Master Programme
Master of Science in Computer Science and Engineering
Penn State's MS in Computer Science and Engineering is a 30-credit research degree from the School of EECS, with at least 21 credits at the 500 level, including 15 credits of 500-level CSE courses. Students take nine credits of bridge and breadth courses chosen from foundations for advanced study, operating systems design, computer architecture and algorithm design, plus CSE electives and six credits from related subjects such as electrical engineering, IST, maths or statistics. It ends with either a thesis (with a defence) or a scholarly paper written in a research topics course.
University
Pennsylvania State University
Country
United States
Level
Master
Field
Computer Science
Duration
Full-time (30 credits); up to 12 credits may be taken online
Language
English
Campus
University Park
Degree
Master of Science (M.S.) in Computer Science and Engineering
Intake
Fall semester (spring entry is also offered)
Application Deadline
Fall 2027 entry: submit by 20 December 2026 to be sure of full consideration; CSE keeps accepting applications after that, but review may already have started, and no applications are accepted after 15 April 2027. Spring 2027 entry: all materials by 31 August 2026. Apply through the Fox Graduate School online application; the international application fee is US$85
Tuition Information
2026-27 (fall 2026 and spring 2027): University Park non-Pennsylvania graduate tuition for Business, EMS, Science, IST and Engineering programs is US$50,608 a year (US$25,304 a semester for full-time study; US$2,109 per credit part-time); international students pay the non-resident rate. The Student Initiated Fee adds US$320 a semester. Penn State's 2026-27 cost-of-attendance elements for University Park add, per semester on campus, US$3,290 for food, US$4,638 for housing, US$645 for books and supplies, US$1,122 for transportation and US$1,556 for miscellaneous costs (US$22,502 for fall and spring), for a budget of roughly US$73,750 (our total of the official figures). The approved 2027-28 rate, which applies to fall 2027 entrants, is US$52,632 a year. Graduate assistantships, which cover tuition, are described by the Fox Graduate School but are not guaranteed for master's students
Admission Requirements
- A bachelor's degree from an accredited US institution or an equivalent degree from a recognised institution abroad, with transcripts and degree certificates (certified English translations if needed)
- Application materials: statement of purpose, resume/CV, three letters of recommendation and official GRE General Test scores, which the Graduate Bulletin and CSE require for all MS and MEng applicants (institution code 2660)
- English proficiency (Fox Graduate School minimum, programs may ask for more): TOEFL iBT 4.5 overall with 3.5+ in speaking on the scale used from 21 January 2026 (80 overall with 19+ speaking for earlier tests) or IELTS Academic 6.5. Duolingo is not accepted. Applicants with slightly lower scores may be offered provisional admission with English coursework in the first semester. You are exempt if your bachelor's or graduate degree is from a listed country where English is the predominant language and the language of instruction (for example the UK, Ireland, Canada outside Quebec, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana or South Africa). Scores are valid for two years