• QUALIFICATIONS FOR ADMISSION
• GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATION (GRE) TEST SCORES
• ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
• PROGRAM PREREQUISITES
• DEADLINES
• GETTING MORE INFORMATION OR AN APPLICATION

The Graduate Information Science and Technology Program seeks students with diverse interests and abilities. An undergraduate computer science major is not a prerequisite. Although many successful students have entered the program with a background in mathematics, engineering, or computer science, many other outstanding students entered with undergraduate degrees in business, music, history, philosophy, or chemistry.

Graduate students must possess sufficient knowledge of English to study without being hindered by language problems, to understand lectures, and to participate successfully in class discussion. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) must be taken if the applicant's native language is not English. A minimum score of 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based) or 80 (Internet-based) on the TOEFL is required for admission to graduate study. The requirement to take the TOEFL may be waived if the applicant has received a degree from an accredited institution in the United States. Upon arrival, students with TOEFL scores less than 650 (paper) or 280 (computer) will be given the on-campus administered Michigan Test of English Proficiency, which is given by the Office of International Services. If remedial courses in English as a foreign language are recommended as an outcome of the Michigan Test of English Proficiency, the student must complete the remedial course during the first two terms of study.

Prerequisites for admission to the Master of Science in Information Science (MSIS) degree program include one three-credit college course in each of the following:

• A structured programming language
  A course on data structures and file processing using a modern structured language is optimal. C or C++ is strongly recommended although students with two languages, such as FORTRAN and Pascal, can be expected to pick up the C language on their own. Either INFSCI 0017 Object-Oriented Programming 1 for Information Science, CS 0132: Programming in C & Guide to Unix System or CS 0401: Intermediate Programming Using Java is recommended to meet this requirement.
  
  
• Statistics
  A course covering data collection, descriptive and inferential statistics is optimal. It should cover measures of central tendency and variability, regression, correlation, non-parametric analysis, probability and sampling, Bayesian analysis, significance tests, and hypothesis testing. Either INFSCI 1000: Statistical Analysis of Data, STATS 0200: Basic Applied Statistics, or STATS 1000: Applied Statistical Methods is recommended to meet this requirement.
  
  
• Mathematics
  A college level mathematics course, preferably in discrete mathematics or calculus, is required. Any of the following courses is recommended: MATH 0120: Business Calculus, MATH 0220: Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1, or MATH 0400: Discrete Mathematical Structures. A college level course in algebra and trigonometry is minimally acceptable.

Students who lack some of the prerequisite courses may be admitted provisionally pending completion of the prerequisites during the first or second term of study. Any coursework that the student is asked to meet as a condition of their admission must be completed with a grade of B or better.

The Graduate Program in Information Science and Technology accepts applications on a rolling basis. In order for your addmissions application to recieve full consideration, applications should be submitted by: Fall semester - July 15, Spring semester - November 1, Summer semester - March 15.

Full-time students are encouraged to apply for Fall admission only, as the course selections in Spring and Summer term are directed toward more advanced students.

All application materials for the PhD degree and for those who are requesting financial aid in all degree programs should be received at the school by January 15 for Fall Term and June 15 for Spring Term. No new applications for doctoral study or new applications for financial aid are accepted for consideration for the Summer Term.

Online Application Is Available. We offer a Web-based application in hopes that it will make our application process as easy and convenient as possible for you. You can get started right now.

Other application materials:

• Form for letter of recommendation: PDF format
• Financial Aid Application Form: PDF format
• International Graduate Student Information and International Graduate Student Supplemental Form (PDF format)

Other documents:

• Information about financial aid (html)

If you are unable to download and print the application material, you may request the same material via mail, email or fax from the address below. You should expect a six week delay (ten weeks for international requests) in receiving the material. The application material that you receive via mail is identical to what is available on-line and there is no need to contact the graduate office for an application, if you are able to download the material directly.

Please do contact the office below if you are having trouble downloading the material and we will advise you on the proper method to download the application material to your computer and printer, or if necessary, send the application form via postal mail.

Shabana Reza
Recruitment, Admissions, and Financial Aid
School of Information Sciences
University of Pittsburgh
505 IS Building
135 North Bellefield Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Phone: (412) 624-3988
Fax: (412) 624-5231
E-mail: isinq@mail.sis.pitt.edu