Accelerated MS Eligibility and Admissions

Eligibility

The Accelerated MS program is open to computer science BS or BA undergraduate students at UMass Amherst who meet the following two criteria:

• At least 3.6 overall GPA upon application to the program. Students who have a 3.5 GPA may apply for a pending status and have an end of semester GPA review.
• B+ or higher in COMPSCI 311. Students who did not earn a B+ in  COMPSCI 311 may use 501, 514, or 575 with a B.
• Completion of two eligible graduate courses to double count and two eligible graduate courses to transfer. Students who do not meet this requirement may apply for the Bay State Scholarship and the MS in computer science degree program without the accelerated option.

Application and Admission Process 

• Students should apply in the second semester of their junior year (the semester prior to their final two semesters of their undergraduate program).
• Students who do not meet the minimum requirements during the second semester of junior year can apply in the first semester of their senior year, as long as the following criteria are met:
  1. B or higher in either COMPSCI 501, COMPSCI 514, or COMPSCI 575
  2. B or higher in a second 500 level COMPSCI course
  3. B+ in COMPSCI 311
  4. 3.6 overall GPA

Applications automatically include eligibility review for the Bay State Scholarship, a multitiered program that provides tuition assistance for the MS program to computer science undergraduates from UMass Amherst and the Five Colleges.