Graduate Admissions are done through the Department of Computer Science. The Department of Computer Science Application Information Site contains information regarding deadlines, procedures, application forms, documents needed, notification and status of application, minimum requirements, M.Sc. and Ph.D. (part-time or full-time), financial support, non-CS applicants, and other resources.
Below are the answers to some of the most common questions:
Q: I want to join your group or your department in general. What should I do?
A: Students in the Systems & Networks group and all others in our department must first be admitted to the graduate program in the Department of Computer Science. Applications typically open in October and the application deadline is around December 1st each year for admission in the Fall of the subsequent year. All the information is available here.
Q: What is involved in applying?
A: The online application consists of submitting an online form highlighting your background and reserach interests, statements of purpose, and reference letters on the DCS website. There is also a nominal fee for the application. You must decide if you want to apply to the master's program or to the PhD program directly. If you don't have any prior graduate studies, we generally recommend that you apply first to the master's program and transfer to the PhD program as you progress. We try to inform you in March of our decision. We usually accept a very small percentage of the best applicants, but the exact numbers vary from year to year.
Q: What are the admissions criteria?
A: Admission decisions are based primarily on your past academic performance, your reference letters, your statements and any research, teaching or job experience you might have. Having some idea of the sort of research in which you are interested and highlighting this in your application helps us send your file to the relevant faculty. You should be advised that even if you meet the minimum admission standards of the University, our program is highly competitive, and we usually accept a small fraction of the best applicants.
Q: Can you provide funding (i.e., a research assistantship) for my studies?
A: All students admitted to our department are guaranteed funding for the normal time of completion in their degree program (17 months for master's plus an additional 43 months if you continue to the PhD). This money comes from various sources including student scholarships, central university funds for student support, and research grants from faculty members. The details of where your support comes from should not be of concern to you, and we cannot discuss any financial arrangements until after you have been admitted by the department, and this cannot happen until we have received and processed your complete application.
Q: It's now spring/summer, and I'm really, really interested in your research area. Can't you accept me right away for September?
A: No. We stick to the timeline of applications as indicated on the department web site.
Q: What about working in a particular members laboratory?
A: If you are specifically interested in Systems & Networks, please indicate this on your application. Note, however that students are not admitted to work with specific professors; they are admitted to the department at large, with guaranteed funding and are free to work with whomever they find a good match with once they arrive. If you are interested in working with one of us specifically, you can also indicate this in your statement of interest included with your official application. This will mean that this professor will look at your file, and, should you be admitted, you can decide together once you arrive if you'd enjoy doing research together.
