General Admission Requirements

The following are the general admission requirements for the Computer and Information Sciences PhD Program.

  • Applications are accepted for either Fall or Spring ingestion, but not for Summer.
  • All applications for admission must be made for a specific track in the program. Because each track may impose additional requirements above the general requirements, please consult the additional requirements page for the track to which intent to apply before submitting your application.
  • All admission applications must be submitted online.

The following items are required with the admission application

  • A bachelor’s or graduate degree from an accredited institution with an overall grade point average (GPA)  of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Applicants should have a degree appropriate to the track for which they are seeking admission. Consult track requirements pages.
  • Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores no more than 5 years old with a minimum verbal score of 142 (336 scale), minimum quantitative score of 144 (336 scale), minimum combined total of 301 (672 scale), and analytical writing score of 3.5 (6.0 scale). Some tracks require a higher quantitative score and some tracks will accept GMAT scores in lieu for GRE scores. In addition, students can request a GRE waiver based on prior graduate work, professional experience, or in the case of international students, inability to schedule the examination. However, applications without GRE scores may not be as competitive as those with GRE scores.
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Official transcripts for all previous college-level studies
  • Resume of previous academic and professional work experience, publications, and other relevant activities
  • Letter of intent outlining the applicant’s reasons why he or she should be considered for the program
  • Application fee
  • A copy of a government-issued photo ID
  • Applicants born after 1956 must  provide proof of 2 measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) immunizations. Students in the online program are exempt from this requirement. Other exemptions may apply. See Health Services page for details.

For International applicants

  • International applicants must request the World Education Services (WES) or another agency approved by the UA Little Rock Graduate School to submit articulated versions of their international transcripts.
  • International applicants who have not completed two or more years of full-time studies at a college or university where English is the language of instruction must provide evidence of English language proficiency by attaining a minimum score of 71 (79 scale) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a minimum score of 6.5 (9.0 scale) on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Students unable to schedule TOEFL or IELTS examinations can submit Duolingo scores.
  • International applicants are encouraged to apply by June 1st for Fall admission and by October 1st for Spring admission to allow time for visa and I-20 processing.

Admission Application Choices

  • Computer and Information Sciences PhD Computer Science Track (CIFSC-PHD)
  • Computer and Information Sciences PhD Information Quality Track (CIFSQ-PHD)
  • Computer and Information Sciences PhD Information Quality Track Online (CIFSQOL-PHD)
  • Computer and Information Sciences PhD Information Science Track (CIFSS-PHD)
  • Computer and Information Sciences PhD Information Science Track Online (CIFSSOL-PHD)

Note: This page is provided for informational purposes only, the most current UA Little Rock Graduate Catalog is the final authority.