Admission Requirements

The graduate program is based on the presumption that the student has an undergraduate degree with a major in computer science, or equivalent coursework in the principal computer science and mathematics subjects required for such an undergraduate degree. Students without such preparation cannot be admitted.

Unconditional Admission

Applicants seeking unconditional admission to the MS program must have a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a closely related field with a major GPA of 3.0 or better and have completed the equivalent of the following courses with a minimum GPA of 3.0:

  • CS 130 Discrete Structures
  • CS 210 Computer Logic
  • CS 241 Data Structures and Algorithms II
  • CS 264 Computer Organization and Assembly Programming
  • CS 311 Language Translation and Automata
  • CS 331 Design and Analysis of Algorithms
  • CS 365 Computer Architecture
  • CS 380 Computer Networks
  • CS 420 Artificial Intelligence
  • CS 431 Operating Systems
  • CS 435 Database Systems
  • CS 480 Software Engineering
  • MAT 208 Linear Algebra
  • MAT 214 Calculus of Several Variables
  • STA 326 Statistical Methods for Computer Scientists

Conditional Admission Requirements

Applicants who do not meet unconditional admission requirements but have a Bachelor's degree with a GPA above 2.8 may seek conditional admission. Conditional admission requires successful completion of courses equivalent to the following with GPA 3.0 or better. Students in conditional standing must satisfactorily complete a prescribed list of courses before becoming eligible for unconditional graduate standing.

  • CS 130 Discrete Structures
  • CS 210 Computer Logic
  • CS 241 Data Structures and Algorithms II
  • CS 264 Computer Organization and Assembly Programming
  • MAT 214 Calculus of Several Variables

TOEFL Requirement

All graduate and post-baccalaureate applications whose native language is not English and who hold a bachelor's degree from a college or university where the principal language of instruction was not English must demonstrate competence in English. Applicants (conditional or unconditional) must have passed the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam with a minimum score of 213 on Computer-Based or 550 on Paper-Based or 80 on the Internet-Based TOEFL.

Applicants must request official results of TOEFL to be mailed directly to the Admissions Office prior to admission. The institution code for Cal Poly Pomona is 4082. To learn about the TOEFL test, its dates and the locations near you, please visit ETS TOEFL.

Other Students Seeking Admission

Students without the necessary preparation cannot be admitted as graduate students; they must first take a number of undergraduate courses as listed above prior to applying for the Master's program. These courses can be taken at Cal Poly Pomona through the Extended University or at another institution.

In any case, a prospective student who is planning to pursue these undergraduate courses with the objective of applying for the MS program should seek the counsel of the graduate coordinator first.