PRIORITY REVIEW DATE February 1, 2008

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Admission to the PhD program in Computing and Information Sciences is highly competitive and successful applicants will, in general, have records considerably stronger in breadth or quality than the minimum standards suggest. Applicants should also be aware that meeting the requirements does not guarantee admission.

Applicants will be evaluated on the basis of their prior academic record and their potential for creative research. Admissions decisions are made by the admissions committee for the program, which is comprised of the faculty members of the program. Admissions decisions will generally be made in the winter for admissions in the Fall quarter.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR CONSIDERATION:

• Baccalaureate degree or its recognized equivalent. Since the doctoral program in Computing and Information Sciences encompasses a wide variety of disciplines, we seek students with diverse backgrounds. While most students will come from a computing-related discipline, students in engineering, science, the humanities, fine arts, business and other disciplines along with computing backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
• Strong record of academic achievement as indicated by official transcripts.
• One full year of study in programming and computing concepts. More advanced computing courses are desirable.
• Discrete Mathematics, and Probability and Statistics.
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE), basic exam score within last 5 years.
• Recommendations from at least two individuals who are well-qualified to assess the student's potential for success in a Ph.D. program.
• Professional or research paper writing sample(s), if available.
• Written statement defining the student's research interests.
• Current resume with current position, if applicable.
• Optional portfolio of past work.

TEST OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (TOEFL) for students for whom English is not their native language. A score of at least 570 on the paper-based test, 88 on the internet test, or 230 on the computer-based test is required.

INTERVIEW
An interview by one or more of the doctoral program faculty and/or admissions committee will be required for candidates considered for admission prior to final selection. This interview may be via telephone.

ASSISTANTSHIPS
Research and teaching assistantships, including tuition and stipend, are available and awarded on a competitive basis. Application for assistantships should be included in the student's application materials.

TRANSFER CREDIT
Students transferring into the program from a Masters program in a computing and information sciences discipline, or in a related domain-specific discipline, may be granted up to 28 quarter-based credit hours towards the Ph.D. degree requirements. However students are not eligible to earn an additional M.S. degree if the student already holds an M.S. degree in a computing and information sciences degree or related field from RIT or another university.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications can be mailed to:

Rochester Institute of Technology
Office of Graduate Enrollment Services
58 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, New York 14623-5604