After you are Accepted
Congrats! We are so excited for you to join the Kahlert School of Computing!
Welcome Letter & New Student Meetings
In May, the Graduate Advisors will send out a Welcome Letter that will hold a lot of important information for our incoming students. It will provide registration guidelines, our GradSAC contact, important payroll dates, how to apply for TA positions, etc.
Throughout the summer, the Graduate Advisors will hold new student meetings to meet with each incoming student. This meetings will allow students to voice any questions they have directly with their academic advisor and to gain additional insight on the Kahlert School of Computing’s departmental policies and processes. The Grad Advisors will provide you additional information in the summer on how to schedule these meetings.
Students who need to defer to the Spring semester will need to have received their official acceptance letter from the Office of Admissions and inform their Grad Advisor by the end of June of their deferment request.
TA Positions & Applications in Kahlert School of Computing
Students can apply for TA positions in the Kahlert School of Computing through our specific TA portal. TA positions are considered on a semester basis so if you want to be a TA for Fall and Spring, you will have to apply each semester.
The Graduate Advisors are not part of the TA position process so we cannot provide you insight on the actual application and decision process but we recommend that you check the TA Portal FAQ for additional insight.
The English Proficiency test scores and the International Teaching Assistant Program (ITAP) required for students seeking TA positions. The ITAP session is usually conducted two weeks prior to the start of Fall semester. Additional information on the August session of ITAP will be announced in the summer and online.
Registration
Students will need to be registered for a minimum of one course (3 credits) by the beginning of August.
The Academic Calendar will provide you other important dates for registration like when registration opens, when will you need a permission code, last day to add/drop courses, when classes end, and when finals are.
The Course Catalog will provide you additional insight on what the courses are about and if there are any graduate level prerequisites. We do not require any undergraduate course prerequisites for our graduate students.
The Class Schedule will provide the current information on what courses are being offered in the upcoming semester and the past semester. Our MS and PhD students are expected to take graduate level (6000+) courses; undergraduate courses (1000-4000) are not allowed.
At this time, we are unable to tell students what courses will be taught in future semesters. This means that we cannot provide a specific course plan (that states what specific courses will be taken in what semesters) for students.
Kahlert School of Computing New Student Orientation – Mandatory
We hold a mandatory new student orientation the Friday before the Fall semester starts. This orientation includes free food (breakfast and lunch) and a handful of presentations from faculty. Plus our GradSAC presents and often leads our students on a campus tour.
- Fall 2022 – Friday, August 19th, 2022
- Fall 2023 – Friday, August 18th, 2023
- Fall 2024 – Friday, August 16th, 2024
- Fall 2025 – Friday, August 15th, 2025
International Student Orientation – Mandatory
All International students will need to attend a Mandatory International Student Orientation. Please visit the International Student & Scholar Services or the International Center website http://internationalcenter.utah.edu/ for more information.
International Student – Arriving
International students may arrive up to 30 days before the semester start date for which they are admitted. This means that students can potentially start arriving in Salt Lake City, UT in July.
If you receive funding, a required start date before the semester will be specified; it is generally August 15 or 16th. We highly encourage students to arrive as early as possible to start the payroll process since it can take up to 2 weeks to complete.
Transcripts
Arrange to have official transcripts and degree certificates sent directly to the Office of Admissions. Only one set of official transcripts and degree certificates are needed. School records must be:
- Sent directly from the school attended to the Office of Admissions. The University of Utah accepts electronic transcripts as official from the following agencies only: Docufide by Parchment, National Student Clearinghouse, and Scrip-Safe. Please send electronic transcripts to admisstranscripts@sa.utah.edu.
- Presented in the original language with an official English translation.
- If sent by mail, here is the address:
Graduate Admissions Division:
The University of Utah
201 S. 1460 E. Room 250 S SSB
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
The Kahlert School of Computing does not receive or accept official transcripts. If you have additional questions about how to handle your official transcripts, you will want to contact the Office of Admissions directly (graduate@utah.edu).
Additional Resources
We have a Graduate Student FAQ document that answers a lot of common questions for students. We have a specific portion (starts on page 30) that is dedicated to answer Incoming Student questions.
Every academic year, we update our Graduate Handbook. These updates includes restructure of the document itself, clarity and changes to policies, add/removing tracks, etc. The new Graduate Handbook is usually published in August. You can find past Handbooks on our website here.
After you Apply
The Application Evaluation Process
First - Evaluations by the Kahlert School of Computing
Application evaluations begin after the December 15th deadline.
The department reviews graduate applications through sub-committees of faculty members who work in related research areas. Prospective students designate either a track or set of emphasis areas as part of their applications, and an application is assigned to the sub-committee whose faculty members work in the designated areas. In the case of applications for a Computer Science degree, the sub-committee may forward an application to another sub-committee if, say, the research statement sounds like a better fit for a different emphasis area than the one indicated. Your choosing a 2nd and 3rd option for research also helps for this purpose.
The sub-committee considers each application as a whole, including the applicant’s current and prior institutions, grades, test scores, purpose statement, reference letters, and whether the application is for the PhD or MS program. For a PhD application, reference letters are particularly influential, because professors value the opinion of other professors – particularly with respect to an applicant’s aptitude for research, as opposed to classwork. Furthermore, specific research experience stands out in an application, since past research experience is one of the surest indicators of an applicant’s potential to perform research in graduate school. Research experience is not a requirement for admission, but the review committee is looking for some indication of the applicant’s research potential, and a purpose statement and recommendation letters are considered in that light.
For an MS application, research potential is less of a requirement. An application that shows significant research potential is apt to be treated more like a PhD application, including a much greater possibility for funding. Otherwise, for MS applications, reviewers primarily consider whether the applicant is likely to succeed in graduate-level classes. Sub-committee decisions are advisory to the director of graduate admissions, who is ultimately responsible for all admission decisions.
The Kahlert School of Computing send out all admissions decisions by mid-March and the beginning of April. Applicants will receive the decisions about acceptance to our department via e-mail. The Kahlert School of Computing only sends out admissions offer letters. These are not considered official acceptance letters.
Students who receive an offer to be admitted will need to inform the Kahlert School of Computing’s graduate advisors about their acceptance or decline response between April 15-30th.
The Graduate Advisors will not be able to share any results over the phone or in person. The Kahlert School of Computing does not provide feedback to students who receive a rejection letter.
Second - Evaluations by the Office of Admissions (University of Utah)
Evaluations began after the student accepts the Kahlert School of Computing’s offer.
During the Office of Admissions’ evaluation, they will verify that all your supporting documents are processed. They will contact you (the applicant) directly if they need additional materials for their verification. Thus it’s important that names on these documents match your name in the application. It’s a good idea to put your full name: LAST name, FIRST name, plus your birth date, at the top of all supporting docs, and again, the name you write here should match your name on the online application.
The Office of Admissions evaluates all applicants that accept the Kahlert School of Computing’s offer to ensure students have met the Graduate School & University-wide requirements. Once this evaluation is complete, the Office of Admissions will contact the student directly with their official acceptance letter and their student UNID.
It is our understanding that I-20’s will only be issued once official acceptance letter has been issued by the Office of Admissions. You will want to verify that will the International Admissions Office (iao@utah.edu).
Online Application Status
You will want to check the Application Dashboard to check the status of all your supporting documents in your application. The Kahlert School of Computing does not receive or process any supporting documents/test scores so we cannot verify their status in your application.
There are three common application status for you to recognize.
- “Waiting for Department Referral” when you have submitted your application and the Kahlert School of Computing’s graduate admissions committee has not finished evaluating your application.
- “Review in Process” when you have accepted the Kahlert School of Computing’s admissions offer and the Office of Admissions is currently evaluating your application.
- “Admitted” once the Office of Admissions has completed your evaluation and sent that decision to you directly via email.
Application
Applications for 2023 are closed. Check back again in Fall 2023.
| Application Fees | |
|---|---|
| Domestic MS | $55 |
| International MS | $65 |
| Domestic PhD | $0* |
| International PhD | $65** |
*Please contact grad-admission@cs.utah.edu
**A number of Application Fee Waivers are now available for International PhD applicants, as described here.
Explanations of features of the On-line Application:
Program Information Page
- Program Interest: Select either Computer Science MS or PhD, or Computing MS or PhD
- Area of Interest: Select your top three research areas (Computer Science degrees) or tracks (Computing degree).
Program Concentration Page
- Program: Again, please select Computer Science MS or PhD, or Computing MS or PhD in the pull down box.
- Area of Interset: MS students must select a Thesis/Non-Thesis option in the “area of interest” pulldown box.
- Faculty Members: Select up to three faculty members who you would like to study with. Make sure you peruse their portfolios beforehand so you can choose a professor in your emphasis area.
Other Fields
- GPA – If your GPA is not calculated on a 4.0 scale, please enter the number as stated on your transcript. The international admissions will calculate the equivalent GPA.
- Social Security Number (SSN) – If you don’t have this, please leave field blank.
- Letters of recommendation (LoR)– Your letters will be completed through the online application.
- Post-Submissions – If you need to edit any materials you’ve already submitted or want to upload additional documents, you will need to add them to this specific section.
The Kahlert School of Computing cannot edit or upload any materials into applications. Do not send us materials for your application.
Please read instructions carefully before beginning the application process, once application is completed please review before submitting.
Thanks for applying!
International Applicants
The Kahlert School of Computing is not your best resource when it comes to I-20, visa, or other international specific policies. We encourage students to contact the International Center or the International Admission Office with your questions.
- International Center: international@utah.edu
- International Admission Office: iao@utah.edu
Names: Make sure your First and Last Names are on all the documents and that the names are also what you use as your name in the application.
English Proficiency: Please follow instructions provided by the University of Utah International Admissions Office here.
The Kahlert School of Computing prefers higher English proficiency scores than the minimal university requirement for admission. However, should you have a lower score, as long as your score is above the university minimum, your application will be considered fully.
| Test | University Minimum | School of Computing Preferred |
|---|---|---|
| TOEFL (ibt) | 80 | 105 |
| TOEFL (speaking) | (none) | 25 |
| IELTS | 6.5 | 7.5 |
| DUOLINGO | 105 | 125 |
Test scores are valid for two years.
Students requesting an I-20 must provide the following documents: (Also, please see How to Avoid Delays in I-20 issuance, below)
Financial Statement
Please e-mail all your financial support documents and the bio-page of your passport in one e-mail to iao@sa.utah.edu. (Hard copies will not be needed.)
Your application will be considered for financial aid if you select this in the application, however, all students not funded will need to provide these financial documents, and to avoid delays in issuing visas, it’s advisable to have these documents in place early.
- A financial statement showing a minimum. The funds should be liquid (available within very short notice), and the account must have been in the applicant’s name (or in the support person’s name who is signing the affidavit of support) for at least six months. Do take currency fluctuations into account. (Costs are subject to change.) Read an estimate of Graduate expenses. The financial documents can only be six months old by the time of the I-20 issuance.
- A signed statement from any sponsor providing financial support for the student, declaring the sponsor’s intent to financially support the student for an entire year of tuition and living expenses. Download the Affidavit. Applicants being sponsored by their embassy, government, or educational agency need only submit a letter of sponsorship from the appropriate authority.
- Upload a copy of the bio-pages of a current passport into the application system under “International.” We highly encourage all students to upload copies at the time of applying to avoid delays in processing.
- Students currently on an I-20 from another U.S. school will need to complete a transfer form, which will be mailed to the student after acceptance.
How to avoid delays in your I-20 issuance
I-20s will be issued after completion of document verification, including financial support documents, for authenticity by the International Admissions office. Meaning, your I-20 may not be issued until after you have received your official acceptance into the University of Utah by the Office of Admissions.
Parts of the verification process take place after that you notify us that you accept our offer. Your patience is appreciated as the time that it takes to evaluate all docs, and the issuing of the I-20, varies from applicant to applicant. Following the instructions in these points will speed up the process.
- Surname on Passport – Ensure that your passport accurately reflects your name. If you don’t have a surname, or given name, be aware that the SEVIS system requires a family name/surname, so please address this issue early. If you posses a passport without a surname your I-20 will be issued with your given name(s) listed as your surname. The first name field on the I-20 will be entered as FNU (First Name Unknown). An alternative is to contact your government’s passport agency to see if it is possible to apply for a name correction/adjustment to your passport by means of adding an addendum or possibly by re-issuing your passport.
- Name(s) Must Match – The name on the Affidavit of Support needs to exactly match the name on the bank statements, and please note that the affidavit must be completely filled out. So, whomever is on the bank statement has to sign the affidavit of support. If there are two people on the bank statement, or different bank statements are needed with different names, then a separate affidavit of support is needed for each supporter’s name.
- Support Documents – Financial support documents should be no older than 6 months old. These documents should include funds that can be made available at a moments notice at the time of the I-20 issuance.
- Account for Currency Fluctuations – Please make sure that you have enough money available in your accounts as the currency conversion rate can go down and affect your account balance at the time of I-20 issuance. Extra funds in the account provide a margin against potential fluctuations or additional financial docs may be needed before I-20 can be issued.
- Submit What’s Needed & No More – Only submit support documents that are requested. Note that the more documents you submit for financial support, the more time it takes to verify them.
- E-mail Financial Documents to – Please e-mail all your financial support documents and the bio-page of your passport in one e-mail to iao@sa.utah.edu. Hard copies will not be needed.
- Check Your E-mail – Actively check your e-mails so you can find out if we need additional information from you.
Financial Support and Costs
Financial Support for MS Students
Most MS students do not receive financial support and you should plan to be able to cover the full cost of tuition for the program. However, MS students have the opportunity to apply for teaching assistantships with the department, or approach individual faculty members about research assistantships. Typically, these opportunities are not available for first-year students, but students that do well in their first year often are able to find work as a TA in their second year.
Financial support for MS students comes in two forms:
- Teaching assistantship (TA): You are paid in order to help support a course, for example running lab sections, grading homework, and doing office hours.
- Research assistantship (RA): You are paid to work with a research group.
MS TAs are paid at $ 10,000 per semester for a 20-hour appointment. If you are paid as a TA or an RA, you are typically eligible for tuition benefit (i.e., reduced or waived tuition) for that term (see below for details).
Financial Support for PhD Students
PhD students in the School of Computing receive financial support while they are in the program, conditional on good progress.
Financial support for PhD students comes in three forms:
- Fellowship: If you are admitted with a fellowship, you are supported by the department during your first semester.
- Research assistantship: You are paid to work with a research group.
- Teaching assistantship: You are paid in order to help support a course, for example running lab sections, grading homework, and doing office hours.
Here is How Much you can Expect to Earn as a PhD Student
Most PhD students are paid for doing research for most of their academic career.
As an RA, TA or Fellow, in 2024/2025 you will receive $ 13,162.50 per term for the fall and the spring term. If you continue to do research over the summer (as an RA), you will be paid between $ 8,775 and $ 17,550.00 for the summer term – these numbers can vary based on the hours you are employed for at your advisor’s discretion. There are typically no teaching opportunities over the summer. Hence, you can expect a yearly income of between $ 35,100 and $ 43,875. Also note that many students choose to do industry internships over the summers.
Tax rates in the US and in Utah are relatively low by international standards. If you are filing taxes as an individual, you can expect a take home pay of about $ 34-36k on a salary of about $ 43k.
If you are paid by the school for the spring and fall terms you will also receive a health insurance benefit covered at 100% (including the summer).
Tuition & Fees
Students who are financially supported by the Kahlert School of Computing are eligible for a tuition waiver called Tuition Benefit.
The Tuition Benefit covers your full tuition & many fees, which can be as much as $32k per year, assuming 12 credits per semester at the non-resident rate, if you receive a fellowship, work as a teaching assistant, or a research assistant.
However, TAs will be responsible for differential tuition (a specific college charge, which is roughly $100 per credit for College of Engineering courses).
All international students have to pay the international student fee ($150 per semester).
If you do not get a tuition waiver, then you must pay tuition & all your fees:
Living Expenses
The University of Utah campus is just next to downtown; public transportation is readily available and the cost of living is low comparable to most cities.
Cost of Attendance Information:
The Cost of Attendance (COA) is an estimate of school-related expenses the student can expect to have for the academic year, or semester of enrollment. Check the estimated Academic Year Cost of Attendance.
Housing Information:
There are lots of options for housing at the U! Would you like to live on campus or off campus? Are you interested in themed communities? Would you prefer a meal plan or a kitchen to do your own cooking? The U’s on-campus housing includes several special living options designed to bring students with similar interests, majors, goals, and experiences together. We develop a sense of belonging, provide opportunities for personal growth, and foster a safe and supportive environment. Our team aims to make the University of Utah feel like home.
Visit the following page for more information on housing options: https://www.housing.utah.edu/.
Required Supporting Documents
Transcripts
Please upload your student copy of your transcripts for the admissions evaluation. Please enter GPA as it is stated on your transcript. Arrange to have official transcripts and degree certificates sent directly to the Admissions Office. Only one set of official transcripts and degree certificates are needed. Official transcripts only necessary after you are accepted, and they shall be presented in the original language with an official English translation. Also, international students sometimes only receive one official copy of the degree certificate.
Please bring this with you when you arrive on campus and the Office of Admissions will need to make a copy of it and then give it back to you. The Kahlert School of Computing does not receive or process any transcripts.
Graduate Admissions Division:
The University of Utah
201 S. 1460 E. Room 250 S SSB
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
NOTE: If your transcripts are too large to upload into the online application system, please shrink your PDF file size using a tool such as Adobe Acrobat or Smallpdf.com, where the latter is a hyperlink.
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Test Scores
Optional for Masters and Ph.D. Applicants: If available and provided, it will be taken into consideration for the admission decision.
Arrange for ETS to send your most recent scores to the University of Utah, school code 4853, department code 0402.
English Proficiency (for international students only)
Please follow instructions provided by the University of Utah International Admissions Office here.
Statement of Purpose
1-3 single spaced pages. This is your chance to explain to the Kahlert School of Computing’s graduate admissions committee your experience in computer science/coding, your interests specific to the Kahlert School of Computing, and/or your goals.
We encourage you to include links to any digital research papers, publications, or awards. This is your chance to highlight all of your accomplishments, skills, and goals.
Three Letters of Recommendation (LoR)
Letters from professors are preferred. Letters from employers are valuable as well, however, consider making an employer’s letter as a fourth LoR.
All letters of recommendation (LoR) must be uploaded electronically in the online application system by the recommender. We encourage you to “waive the right” to see your letters as most evaluators consider confidential letters more valuable.
Additional details on this are in the online application system.
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Most recent CV or resume.
Research Papers, Publications and Awards
Please upload these as a link in your Statement of Purpose in the on-line application system.
Passport
International students must upload a copy of the bio-pages of a current passport. See International Applicants.
Application Fee
For domestic students, PhD $0, MS $55
For international students, PhD $65, MS $65
A late fee of $30 will be charged to any applicant that applies after the Office of Admissions deadline.
The application fee is not waived under any circumstances. The fee can be paid through the on-line application system, or paid by check made out to the University of Utah, with your assigned id number from the application.
Note: Evaluation of your application will begin only after the application fee is received and the December 15th deadline has past.
Financial Statement
International students must submit financial support documents for – I-20 processing. See International Applicants.
Your application will be considered by our department even if no financial support docs have been submitted, however, it’s advisable that the support docs are sent in early so not to delay the I-20 processing.
The Kahlert School of Computing is not part of the I-20 process and is not the best resource for any I-20 questions.
Deadline Details
Fall Admissions Deadline
The Kahlert School of Computing only accepts applications for Fall semesters.
The deadline for Fall 2024 applications was December 15, 2023.
Admissions for Fall 2025 will have to be submitted between September and December 15 2024.
Official tests scores (GRE,TOEFL/IELTS/DUOLINGO) must be received by the university by December 15th. Take this deadline into consideration when scheduling your test dates.
Letters of recommendation are completed only through the on-line system and must be completed by the December 15th deadline. Please alert your recommenders about the December 15th deadline.
Spring/Summer Admissions
The Kahlert School of Computing does not accept applications or admit new students for the Spring or Summer semester.
The Kahlert School of Computing only accepts and admits new students for the Fall semester only. No conditional admits are made or considered.
Departmental Offer Decisions
The Kahlert School of Computing sends out all admissions decisions by mid-March and the beginning of April. Decisions are sent via e-mail that is attached to students’ online applications.
Students who receive an offer to be admitted will need to inform the Kahlert School of Computing graduate advisors about their acceptance or decline response between April 15-30th.
The Kahlert School of Computing does not provide feedback to students who receive a rejection letter.
Admission Requirements
Requirements for Admissions to Graduate Programs
The following requirements for admissions have been set by the Office of Admissions and the Graduate School. All students are expected to meet the requirements to be officially admitted into the University of Utah. Requirements with potential exceptions are indicated with an asterisk (*) and explained below.
Bachelor Degree
You may apply if you have received a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Four years of study is required for most international university degrees (see below for potential exceptions). The Office of Admissions is the best resource if you have questions regarding accreditation of your university.
If you are currently finishing your degree, BS or MS, please note your status in your applications statement of purpose, and upload available transcripts to date into the application system. You can be admitted based on this information and official transcripts will be verified before the start of the semester. You must have a Bachelor’s degree before starting the graduate degree program.
The Kahlert School of Computing does not require students to have a computer science bachelor’s degree. However, students need to have significant coding and computer science experience in order to be admitted and succeed in our graduate programs (MS and PhD).
GPA
A minimum of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is required for admission. If your GPA is not calculated on a 4.0 scale, please enter the number as stated on your transcript. The international admissions will calculate the equivalent GPA.*
English Proficiency (for international students only)
Please follow instructions provided by the University of Utah International Admissions Office here.
Exceptions to Formal Requirements
When an applicant does not meet the university’s formal requirements but is nevertheless deemed qualified by the departmental admissions committee, the department can petition the university for a waiver of a requirement. Certain three-year degree programs, for example, offer solid preparation for graduate work in computing. The department will request a waiver only for clearly qualified applicants.