificate form for UD graduate students and are subject to the *scholarly competence expectations above.

Interdisciplinary Degrees

The Department of Computer Science and Information participates in many interdisciplinary programs. Admission requirements follow, and degree requirements are hyperlinked at the bottom of the page.

Bioinformatics Data Science, PhD

Telephone: (302) 831-6173
Email: bioinformatics@udel.edu
Website: https://bioinformatics.udel.edu/education/binf-phd/
Faculty Listing: http://bioinformatics.udel.edu/Education/faculty

The Ph.D. in Bioinformatics Data Science is offered as a University-wide interdisciplinary graduate program with scientific curriculum that builds upon the research and educational strength from departments across the Colleges of Engineering (CoE), College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), College of Agriculture & Natural Resources (CANR), College of Earth, Ocean & Environment (CEOE), and the College of Health Sciences (CHS). The students are housed in the Department associated with their Primary Advisor and the degree will be awarded by the College of residence.The Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (CBCB) administers the Ph.D. program in Bioinformatics Data Science and coordinates with the individual departments involved in the program.

Requirements for Admission

A completed University of Delaware Graduate Studies application. Students may apply to the program prior to arranging a primary faculty advisor; however, all students in the program will need the agreement of a Program faculty member to serve as the primary faculty advisor before admission into the program.
A bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university, with a minimum grade average of 3.0 on a 4.0 system.
Official, up-to-date transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate programs attended.
Applicants may have undergraduate degrees from biological, computational, or other disciplines but are expected to have scholarly competence in mathematics, computer science, and/or biology.
The following GRE scores are competitive: Quantitative: 650, Verbal + Quantitative:1200 if taken prior to August 1, 2011 or Quantitative: 151, Verbal + Quantitative: 307 if taken after August 1, 2011. No GRE subject test is required.
International student applicants must demonstrate a satisfactory level of proficiency in the English language if English is not their first language. International applicants must have an official TOEFL score of at least 600 paper-based or 100 internet based tests. TOEFL scores more than two years old cannot be considered official. Alternatively, IELTS can be accepted in place of the TOEFL. The minimum IELTS score is 7.5 overall with no individual sub-score below 6.0.
Three letters of recommendation are required. At least one letter must be from a professor, other letters can be from employers or others who have had a supervisory relationship with the applicant and are able to assess the applicant’s potential for success in graduate studies.
Applications must also include a resume outlining work and academic experience, as well as an application essay consisting of the answers to the following questions:

What educational background and scientific research or employment experience prepare you for this degree program?
What are your long-term professional objectives?
What specific attributes of the program make you feel that this degree is appropriate to help you achieve your professional objectives?

Applicants must at the time of admission have a Primary Faculty Advisor who has agreed to direct and advise a program of study. Once the Graduate Program Committee has determined that the applicant meets all admission requirements, the application will be circulated to the Program Faculty in an effort to identify a faculty that may be interested in serving as the student’s Primary Faculty advisor. The student is also encouraged to directly contact Program Faculty whose research is of interest to them. The Graduate Program Committee must approve all advisor selections. It is the expectation of the Committee that graduate advisors will have active research programs with funding at a level sufficient to support graduate student training. Applicants will typically have an M.S. degree in related field. Direct admission to the Ph.D. program immediately after a B.S. degree will only be considered for exceptionally qualified candidates, as determined by the Graduate Program Committee. However, these candidates will have to complete an additional nine credit hours to fulfill course requirements associated with the Bioinformatics Data Science M.S. curriculum.

Admission to the graduate program is competitive. Those who meet stated requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet all of those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths. Required courses can be found at the bottom of the page. Apply using the central UD graduate application.

Bioinformatics Data Science MS

Telephone: (302) 831-6173
Email: bioinformatics@udel.edu
Website MS: https://bioinformatics.udel.edu/education/bicb-ms/
Faculty Listing: http://bioinformatics.udel.edu/Education/faculty

The Masters Degree in Bioinformatics Data Science is administered through the Department of Computer & Information Sciences and coordinated by the Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology.

Requirements for Admission

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university with a minimum grade average of 3.0 on a 4.0 system
Applicants may have undergraduate degrees from biological, computational, or other disciplines. However, applicants are expected to have scholarly competence in mathematics, computer science and/or biology.
The GRE score (optional); Any score submitted voluntarily by an applicant will be evaluated holistically but will not be used to determine admission.
International student applicants must demonstrate a satisfactory level of proficiency in the English language if English is not their first language. The University requires an official paper-based TOEFL score of at least 550 or at least 79 on the Internet-based TOEFL. TOEFL scores more than two years old cannot be considered official.
Three letters of recommendation are required. At least one letter must be from a professor; other letters can be from employers or others who have had a supervisory relationship with the applicant and are able to assess the applicant’s potential for success in graduate studies.
Applications must also include a resume outlining work and academic experience, as well as an application essay consisting of the answers to the following questions:
- What educational background and scientific research or employment experience prepare you for this bioinformatics degree program?
- What are your long-term professional objectives?
- What specific attributes of the bioinformatics data science program make you feel that this degree is appropriate to help you achieve your professional objectives?

Accelerated Bachelor/Masters in Bioinformatics Data Science 4+1

Telephone: (302) 831-6173
Email: bioinformatics@udel.edu
Website: https://bioinformatics.udel.edu/education/bicb-ms/

Faculty Listing: http://bioinformatics.udel.edu/Education/faculty

The program is limited to UD students pursuing a Bachelors in Biological Sciences. Only full-time students at the time of application are eligible. Students must have completed at least 75 credits toward their undergraduate degree prior to actual enrollment in the program.

Requirements for Admission

Students apply to the 4+1 program in the spring semester of their junior year, or when they have completed 75 credits toward their undergraduate degree.
Minimum grade average of 3.2 in the undergraduate major field of study and an overall cumulative index of 3.0 is required in undergraduate study.
Applicants are expected to have appropriate competence in mathematics, computer science and/or biology.
Unofficial UD transcript.
A completed Graduate Course Approval Form for 4+1 Admissions Application approved by the undergraduate advisor and Director of the Bioinformatics Data Science master’s degree.
Applications must be submitted through the University of Delaware’s Graduate Application Management system (SLATE). When asked if a 4+1 applicant, the applicant should follow the directions as indicated. This form (https://www.udel.edu/content/dam/udelImages/grad-college/graduate-college-pdfs/4+1_Aproval.pdf) as well as the transcripts, 3 letters of recommendation, a resume and answers to 2 essay questions are required to be submitted.
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

Applicants must consult with their undergraduate advisor and an MS representative, such as the Associate Director, to complete the required 4+1 Course Approval Form, which details how courses will be applied to satisfy both degrees.

Bioinformatics Data Science Graduate Certificate

Telephone: (302) 831-6173
Email: bioinformatics@udel.edu
Website: https://bioinformatics.udel.edu/education/degrees/graduate-certificate-in-bioinformatics-data-science-bids-cert/
Faculty Listing: http://bioinformatics.udel.edu/Education/faculty

The Bioinformatics Data Science Graduate Certificate is administered through its academic home, the Department of Computer & Information Sciences, and coordinated by the Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (CBCB).

Requirements for Admission

A bachelor’s degree at an accredited four-year college or university with a minimum grade average of 3.0 on a 4.0 system.
Applicants must be in the last semester of undergraduate study or hold an undergraduate degree in biological, computational, or other disciplines. However, applicants are expected to have scholarly competence in mathematics, computer science and/or biology.
The GRE score (optional); Any score submitted voluntarily by an applicant will be evaluated holistically but will not be used to determine admission.
International student applicants must demonstrate a satisfactory level of proficiency in the English language if English is not the first language. The University requires an official paper-based TOEFL score of at least 550 or at least 79 on the Internet-based TOEFL. TOEFL scores more than two years old cannot be considered official.
Two letters of recommendation are required. Ideally at least one letter is from a professor, the other letter can be from employers or others who have had a supervisory relationship with the applicant and are able to assess the applicant’s potential for success in graduate studies.
Applications must also include a resume outlining work and academic experience, as well as an application essay consisting of the answers to the following questions:
- What educational background and scientific research or employment experience prepare you for this graduate certificate program?
- What are your long-term professional objectives?
- What specific attributes of the program make you feel this certificate is appropriate to help you achieve your professional objectives?

Admission to the graduate certificate program is competitive. Those who meet stated requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet all of those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths. Required courses can be found at the bottom of the department page. Apply using the central UD graduate application.

Individual degree requirements associated with this department are listed below:

Programs

Master’s

Doctorate

Certificate

4+1