Computer Science Accelerated BSMS Program
Coordinator: Dr. Paul Fodor (contact: pfodor@cs.stonybrook.edu)
- Overview
- Admission Process
- Enrollment in graduate courses for undergraduate students in the Computer Science BSMS program
- Completion of the undergraduate degree and transition to the MS program
- Common Questions and Answers
Overview
Undergraduate students majoring in Computer Science at Stony Brook University are eligible to apply for the Computer Science Accelerated BSMS Program (also called Accelerated Participant Program (APP)). The program is a sequential degree program. The program offers the following key benefits:
- Undergraduate students may take up to three graduate lecture courses (9 credits) during their undergraduate studies, which can be applied to both their undergraduate and graduate degrees.
- The Graduate School mandates that BSMS students complete at least two graduate courses during their undergraduate studies. These graduate CSE courses can be applied as technical electives toward the BS degree.
- The application process for the program is simpler than the standard MS admission process, which typically involves completing a more extensive application, taking the GRE, and paying application fees.
The BSMS Program description in the Undergraduate and Graduate Bulletins can be found here:
- Undergraduate Bulletin description of the BSMS programs
- Graduate Bulletin description of the BSMS programs
Questions: Email csugcomm@cs.stonybrook.edu (include in the Subject: "CSE BSMS Program")
Admission Process
Admission to the program is competitive and requires approval from the Computer Science Graduate Admissions Committee.
Eligibility: Stony Brook Computer Science majors are encouraged to apply for admission to the Accelerated Computer Science BSMS program at the end of their junior year. However, applications may also be submitted up to one full semester before graduation, provided the following requirements are met:
- The student must have completed a minimum of three upper-division technical CSE courses at Stony Brook University.
- The student must have a CSE technical GPA of at least 3.25. Technical courses include required core and advanced major courses as well as upper-division elective technical courses. This excludes CSE475 and limits CSE487 to being counted only once. If a course was repeated, all grades from that course are factored into the CSE technical GPA calculation. You can access the official Stony Brook GPA calculator here.
- A cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.
Meeting the minimum GPA requirements does not guarantee admission, as the program is highly competitive and considers factors such as the quality of reference letters and overall program capacity. In fact, the average GPA of previously admitted students was above 3.5, with successful applicants typically earning A grades in most upper-division Computer Science courses, including CSE220 and CSE320. Applicants who are interested in pursuing a graduate degree but do not meet the criteria or are not admitted to the BSMS program are encouraged to apply directly to the MS program.
Application process: The application form can be found here and must be completed using your @stonybrook.edu University student account. Once you submit the form, it will send you a link to your completed application, allowing you to update specific fields—such as recommenders, GPA, CV, statement, etc. - up until the application deadline for the semester you are applying.
Application forms must be accompanied by:
- Resume (in PDF format),
- Statement of purpose
- Your statement should explain why you want to pursue an advanced degree and outline your plans for using it after graduation.
- The statement can be written in any style, formatted as a PDF, and should typically be 1 to 2 pages in length.
- For more information on what a statement of purpose entails, you can refer to this general overview.
- Name and Email addresses for 2 or 3 references.
- The department will contact the listed references 1 or 2 days after the application deadline requesting the recommendation letters, which must be submitted within a week.
- At least one letter must come from a current faculty member in the Computer Science department.
- Other recommendation letters should be written by professionals in the field of Computer Science — such as other instructors in the department or the university, internship mentors, coordinators or managers, or human resources personnel.
- Letters should assess your capabilities in areas, an evaluation of your potential for success in the MS program, the recommender's relationship with you and the period of your association.
Deadlines: Applications are reviewed twice a year by the Computer Science Graduate Admissions Committee.
- Fall Admission Deadline: July 1st
- Spring Admission Deadline: January 1st
The Computer Science Graduate Admissions Committee will review applications within approximately two weeks after the deadline, and all applicants will be notified of their admission status via email. As a high-quality graduate program, we cannot provide specific details about individual reviews. Each application is evaluated by at least three different faculty members, and the majority decision determines the outcome. Reviewers assess the likelihood of the applicant's success in graduate studies based on all components of the application, including GPA, academic transcript, recommendation letters, statement of purpose, and resume.
Successful applicants will receive an admission letter for the BSMS program, which must be signed and submitted to the CSE BSMS coordinator within one week. The coordinator will then submit the documents to the Graduate School.
Enrollment in graduate courses for undergraduate students in the Computer Science BSMS program
Students must obtain permission from the Graduate School to enroll in graduate courses that will count toward both the BS and MS degrees. Before finalizing their selection of undergraduate Computer Science courses, students should consult the CSE Graduate Student Handbook, which outlines the requirements of the MS program.
- A BSMS student registering for a graduate course while an undergraduate needs to find an appropriate CSE graduate class using SOLAR and must petition the CSE BSMS coordinator by email at least two days before the late enrollment deadline.
- Once the coordinator replies with the approval (if seats are available in the class), please use the Graduate School Google Form titled “Permission for APP Students to Enroll in Grad Courses” available here to submit your course request to the Graduate School including the coordinator email as Undergraduate, Graduate, and Instructor permissions.
- After completing the form, you do not need to send your response to the department, as your course application has already been recorded. The Graduate School will review your enrollment request and forward it to the Registrar, typically within a week. If seats are still available at the time of processing your request, the Registrar will directly enroll you in the course.
The Graduate School does not process course swaps, enroll students in courses that conflict with their existing schedule, or approve enrollment requests that exceed the maximum credit limit at the time of the petition. Before submitting your request you must drop any conflicting classes, or delay your petition until the credit limit is increased. Typically, students can register for a maximum of 17 credits until the Friday before the start of the semester, at which point the credit limit is raised to 19 credits. However, you should verify the specific conditions that apply to your situation. The Graduate School will contact you if additional steps are needed.
The goal of the BSMS program is for students to take lecture-based courses that fulfill both the undergraduate CSE technical elective requirements and the MS degree requirements. Non-lecture-based courses, such as the teaching practicum (CSE698) and project-based courses (CSE522, CSE523, CSE587, and CSE596), are not suitable for students while they are still in the undergraduate part of the program. Additionally, bridge courses (CSE581, CSE582, and CSE583), designed for non-Computer Science students, are not appropriate for Computer Science BSMS students. Each elective used to satisfy the BS degree graduation requirements (including the graduate courses taken in lieu of electives) requires three credits and a grade of C or higher.
While in the undergraduate part of the program, BSMS students must adhere to the undergraduate academic calendar for all courses, including graduate courses. Withdrawal from graduate courses follows the undergraduate calendar, and graduate courses cannot be taken as G/P/NC. Additionally, any graduate courses taken before acceptance into the BSMS program cannot be applied toward the MS degree as part of the BSMS program, in accordance with the Graduate School policies.
Completion of the undergraduate degree and transition to the MS program
During their final undergraduate semester, students must file for graduation of their BS degree before the applicable deadlines and indicate on the degree application that they are enrolled in the BSMS program. Admission to the MS program is considered provisional and contingent upon the awarding of the undergraduate degree. Students who fail to complete two graduate courses with a minimum grade of C will be removed from the BSMS program.
During the final semester of the undergraduate program (typically around March or October), the BSMS coordinator will prepare a new MS Admission Letter and email it to the students for their signature. The student uses the Graduate School Google Form titled “Application to the Graduate School for the APP program” available here to submit the application for transition to the Graduate School. The BSMS program requires that the MS program begins immediately in the semester following the completion of the BS degree; postponing the start of the MS program is not permitted.
Common Questions and Answers
Withdrawal from BSMS: If a student decides not to continue in the BSMS program, they must email the BSMS coordinator to request department permission and then submit a “Request for Withdrawal from APP” available here to the Graduate School. Students who choose to withdraw from an accelerated program may still apply the graduate credits earned during the program toward the major requirements for their undergraduate degree.
Scholarships for the CSE BSMS Program: We currently do not offer scholarships for the CSE BSMS Program. At present, we can only provide partial teaching assistantship stipends (excluding tuition coverage) if additional TAs are needed for courses. After the transition to the MS program, the Graduate Director will post TA opportunities on the Piazza Web page for graduate students and BSMS students are encouraged to apply.
Students interested in funding opportunities are encouraged to apply to the Ph.D. program. The department provides support to all Ph.D. students for four years, either through teaching assistantships (TAs) or research assistantships (RAs). Note that Ph.D. applications are managed by the Graduate School and are entirely separate from BSMS applications.
In addition to departmental support, students can explore external scholarships, such as federal programs (like the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program), which students apply to independently without department involvement. Industry fellowships, such as the Google Ph.D. Fellowship, Facebook Fellowship, or IBM Fellowship, are also common options.