The Department of Computer Sciences will consider applications from graduate students who have uniformly excellent graduate records in CS courses for addition to the CS major, with the intention of completing a second master’s degree, in CS. In order to obtain an MS in Computer Sciences, students must fulfill the requirements stated in the UW-Madison Guide.
Applications for a second major MS in Computer Sciences are accepted three times a year, following the deadlines below:
- Spring Term: December 20. The department will access updated transcripts once grades post.
- Summer Term: The last day of classes in Spring Term for admission in Summer Term.
- Fall Term: One week before the start of classes in the Fall Term for admission in Fall Term.
Decisions concerning admissions will normally be made within four weeks of each application deadline. Admission into the program is not guaranteed, and there are no retroactive admissions.
To be eligible to apply, you must have obtained grades of AB or better in at least three CS courses numbered 500 or above in two different bands of computer science. (See courses for each band here.) At least one of these courses must be at the 700 level (not including CS 900). These courses must have been taught by a CS department professor, associate professor, assistant professor, or affiliate professor. Click here to find core and affiliate faculty.
- At least one of these courses must have a significant amount of programming in a structured language.
- Click here to review the Bands and courses within each Band.
If the student meets the course requirements above, complete the following to apply for to the CS Masters:
- Complete the add/change major form and their student record to the CS graduate coordinator, along with the other application materials described above.
- Fill out the Google Form internal department tracking. You must be logged in with your wisc.edu account.
- Have two letters of recommendation from CS department core or affiliate faculty members; at least one must come from a core CS faculty member. These letters should attest to the student’s satisfactory performance in CS courses completed to date and their ability to complete a master’s degree in CS. These letters must be emailed directly from the faculty to Mollie Stolbov, Graduate Program Manager, at stolbov@wisc.edu.
- Submit a letter from their major department Graduate Coordinator attesting to their status in that program, indicating the expected completion date for their terminal degree.This should be emailed directly to Mollie Stolbov, Graduate Program Manager, at stolbov@wisc.edu.
*Note that a student in dissertator fee status who is admitted to the CS master’s program loses his or her dissertator fee status. Dissertators who add a program or a certificate program must enroll and pay fees as a regular graduate student. This is a Graduate School rule.
*Students doing two or more masters degrees must adhere to the graduate school’s policy on double degrees.
If you have any questions, please email Mollie Stolbov, Graduate Program Manager, at stolbov@wisc.edu.