Graduate Admissions

• GPA: B for all upper-level courses
• GRE: Scores from the general Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are optional. Applicant scores are expected to be at least 140 in the Verbal.
• TOEFL: 80 iBT.
  • CISE’s TOEFL requirement is higher than the Graduate School minimum. Please refer to the CISE department requirements below.
  • Please note that Indian students are now REQUIRED to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score. Countries that are exempt from TOEFL
  • UF’s school code for submission of TOEFL scores is 5812
• You may substitute for TOEFL with:
  1. IELTS with a minimum overall score of 6.5 or
  2. MELAB with a minimum score of 77

• The majority of our accepted students have an undergraduate degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Electrical Engineering, with an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.3/4.0.
• Advanced GRE Subject Test/Test of Spoken English: We do not require that this test be taken; however, it will be considered if it is included in your application file.
  • In order to be an unrestricted Teaching Assistant at UF, a TSE score of 55 or above is required of international students. Although a TSE score is not required in our evaluation for admission, it is considered when making selections for Teaching Assistantships.
• TOEFL: minimum score of 90 iBT, with each section scoring at least 19. Alternatively, IELTS with an overall score of at least 7.5 (Reading 6.5, Listening 6.5, Speaking 6.5, Writing 5.5 minimum per section).
  • Countries that are exempt from TOEFL
  • UF’s school code for submission of TOEFL scores is 5812
  • Use promo code UFTOEFL15 for 15% off test registration
• Undergraduate Prerequisite Courses or equivalent:
  • Calculus (MAC 2311 & MAC 2312)
  • Statistics (STA 2023 or STA 3032)
  • Introduction to CIS (COP 3504 or COP 3502 & COP 3503)
  • Applied Discrete Structures (COT 3100)
  • Introduction to Computer Organization (CDA 3101)
  • Data Structures and Algorithms (COP 3530)
  • Operating Systems (COP 4600)

Ph.D. applicants must apply to the Fall semesters. We do not accept new Ph.D. students in the Spring semesters.

We are unable to evaluate your chances for admission, assistantships, and/or fellowships in our graduate program prior to receiving your completed application. Our admissions decisions are made by a committee that receives hundreds of complete applications each semester.

Therefore, it is departmental policy not to give “pre-evaluations.”

Please read the following instructions carefully before applying. Failure to do so could delay or negatively impact your evaluation.

1. CISE applicants are required to submit their statement of purpose and three letters of recommendations through the online application. DO NOT mail these documents to the department; the department will not accept any paper or hard copies.
2. Report your official GRE and TOEFL scores (if applicable) electronically through ETS using school code 5812. A department code is not necessary.
   1. For a list of those exempt from submitting TOEFL scores, please see the English Language Testing Exemptions.
   2. If your name on your ETS scorecard does not EXACTLY match your name on your UF application, your scores may not be posted. Please contact the department if there are any discrepancies between the names.
3. Mail your official transcripts and degree certificates (international students) to the address below:
   Graduate Admissions Office
   University of Florida
   201 Criser Hall
   PO Box 114000
   Gainesville, FL 32611-4000
4. When completing the application form, leave program specialization and department contact name blank.

To check your application status, log in to the UF Admissions application portal using your GatorLink credentials.

A student seeking a master’s degree in the College of Engineering may become a candidate for the Master of Engineering degree provided the student has a bachelor’s degree in engineering from an ABET-accredited program or has taken sufficient engineering core coursework to meet the minimum requirements specified by ABET.

The department offers a number of Graduate School Fellowship Awards each year to new Ph.D. students. This 5-year fellowship offers an approximately $32,000 annual stipend, plus tuition waiver and other benefits.

The department offers a number of Research and Teaching Assistantships each year for new Ph.D. students. The Teaching Assistantships offers students an approximate stipend of $32,000 per year, plus tuition waiver and other benefits. The Research Assistantships are at the discretion of the faculty. Research and teaching assistants are still required to pay fees.

The Harris Company donates a scholarship fund for the CISE department to offer new Ph.D. students a one-time scholarship to supplement fellowships/assistantships.

Eligibility

The Academic Achievement Award is available to new master’s students who are not Florida residents. International students, non-Florida domestic students, and non-Florida permanent residents are all eligible. No separate application is required — your admission application is sufficient to be considered.

Award details

• Students admitted Fall 2026 or later: total award of $3,300, paid as $1,100 per semester for three semesters.
• Students admitted Spring 2026: total award of $4,500, paid as $1,500 per semester for three semesters. Spring 2026 admittees are the last cohort to receive this higher amount.
• Students admitted Fall 2025 who defer to Fall 2026: retain the $4,500 award ($1,500 per semester).
• Students admitted Spring 2026 who defer to Fall 2026 or Spring 2027: retain the $4,500 award ($1,500 per semester).
• Award amounts are maximums. Students who become ineligible mid-program do not receive any remaining unpaid balance.

Award terms

• Disbursed for a maximum of three semesters.
• Available in fall and spring semesters only — not available in the summer.
• Students must be enrolled in at least 9 credit hours each eligible semester.
• Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA each eligible semester.
• Cannot be combined with any other Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering awards or UF awards, including EDGE online distance learning and Graduate/Research/Teaching Assistantships.