How to Apply to Computer Science at Brigham Young University: An Open-Enrollment BS, the Ecclesiastical Endorsement and Honor Code, and Requirements and Timeline for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

Brigham Young University (BYU), in Provo, Utah, is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Undergraduate computer science is taught by the Computer Science Department in the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, and the main degree is the Computer Science BS. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on BYU’s website, for students at high schools in China (including A-level, IB and AP students), students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver students), and transfer students.

1. First: the religious requirements

• Ecclesiastical Endorsement: BYU says it is required for all applicants. It includes two interviews focused on the Honor Code and the applicant’s efforts to grow spiritually. Church members interview with their bishop and stake president; applicants who are not Church members can do the first interview with a Latter-day Saint bishop or a leader of their own faith, and the second with the BYU chaplain.
• Applicants from mainland China: the international FAQ says applicants from mainland China or other areas who feel unsafe or uncomfortable reaching out to a Church member should contact BYU’s International Admissions Coordinator.
• What BYU looks for: a holistic review of coursework, essays, activities and recommendations, with a focus on students who align with the Aims of a BYU Education (spiritually strengthening, intellectually enlarging, character building, and lifelong learning and service).
• Seminary: you can apply without having attended seminary or institute; explain your situation in the application.
• Applicants who are not Church members first create a non-member Church account.

2. Getting into the major

• No separate application: the department says most of its programs are open enrollment; the only exception is CS: Animation and Games, which requires an application.
• Declaring: incoming freshmen may list the major on their application, but it is not finalised until they contact the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Advisement Center. International applicants must choose an intended major when applying and can change later. Students with more than 60 credits are encouraged to see an undergraduate advisor before changing.
• Programming background: CS 111 assumes prior programming experience (basic types, control flow, functions, lists); students who have never programmed take CS 110 (Python) first. Students who have taken AP Computer Science are likely a good fit for CS 111. CS 111 is the only course you can test out of.
• Gate to upper-level courses: you must pass CS 240 with a C- or better and complete a department interview before registering for 300- and 400-level CS courses.

3. Curriculum

• Credits: the catalog lists 74 to 75 credit hours for the BS major; the department FAQ says 74 to 77. Check with the catalog and advisement center. All major credit must be C- or better and taken within eight years of declaring.
• Core (catalog): 13 courses, including Intro to Computer Science, Computer Systems, Data Structures, Discrete Structures, Advanced Software Construction, Intro to Computational Theory, Web Programming, Algorithm Design and Analysis, Systems Programming, Software Design, and Ethics and Computers in Society.
• Mathematics and science: Calculus 1, Elementary Linear Algebra, Computational Linear Algebra, Intro to Newtonian Mechanics and Technical Communication; one of Probability Theory or two statistics courses; and one of Calculus 2, Fundamentals of Mathematics or Statistical Modeling for Data Science.
• Electives: 21 credit hours, grouped by area such as software engineering, human-computer interaction, machine learning, computer systems, animation and games, programming language theory and formal verification.
• Related degrees: a Machine Learning BS, and CS emphasis degrees in Software Engineering, Animation and Games, Bioinformatics, and Human-Computer Interaction.

4. Deadlines and materials

• Fall 2027 (freshmen): opens 26 August 2026; priority deadline 2 November 2026; final deadline 15 December 2026; decisions 15 February 2027. Meeting the priority deadline does not bring an earlier decision but gives extra consideration in the holistic review.
• Scholarships: freshmen must also submit the BYU scholarship application by 2 January.
• Recommendations: up to three, depending on circumstances: a seminary recommendation if you are in seminary; an academic recommendation from a high school teacher (maths, English, science or social science in your junior or senior year) if you attended high school in the last three years; and an Other Recommendation from a non-relative, required for all applicants.
• Fee: USD 35. BYU does not admit students who will be younger than 17 on the first day of class.
• Entrance stats: for spring/summer/fall 2026, 14,067 freshmen applied and 9,870 were admitted (70.2%); the middle 50% of admitted students had a GPA of 3.86 to 4.00, ACT 28 to 32 and SAT 1300 to 1430. These are university-wide figures, not for computer science.

5. Testing and English

• SAT/ACT: optional for most applicants through winter 2028. The application determines whether a score is required based on your coursework and evaluation. If optional, BYU encourages submitting one under a “Do No Harm” approach. Superscores are not accepted.
• English (minimums apply from the winter 2027 application cycle): overall and every section must meet the minimum.
  • TOEFL iBT: on or after 21 January 2026, 4 overall and 4 in each section; before that date, 80 overall and 20 in each section.
  • IELTS Academic: 6.5 overall, 6 in each section.
  • PTE: 60 overall and in each section; Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency: 180 overall, 172 in each section.
  • Scores expire after two years.
• English waivers: case by case, considering factors such as a 3.5 GPA in high school (and college), five to seven years of residence in English-speaking countries including Canada, four or more years at an English-only international school with a 3.5 GPA, and essay quality.

6. Students at high schools in China

• Credential evaluation: all secondary work (grades 9 to 12) completed at schools that are not US-accredited must be evaluated, at your expense, by IERF or TEC before you complete the application. Do not send international transcripts directly to BYU; unevaluated transcripts are discarded.
• A-levels and IB: pre-university work such as AS and A levels must be included in the evaluation. Holders of the completed IB Diploma may have it evaluated or self-report it after contacting the International Admissions Representative.
• Gaokao: how Gaokao results are used, and any score requirement, are not published; contact BYU’s International Admissions Coordinator.
• AP: see the registrar’s AP/IB exam guides for credit.

7. Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver)

• Schools that are not US-accredited also require an IERF or TEC evaluation; BYU lists CEGEP among the pre-university work to include.
• BYU does not publish score requirements for BC high school students.
• Five to seven years of residence in Canada is one factor considered for an English waiver (case by case, not guaranteed).

8. Transfer students

• Who is a transfer: high school graduates with at least 0.5 graded college credit after graduation (see the transfer page for what counts as graded credit). Applicants with 90 or more graded semester credits are unlikely to be admitted, and BYU does not offer second bachelor’s degrees.
• Materials: official transcripts from all colleges; applicants with fewer than 24 graded credits also self-report high school work. International college work must be evaluated by IERF or TEC.
• Fall 2027: opens 26 August 2026; apply by 15 December 2026 for a decision by 15 February 2027 (required for scholarship consideration); final deadline 1 June 2027, decisions by 28 June 2027.
• 2026 stats: 3,083 transfer applicants, 1,874 admitted (60.8%), middle 50% GPA 3.58 to 3.93.
• CS transfer credit: the department allows at most 12 CS credits from other universities toward the BS.

9. Tuition and scholarships

• 2026-2027 undergraduate tuition (fall and winter semesters, 12 or more credit hours): USD 3,548 per semester for Latter-day Saints and USD 7,096 per semester for non-Latter-day Saints. BYU explains that Church members pay less because tithes of Church members cover significant portions of operating costs.
• Books, housing, food and transport are extra; see BYU’s cost of attendance.
• Scholarships: international students are eligible for general scholarships through the Financial Aid Office; new freshmen for fall must submit the scholarship application by 2 January. Amounts are not published.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Start your IERF or TEC evaluation early; it takes several weeks
• Schedule the two endorsement interviews early; if contacting the Church is difficult in mainland China, contact the International Admissions Coordinator first
• Prepare English scores (for example IELTS 6.5 with 6 in each section) and recommendations
• Apply by the 2 November priority deadline (final 15 December); submit the scholarship application by 2 January
• If you have never programmed, start with CS 110

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Non-US-accredited schools also need an evaluation; BC score requirements are not published, so check with the International Admissions Representative
• If you have lived in Canada for five to seven years, ask about an English waiver

Transfer students:

• Final deadline 1 June 2027; apply by 15 December 2026 for scholarship consideration
• At most 12 CS credits transfer; check the college’s approved transfer list first

Sources: Brigham Young University, Computer Science (BS); About Computer Science programs and FAQs; Declaring a CS major; Catalog: Computer Science (BS); CS credit transfer policy; Freshman applicants; Application deadlines; What we look for; How to apply (international); International applicant FAQs; Evaluating international work; English proficiency requirement; ACT/SAT scores; Entrance stats; Transfer applicants; Tuition; International student scholarships. Information is for fall 2027 entry (tuition is for 2026-2027). Check BYU for the latest details.