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Coterminal Admissions | Frequently Asked Questions

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Overview

If your inquiries aren't addressed below, you are welcome to connect with the CS Graduate Admissions team (admissions@cs.stanford.edu).

  1. Does CS require 3 academic letters of recommendation? The CS Department does require 3 letters of recommendation. We recommend that at least 2 of these are from academic sources.
  2.  Are academic letters of recommendation required to be from CS faculty? If possible, it is recommended that at least one letter of recommendation comes from a CS faculty.
  3. Am I eligible to apply if my undergraduate major is not computer science (CS)?  Yes; however, it is recommended that non-CS majors take at least 4 CS core courses (including: CS103, 107, 109, 111, or 161) or a combination of CS core and graduate level courses prior to applying.
  4. What are the minimum GPA requirements for coterm admissions? Applicants do not need to meet a minimum grade point average (GPA). NOTE: the recommended undergraduate GPA for non-CS majors is 3.5.
  5. If admitted to the coterm program can I defer? No
  6. How does a leave of absence work? As a coterm student, you’ll need to take a LOA from both your Bachelors and Master's programs. The CS Department will let you take a LOA for any reason. You can take a maximum 1 year LOA from the CS Master's program.
  7. Is there financial assistance available for coterm students? Yes, there is a limited amount of funding for coterm students. Please see Coterm Funding and Financial Aid information on the Stanford Engineering website.
  8. Can recommenders submit letters after the deadline? Yes. Letters of recommendation received after the deadline will be attached your application. However, we cannot guarantee that letters accepted after the deadline will be available to the committee when your application is reviewed. As a result, we encourage you to contact your recommenders to ensure they submit letters as close to the deadline as possible.
  9. Who should I contact if I have more questions? Please contact admissions@cs.stanford.edu.

See the University's Coterm FAQ page for more helpful information.