Graduate School FAQs

The Graduate School has posted deadlines for submission of Fall and Spring applications on their website at http://grad.uga.edu/index.php/prospective-students/. The School of Computing considers applications on a continuous basis for fall and spring semesters. Applications that do not meet the deadline for the upcoming semester are considered for the following semester. See School of Computing website here for application deadlines: https://computing.uga.edu/graduate-admissions

The department follows a two-phase process for admission to the graduate degree program (MS, MAMS or PhD) and award of financial aid. First, the applicants are considered for admission to the graduate degree program. Second, the applicants who are admitted are considered for financial aid. To know your eligibility for admission and/or financial aid, you will need to submit a formal application to one of the degree programs. The School of Computing does not do an “informal” review or assessment of applications.

The GRE score is only one of several criteria that the Admission Committee uses to evaluate applicants. The other criteria include:

• Academic record (GPA);
• Caliber and reputation of the applicant’s institution(s);
• Applicant’s academic preparation (i.e., the courses taken in previous degree program(s));
• TOEFL score (iBT) or IELTS score;
• Letters of recommendation. This includes the contents of the letters and the professional/academic standing of the authors of the letters;
• Statement of purpose;
• Publication record (if any);
• Other factors which indicate that the applicant has special promise or potential.  

Note that your chances of getting admission and/or financial aid also depend, to some extent, on the overall quality and size of the applicant pool (i.e., your competitors) at the time your application is under consideration. Also note that the Graduate School has stipulated some basic requirements for domestic and international applicants at http://grad.uga.edu/index.php/prospective-students/. In addition, some international applicants must satisfy basic English language proficiency requirements as described in http://grad.uga.edu/index.php/prospective-students/international-application-information/international-supplement/english-language-proficiency-requirement/

The short answer is NO. The GRE is a Graduate School requirement and cannot be waived by the department.

Your chances of admission and award of financial aid depend primarily on your credentials, with accepted, qualified PhD students as priority. 

Most financial aid awards are made in the Fall semester. Deadlines for nominating students for Presidential Graduate Fellowships are typically in January whereas deadlines for Graduate School Assistantships are typically in February (the actual deadlines are on the Graduate School website at http://grad.uga.edu/index.php/prospective-students/. Decisions regarding departmental assistantships are made starting typically in March for the following Fall semester and in October for the following Spring semester. It is to your advantage to have a complete application on file as early as possible if you are seeking financial assistance since it will improve your chances. To apply for School of Computing TA and/or RA ships, see https://computing.uga.edu/graduate-financial-assistance. 

Teaching Assistantship application for qualified, accepted current and/or incoming students is found here: https://computing.uga.edu/graduate-financial-assistance. Note that the Center for Teaching and Learning, under the auspices of the Vice President for Instruction at the University of Georgia, has stipulated certain criteria based on TOEFL iBT Speak scores and IELTS scores for eligibility for Teaching Assistant awards. Please refer to http://www.ctl.uga.edu/pages/ta-policy for details.

Research Assistant (RA) positions are funded typically by research grants or contracts awarded to individual faculty members. You may peruse the School of Computing web page  https://computing.uga.edu/ and the web pages of the individual faculty members to determine their research interests and current research projects. You may then contact the relevant faculty members to ascertain whether they have an open RA position and whether your credentials fit the requirements of the RA position. You are encouraged to apply on the School of Computing website here: https://computing.uga.edu/graduate-financial-assistance. 

Please contact Graduate Admissions at gradadm@uga.edu in the Graduate School to resolve the issue. Also, kindly cc: cs-grad-coordinator@uga.edu  in the School of Computing on all correspondence with the Graduate School.  

I have been admitted to your degree program for the upcoming semester but I have not yet received my visa to the USA. I am afraid that I may not be granted the visa in time to be at the University of Georgia for the upcoming semester.

The short answer is YES. But please get in touch with Graduate Admissions at gradadm@uga.edu  in the Graduate School to formally defer your application. You are permitted to defer once, to a future term. Also, kindly cc: slvargh@uga.edu  in the School of Computing on all correspondence with the Graduate School. You may defer only once, and the deferment must be made before classes begin in the initial accepted semester. 

The short answer is NO. To be formally advised, you need to meet with the Graduate Coordinator in person or via Zoom. Email to cs-grad-coordinator@uga.edu to set up the appointment before or after you arrive. 

For purposes of filling out I-20 forms and the like, the University of Georgia could come up with a total estimate of costs which somehow exceeds the assistantship award by a few thousand dollars. The estimate is arbitrary, and often higher than it needs to be; however, it must be dealt with. In this situation, you have to prove that the funds to cover the shortfall are available from your personal assets. You will need to fill out a “Certification of Finances” form and provide a supporting bank statement. However, you will not actually need to spend these funds if you are at all careful with your discretionary choices of housing etc. in Athens, GA. The monthly stipend in your assistantship award is sufficient for an unmarried (single) student to live on comfortably in Athens, GA. For a complete itemized breakdown of tuition/fees for international students, contact immigration@uga.edu. 

The short answer is no. We do not provide application fee waivers. 

Student who have applied to School of Computing are permitted to defer once, to a future term. Email to UGA Graduate Admissions at gradadm@uga.edu with your full name, degree sought, and term to defer.