Computer Science Degree Programs at the University of Texas – Austin
The University of Texas – Austin appears in our ranking of the Top 50 Master’s in Computer Science Degree Programs.
The University of Texas – Austin offers an undergraduate computer science degree programs and both a graduate and a doctoral program in the same subject. Undergrads have the choice of six different concentrations, including mobile computing, cybersecurity, big data, computer systems, game development, and machine learning and artificial intelligence. Students can also earn one of seven computer science certificates from the university, including certificates in information studies and a UTeach certificate. Computer science majors must take classes such as Principles of Computer Systems and Computer Organization and Architecture. The university offers a computer science for honors students too.
Though graduate students can also earn computer science degrees through the university, they need to pick from three different tracks. One track is available for online students. The other two allow traditional students to pick between a thesis track or one that asks them to take more classes. Students can take diversity courses, which count as credit in both the university’s graduate and doctoral programs. Those classes include Cryptography, Parallel Algorithms, Automated Logical Reasoning, Artificial Intelligence, and Reinforcement Learning: Theory and Practice.
Doctoral students must complete all the university’s degree requirements, including having a background in computer science and technology and taking all prerequisite classes. The University of Texas – Austin expects students to do research projects after taking some research courses. A portfolio program allows students to gain robotics experience and to create portfolios that show their robotics work. Doctoral students will also take a comprehensive exam and do a dissertation that they will defend at a later date. The University of Texas – Austin allows students to enroll in a track that leads from a graduate to a doctoral degree, which lets majors earn their degrees without taking as many courses as they otherwise would.
About the University of Texas – Austin
The University of Texas – Austin, also known as the University of Texas at Austin, is the flagship campus in the UT system. It uses the abbreviation UT to show that it’s the main campus and sometimes uses the name UT Austin. Though residents of Texas called for the formation of a new college as early as the 1820s, the city did not get a college until 1881, which is when The University of Texas was established. This university grew quickly through the 1890s and later as it received donations from locals who wanted to help. It would gain a strong reputation in the state and later in the nation because of the programs available to students and some of the opportunities they had away from the campus, including the option to study aboard or do an internship.
UT is a Public Ivy, which means it is one of the only public schools in the nation to offer the same education and opportunities as Ivy League colleges do. ARWU and U.S. News and World Report rank UT within the top 50 of all colleges in the nation and within the top 60 of colleges in the world. Forbes, Times and Washington Monthly also rank UT globally and on a national scale. It also has a strong reputation for the value that it provides students and for its low tuition. UT Austin has an enrollment of more than 50,000 students across all its programs.
University of Texas – Austin Accreditation Details
The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) awarded full accreditation to UT for all its engineering and computer science programs. This accreditation covers the doctoral and graduate options too. UT also has accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). This is the accreditation that lets UT accept transfer credits from any regional school a student attended and to offer the financial aid packages that so many students need.
University of Texas – Austin Application Requirements
With an acceptance rate of around 40%, UT ranks as one of the more selective schools in Texas. Undergrads must meet specific requirements, including taking college prep courses and providing a full application. The undergrad application becomes available on August 1 and charges a $75 fee. Students can either submit the Coalition Application or apply through the ApplyTexas website. They will need to upload a long essay and three short responses to other questions. UT asks for test scores and high school/college transcripts from all prospective undergrads too.
Graduate and doctoral students will use a separate application. The university asks graduate students to pick which of the three programs they want to study. UT requires a minimum GPA of 3.0 and transcripts that show an applicant completed all prerequisite classes and that the student has a bachelor’s degree. They will also need to submit a GRE score. An online checklist is available to help students understand the university’s application process and to make sure that they submit all the required information. Both the doctoral and graduate programs ask for three letters of reference and an essay.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The cost that graduate and doctoral students pay is $4,518 per semester for Texas residents and $8,903 per semester for nonresidents. Those students can qualify for UT financial aid such as a doctoral fellowship, which gives students $4,000 for their travel expenses and a stipend of more than $24,000 that they can use over the nine-month school year. Research and teaching assistantships go to students who agree to work at least 20 hours a week in the Department of Computer Science. Students in the doctoral and graduate computer science programs can also use federal and private loans.
Undergrads attending UT pay $5,311 per semester as a resident or $18,862 each semester as a nonresident. The university allows full-time students to take a minimum of 12 credit hours and does not charge any extra fees unless they take more than 18 credits in that semester. Financial aid packages can significantly reduce the amount they pay each year and go to students who complete the FAFSA. Those who want government grants and other aid should submit the FAFSA by December first. Scholarships can also help them cover some of their costs and include programs offered by individual departments and the university itself. All the computer science degree programs offered by the University of Texas – Austin accept government and institutional aid.
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