School of Engineering
Department of Computer Science

Post-Baccalaureate FAQs

The official policies for this program may be found in the CS Department Bulletin. If there is any conflict between this webpage and the official policies, then the official policies have precedence.

  • Go to the Graduate Admissions web site for application instructions.

  • Students are accepted on a rolling basis. To start in fall, your application should be complete by early August. For spring, it should be complete by mid-November, and for summer it should be complete by early April. If you need a student visa, the standard graduate program deadlines are in effect.

  • The main requirement is a bachelors degree in some area other than computer science. You need to have taken an introductory programming course using C++, Java, or a closely related language.

  • You may apply to the post-baccalaureate program. In the meantime, you can take COMP 11 at Tufts via University College. If you prefer to take an equivalent course elsewhere, you will need to submit the certificate/transcript listing that course before matriculating. It is best to check with the post-baccalaureate advisor to check equivalency.​

  • No, but if you'd like to continue to the Masters program you'll need to take the GRE general test at that time. The subject test in Computer Science is not required in any case.

  • Non-Tufts courses cannot be transferred into the post-baccalaureate program, but you don't need to retake the course. You may substitute a more advanced course, and if it is numbered above 100 it can be transferred to count towards a Tufts Masters degree.

  • No, one of the biggest advantages of Tufts' post-baccalaureate program over other similar programs is that you will be in the same high-quality courses as other Tufts undergraduate and graduate students. As a result, we offer only a few courses in the evenings and none on the weekends. You can view our course schedules for past years on our web site to determine whether our courses will fit your schedule.

  • Look under "Engineering Certificate Programs" at the Graduate Admissions web site. Most courses are three or four credits. If you are on a student visa you will need to register for at least nine credits per semester.

  • Yes, but we believe you get what you pay for. At Tufts you will be in the same courses as other students in our very selective undergraduate and graduate programs, taught by the same world-class faculty.

  • Only some private loans. Contact the Tufts Graduate Admissions for more information.

  • Yes, in fact most students who successfully complete the post-baccalaureate continue to our Masters program, and a small but significant percentage continue for a PhD. Any courses taken as part of the post-baccalaureate numbered above 100 will count toward the Masters degree.

  • Many research groups in the department welcome post-baccalaureate students. The Tufts CS Department web site has a list of research areas. Contact one of the faculty members involved in the research to ask about sitting in on group meetings. Many of the research areas are interdisciplinary, so you may be able to contribute background knowledge from an area outside of computer science.

  • Questions not addressed in the FAQ may be directed to Sandie Schulenburg, Graduate Program Coordinator, or Diane Souvaine, Director of Graduate Studies.