Integrated 5-Year CS BS/MS Program
The Five-Year BS/MS integrated program enables highly motivated students with strong academic records to earn a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a Master of Science in Computer Science (BS CS/MS CS) within a five-year period.
Talented, high achieving juniors who are pursuing a BS in Computer Science may apply to the BS CS/MS CS Integrated Program. The BS CS Option IV degree requires a total of 120 hours. The MS CS degree associated with this program requires a total of 30 hours. Combined, the degrees total 150 hours, spread out over five years. Students may only be admitted for fall semesters. Applications are open only to current, degree-seeking computer science majors at the University of Texas at Austin.
During the senior year (Stage One), students admitted to the program will continue to be undergraduates in the College of Natural Sciences. They will apply to the Graduate School during the senior year, for admission as full-fledged graduate students in the fifth year (Stage Two). The BS CS and MS CS degrees will be simultaneously awarded upon completion of the MS CS degree requirements.
Related Documents:
Eligibility for applying to the program:
- We recommend that students be within 12 hours of finishing their undergrad courses when applying
- The committee considers your performance in your Computer Science courses, UDEs, and demonstrated interest in the deeper exploration of the field, including thoughtful selection of upper division coursework.
- A minimum of five long semesters in-residence completed upon submission of application. External transfers to UTCS may count transfer semesters toward eligibility.
- Completed all C S core courses when entering stage one of the program
- Core courses include: 312, 313K/313H or 311/311H, 314/314H, 429/429H, 439/439H, and 331/331H
Eligibility for moving forward into stage two of the program:
- At the end of stage one, a student will be admitted to stage two if they have a 3.0 GPA in their undergrad and grad CS courses and no grade below a "B-" in a graduate course.
- Must have completed 12 graduate hours to move into stage two.
- GRE must be taken to move into stage two.*
- Students who do not meet these requirements may submit a petition to the graduate office for re-consideration.
*GRE score is currently optional for Stage II. Subject to change based on UTCS graduate school decision.
Applying:
The Fall 2025 Application is now open!
Application for the BS/MS CS Integrated Program (PDF) - Please save the application, fill it out on your computer, then upload your completed form.
Application submission: Please upload your PDF application, statement of purpose and additional documents here.
Please make sure to include your Name and EID on all documents submitted.
Applications for the program are accepted in the spring each year (for students entering the following Fall semester). Upload all documents in ONE pdf. If you cannot upload all the required materials please contact us as soon as possible for an alternate method of delivery.
Spring 2025 Due Dates:
- Student Application (includes statement of purpose): January 6th, 2025
- Reference Forms: January 17th, 2025
- It is recommended that students should have references requested by December 1, 2024.
- Reference forms are required and should be submitted directly from the referrer.
- Two references are required, and an optional third may be submitted as well. These should be from UTCS faculty or related faculty members.
- New faculty recommendation form is available here.
The application requires the submission of a statement of purpose. Students are strongly advised to take advantage of the University Writing Center, which has a professional staff that can give you constructive feedback regarding the content, structure, tone, and length of your essay.
Have questions? Email: fiveyear@cs.utexas.edu
The application typically opens the first week of December and closes the last week of January.
You are not eligible to apply to the program until you have been at UT (or other college/university) for 5 long semesters. This means you should plan on applying your junior year.
You can apply, however, you will not be as competitive of an applicant since the program is designed to be combined with other degree requirements. If you are a senior, you may want to consider applying for a traditional master’s program since it would take you about the same amount of time.
Yes, if you get accepted to the program you will not see Honors listed as your major at any point between then and graduation. It will be your responsibility to complete any remaining requirements for the Turing degree and have them completed before the end of Stage II. During your final semester, the Honors faculty will certify anyone who has completed the requirements, and you will be awarded the Honors designation.
The decision timeline varies each semester, but you will likely hear back in mid to late April.
You should plan on registering for any remaining courses you need to complete your undergraduate degree. If you get admitted to the program, the 5-year advisor will help you adjust your schedule to include the graduate courses you need.
No. Students can not apply until their 3rd year and do not start until the fall of their 4th year. 3 graduate courses (9 hours) is considered a full time schedule (as opposed to 12 in undergrad). You are restricted to 2 graduate courses per semester as an undergrad so you cannot “speed up” the program or finish it early.
The statement of purpose should be approximately 2 pages describing the applicant's reasons for pursuing graduate study as well as their academic and professional interests and goals. This may include events/experiences that prepared you for CS graduate study and how your interests complement the department's faculty and research. While there are no fixed formatting requirements, students should use their best judgement when making editorial decisions such as the font, font size, etc., of their statement of purpose.
Please email fiveyear@cs.utexas.edu for additional inquiries.