Fully Funded PhD in Computer Science at University of Iowa
The Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science emphasizes preparation for research and teaching in academic settings and for research and development in private, industrial, or government laboratories.
The PhD program in computer science is a research-oriented degree. Students pursuing a PhD in computer science (CS) are required to do original research in a subarea of CS with mentoring from a CS faculty advisor.
PhD students are expected to disseminate their research via conference and journal publications and presentations.The PhD in CS emphasizes preparation for research and teaching in academic settings or for research in private, industrial, or government laboratories.
PhD Program Requirements
1. The completion of a four-year undergraduate degree (or its equivalent) from an accredited institution. (Students applying to the PhD program need not have a master’s degree prior to admission).
2. A minimum 3.00 undergraduate grade point average on a 4.0 scale. Graduate students in recent years had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.60 for PhD applicants and 3.28 for MCS applicants.
PhD Funding Coverage
All our PhD students receive teaching or research assistantships that fully cover tuition and additionally provide a stipend for living expenses. This support is guaranteed for a minimum of four years, given good academic standing. In recent years, many of our MCS students have also been funded through teaching or research assistantships.
Most of the financial support provided for graduate students in the Computer Science Department comes in the form of Teaching Assistantships or Research Assistantships.
Application Requirement
1. Graduate Application
2. Undergraduate and graduate transcripts, showing strong performance in the following key areas: In addition, we look for exposure to database programming and network programming
- Math foundations (calculus, discrete math, probability, numerical analysis, etc.)
- Programming (C, C++, Java) and programming language foundations
- Data structures and algorithms
- Software and hardware systems
3. For applicants to the PhD programs, international or domestic, the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test is not required but optional. Applicants who want their GRE scores to be included as part of their application may submit their scores. Applicants who do not include GRE scores will not be at any disadvantage on that account.
4. The Graduate College requires a minimum TOEFL score of 81 for Internet-based testing or a minimum IELTS score of 7.0 (with no section score lower than 6.0) for international applicants whose native language is not English. However, students with TOEFL scores below 100 on Internet-based testing are generally not admitted to Computer Science graduate programs.
5. Three letters of recommendation and/or a recommendation form. Recommendations should be completed by persons who have direct knowledge of an applicant’s intellectual ability, motivation to study computer science, preparation for graduate school, creativity in research, capacity to work independently, and, if an international student, ability to speak and write English.
6. A statement of purpose indicating that the applicant understands the nature of the graduate program for which s/he is applying, and to perhaps express interest in a particular area of computer science.
7. A curriculum vitae or résumé.
Application Deadline
January 1, 2025
Application Fees
$60 application fee, $100 for international applicants.
