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Preparation
Previous Degrees
GRE
TOEFL
Personal Statement
Recommendations
Sponsorship
How to Apply
N.C. Residency for Tuition Purposes
Bioinfoinformatics and Computational Biology Training
Program
Questions
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Admissions Requirements and how
to Apply Preparation
Admission to the department is highly competitive. Although
we welcome promising students from all disciplines, entering students
must have a substantial background in both mathematics and computer science.
This background normally includes at least six semester courses in mathematics
and six in computer science. We consider knowledge of the following subjects
to be essential preparation for our graduate program:
- differential and integral calculus;
- discrete mathematics: sets, relations, functions, algebra;
- linear algebra or matrix theory;
- mathematical probability, preferably calculus-based;
- structured programming techniques;
- data structures and abstract data types;
- computer organization.
Most entering students have studied all but two or three of the following
subjects, which are required preparation for our graduate program:
- design and analysis of algorithms;
- formal languages and automata theory;
- databases;
- operating systems;
- compilers;
- digital logic techniques;
- numerical computing methods;
- programming languages;
- software engineering.
Students who are admitted but who have not completed all the requirements
must complete them after admission. Preference is given to applicants who
are solidly prepared, especially in mathematics.
Previous Degrees
A baccalaureate degree is required, with a grade point average
of at least B (3.0/4.0); most entering students have a GPA of more than
3.5.
GRE
High scores on all three parts of the General Aptitude Test
of the Graduate Record Examination are also recommended: a minimum of
80th percentile on the verbal section, 90th percentile on the quantitative
section, and 90th percentile on the analytical section or a minimum of
5 on the analytical writing section. In recent years, most entering students
have averaged in the 90th percentile or higher on each of the three sections.
Allowances are made in interpreting the verbal test scores of applicants
whose native language is not English. Although GRE Advanced Test scores
are not required, applicants are encouraged to take the advanced test
in computer science, mathematics, engineering, or physics, as appropriate.
Standardized test scores must be officially reported directly by the Educational
Testing Service (ETS) and no more than five years old. The official report
of your score must arrive before admission can be offered. If you did
not specify the UNC-CH Graduate School institution code #5816 as a score
recipient at the time of taking the test, or if your scores were sent
more than one year ago, you must contact ETS to request that your scores
are sent to us. No departmental code is required.
TOEFL
All international applicants except those from countries where
English is the official language of instruction (Australia, Bahamas, Canada-except
Quebec, England, Ghana, Ireland, India, Jamaica, New Zealand, Nigeria,
Scotland, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad, Tobego, and Wales)
or those who have received a degree from a university in the United States
must submit a TOEFL Score. We give preference to applicants who score
above 640. The required minimum total score on the paper-based exam is
575 with a minimum of 57 in each section; comparable scores are required
on the computer-based exam. Test scores must be officially reported directly
by ETS and no more than two years old. The official report of your score
must arrive before admission can be offered. If you did not specify the
UNC-CH Graduate School institution code #5816 as a score recipient at
the time of taking the test, or if your scores were sent more than one
year ago, you must contact ETS to request that your scores are sent to
us. No departmental code is required.
Personal Statement
Each applicant must submit a short personal statement. This
statement is considered the departmental supplemental application and
should include:
- objectives in pursuing graduate study;
- identification of fields within computer science in which the applicant
has a particular interest;
- information that is relevant to the applicant's qualifications for
graduate study but that has not been included already in the application
(e.g. major academic projects, papers presented or published, and non-academic
computer experience);
- an informative title or a brief description of any course listed
on the applicant's transcript without a title (or with a vague title
such as "Mathematics II");
- a list of all courses taken or planned that do not yet appear on
a transcript;
- an e-mail address, if available.
It should be between a half page and two pages long. Electronic submission
of the personal statement is required by the application software.
Recommendations
Three letters of recommendation are required. Letters written
by an applicant's present or former professors are usually more informative
than those written by employers or colleagues. Electronic submission of
all three recommendations is required by the application software.
Sponsorship
Because of the large number of applicants, the department's
faculty members are unable to provide individual assessments of an applicant's
chances for admission. Applicants cannot improve their chances of admission
by finding a faculty sponsor within the department, because all admissions
decisions are made by a faculty committee that reviews all applications,
ranks the applicants by overall merit, and makes decisions on admission
and financial support based on the application material submitted. In
particular, students are not admitted by research project directors; contacting
individual faculty members whose research is of interest has no effect
on one's chances of being admitted.
How to Apply
Admission is based solely on merit. The University of North
Carolina is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution. Prospective
applicants who clearly surpass the minimum requirements are encouraged
to apply.
The Graduate School's web site includes information on applying and on-line
application forms. http://gradschool.unc.edu/admissions/instructions.html
If you do not have internet access and need to request a paper application,
write for application materials to:
The Graduate School
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Campus Box 4010, 200 Bynum Hall
Chapel Hill, N.C. 27599-4010 USA
Phone: (919) 966-2611
Internet mail: gradinfo@unc.edu
Web: http://gradschool.unc.edu
N.C.
Residency for Tuition Purposes
If you have questions
about North Carolina residency for tuition purposes, please visit http://gradschool.unc.edu/residency/index.html.
Bioinformatics
and Computational Biology Training Program
Students who wish to apply for this training program and to be considered
for the training program fellowship should file an additional application
following these instructions.
Questions
If you have any questions about our admissions process, please
contact us:
Admissions and Graduate Studies
Department of Computer Science
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Campus Box 3175, Sitterson Hall
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3175 USA
Phone: (919) 962-1900
FAX: (919) 962-1799
Internet mail: admit@cs.unc.edu
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