University of Texas at Austin

CSEM Admissions

The CSEM Program is committed to equal educational opportunity and values a diverse student body. Prospective students from all backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.

Table of Contents

Overview

  1. Overview
  2. Deadline
  3. Requirements
  4. How to apply
  5. Summary of application materials

Latest Announcements

There are no updates as of Friday, April 19, 2024.

Overview

Thank you for considering applying to UT Austin's premier graduate program for computational science, engineering, and mathematics. As you plan your application, please keep in mind:

  • We admit students in the Fall semester ONLY.
  • We are primarily a PhD track program. If your ultimate goal is the PhD degree in CSEM, you should indicate PhD as the degree sought on your application. PhD students may earn the CSEM Master's degree along the way.
  • The Master's program is a terminal program; it does not lead to admission to the PhD program. We only admit a limited number of students to the Master's program.
  • All PhD applicants are considered for departmental or university funding (fellowships and/or research assistantships).
  • Funding is NOT available for Master's students.
  • The CSEM Program is designated as an Intercollegial Program. We are NOT in the Mathematics Department, the Computer Science Department, the College of Natural Sciences, or the Cockrell School of Engineering although many of the faculty teaching and advising CSEM students are drawn from these units.

Application Deadline – December 10, 2023

ALL application materials are due by this date, including letters of recommendation. You are strongly encouraged to submit the online application well in advance of the deadline. Requests for letters of recommendation are not sent out until after the ApplyTexas application has been submitted and the application fee paid.

GRE Update

Due to the continued impact of COVID-19, the CSEM Program is waiving the GRE requirement for Fall 2024 applications. This is a temporary accommodation and applies only to the CSEM Graduate Program. If you are applying to additional programs at UT Austin, be sure to check with each program regarding GRE requirements.

Submitting GRE scores is optional. Applicants may submit the GRE to strengthen their application; scores will not be used as a primary, determining factor in admission decisions.

Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree with a major in any of the following disciplines: Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science, Physical or Biological Sciences, or Finance
  • Overall grade point average (GPA) of at least a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), or the equivalent, in all upper-division work and any graduate work
  • TOEFL score of 79 (iBT) OR an IELTS overall band score of 6.5 (International applicants only)
  • Must meet the minimum eligibility requirements for graduate study at UT Austin

How to Apply

  • Submit the online application at ApplyTexas. In the ApplyTexas application,
    • Select "Computational Science, Engineering, and Mathematics" as your major (listed under "Intercollegial Programs")
    • Do NOT select the 5-year integrated program.
  • Pay your application fee ($65.00 for U.S. applicants; $90.00 for International applicants). Note: the CSEM Program has funding available for U.S. citizens in need of a fee waiver due to financial hardship. Contact the Graduate Coordinator to request a waiver.
  • International applicants — Submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores. Information about waivers can be found on the Office of Graduate Admissions page. If you do not qualify for a waiver based on the requirements outlined by the Graduate School, DO NOT e-mail the CSEM Program to ask for a waiver. We cannot accept expired test scores, nor will we waive the requirement for applicants who have earned only a Master's degree from a U.S. institution.
  • Submit official transcripts from every senior college attended. Instructions for uploading transcripts can be found on the Office of Graduate Admissions page.
  • Statement of Purpose — AFTER you have submitted the online application, upload your Statement of Purpose via MyStatus.

    Guidelines for the Statement of Purpose: Describe why you want to study within the CSEM Program at the University of Texas at Austin, what areas of research you are most interested in pursuing, who from among our faculty you would like to have advise you on your research, and your career plans. Please also include each program and university to which you have applied and why you applied to that program. Put a heading at the top of your Statement that includes: your name, your UT EID, and the program you are applying to (CSEM PhD or CSEM Master’s).

  • Resume/CV — AFTER you have submitted the online application, upload your Resume/CV via MyStatus.
  • CSEM Program Departmental Application form. Complete this form AFTER you have submitted the ApplyTexas application and have received your UT EID.
  • 3 Letters of recommendation — Within the ApplyTexas application, you will be asked to list the name, position, organization, and e-mail address for three recommenders. After you submit the application, e-mails will be sent to your recommenders directing them to a website where they may upload their letters. The MyStatus page offers a self-service feature you can use to resend the request e-mail to your recommenders, if necessary. You may use it to supply an alternate e-mail address if your recommender’s spam filter blocks the original request or has removed the link. You can also add a new recommender or revise your right-to-view status from “retained” to “waived.”
  • 4th Letter of recommendation (U.S. citizens only) — To be considered for the CSEM Fellowship, PhD applicants should submit a fourth letter of recommendation. AFTER you have submitted the ApplyTexas application, use the "Manage your recommendation requests" function through your MyStatus page to send the fourth Request for Reference.

Summary of Required Application Materials

  1. Online ApplyTexas application
  2. Official transcripts (submitted online)
  3. Official TOEFL or IELTS scores (international applicants only)
  4. Statement of Purpose (follow guidelines listed above)
  5. Resume or CV
  6. CSEM Program Departmental Application form
  7. Three letters of recommendation
  8. Fourth letter of recommendation (for CSEM Fellowship consideration only, U.S. PhD applicants)

ALL applicants should review our ADMISSIONS FAQ page.

Application Status:

After you have submitted your application, you may monitor the status via the MyStatus portal. You will not be able to access MyStatus until you have received your UT EID. As soon as your admission decision is official, it will be posted to MyStatus.

Please direct questions to:

Stephanie Rodriguez
CSEM Graduate Coordinator

512-232-3356