We are delighted that you are interested in graduate study in CS at the University of Kentucky, and we welcome you! Here is a one-page brochure about the department. The information on this page is designed to help you learn about our graduate programs.
For information, please contact our admissions staff. You can also phone +1-859-257-4997. We try to respond to email within two business days.
We expect graduate students entering our degree programs to demonstrate knowledge of computing, competency in scientific applications, and mathematical maturity. You can demonstrate computing knowledge by extensive experience in the use of high-level programming languages and acquaintance with assembly language. You should have studied data structures and possess knowledge of computing systems, numerical methods, and theoretical computer science. You can demonstrate competency in scientific applications in a variety of ways; experience in applied mathematics, engineering, or any of the sciences is usually sufficient.
We provide several remedial courses for graduate students who lack some of this background. Often students with a background in mathematics or engineering instead of computer science spend a portion of their first semester taking these courses.
We received approximately 460 applications for graduate admission for the Fall 2007 semester; about 130 of these were for the PhD program, the others for the Masters program. About 440 of the applications were from international students, primarily India and China.
We offered admission to 140 applicants. Of these, 36 MS students and 6 PhD students enrolled.
The average GRE percentiles of admitted students for Fall 2008 were about 52 verbal, and 85 quantitative. The average total TOEFL score for admitted foreign students was about 98.
To apply, you must complete both the following steps. As of October 30, 2012, these steps are accomplished via the ApplyYourself website.
The Computer Science Department evaluates your application when it is complete. You must provide transcripts from all post-secondary institutions at which you have taken courses, whether you got a degree or not. If you are an international student, the Graduate School requires a signed and documented financial certificate, so when you get a letter of acceptance, you should submit this certificate by email to the graduate school; if you are an international student currently in the States, also email a copy of your visa. Do not send these materials to the Computer Science Department.
All applications must include current GRE scores (within 5 years); international applicants must also include current TOEFL or IELTS scores (within 2 years). Scanned copies are acceptible for the application, but if you accepted, you are responsible for having your test provider send these scores to the Graduate School. These are the codes you should use:
| GRE institution code | 1837 |
| GRE department code | 0402 |
| TOEFL institution code | 1837 |
| TOEFL department code | 78 |
If you have questions that you wish to direct to the Graduate School, please mail Kathy Ice-Wedding. Her postal address is
| Kathy Ice-Wedding |
| Graduate School |
| 202C Ezra Gillis Building |
| University of Kentucky |
| Lexington KY 40506-0033 |
You can also send her a fax with your question to +1-859-323-1928.
You may submit these materials in any of these ways:
| Graduate Admission |
| Department of Computer Science |
| 329 Rose Street |
| University of Kentucky |
| Lexington KY 40506-0633 |
Please do not direct your mail to any specific person.
If you are an international student or wish to be considered for a Teaching Assistantship or a fellowship, we should have both parts of your application (both to the Graduate School and the Department) by the following dates:
If you are a domestic student not looking for financial support, we should have both parts of your application at least one month before your first semester starts.
If you have been admitted to the Department of Computer Science but need to defer that admission to a later semester, inform the Graduate School by updating your application. If the Graduate School granted you a Scholarship, it does not automatically renew that grant after you have deferred your admission. If you have been granted financial assistance by the Department of Computer Science, send email to csgradpro.cs.uky.edu; we do not guarantee that the grant will still be in force when you arrive.
If you are already admitted to the Graduate School in some other department and you wish to transfer to Computer Science, you must update your application with the Graduate School. You must also submit to the Computer Science the materials listed above. We will evaluate your application the same way we evaluate new applications.
If you are currently a Masters student in Computer Science and wish to join the PhD program in Computer Science (or the reverse), you must update your application with the Graduate School. You should also speak to the DGS of Computer Science, who will decide whether or not to approve your request.
Starting Fall 2010, the Department will offer up to two Newbery Fellowships and two Verizon Fellowships to outstanding incoming PhD students. Both fellowships provide the same benefit: a generous stipend and tuition expenses for the student's first year. For the second year, they guarantee a TA position if the student has not acquired an RA position. Students entering in Spring are considered for awards starting the following Fall.
The Department has about 20 Teaching Assistant (TA) positions that it allocates to graduate students. Only about 8 such positions open every year. We give priority to PhD students (not MS students) with a high degree of English fluency. We test all international TAs to assess their English abilities and assign them to appropriate duties, ranging from grading (the lowest) to conducting classes (the highest).
Many faculty members have grants that fund research assistant (RA) positions. The faculty members choose how to allocate these positions; they typically choose PhD students who have demonstrated interest and ability in the particular area of research that the faculty member is conducting.
Students who arrive without financial support can often find positions on campus, but they need to search for these positions. Individuals on student visas are only allowed to accept campus jobs; other students may also look beyond the campus. See this site for more details.