How to Apply to Computer Science at the University of Vermont: The B.S. in Computer Science in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences and the B.A. in Arts and Sciences, with Requirements and Timeline for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

At the University of Vermont (UVM), the Department of Computer Science is in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (CEMS), and the main undergraduate degree is the B.S. in Computer Science. Here is what you need to know, based on UVM’s website and catalogue, 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. Four undergraduate degrees

• B.S. in Computer Science (CEMS): the most depth in computing and math and the most flexibility in other electives; a minor is encouraged but not required.
• B.S. in Computer Science and Information Systems (CEMS): a CS major plus the business core.
• B.S. in Data Science (CEMS): at the intersection of computer science, mathematics and statistics.
• B.A. in Computer Science (College of Arts and Sciences): CS within a liberal arts education, with a required minor and courses in humanities, social sciences, fine arts, literature and foreign language.
• Accelerated master’s: qualified students in any of these programs can apply in their junior year to earn an M.S. in Computer Science or Complex Systems and Data Science in one extra year.

2. B.S. curriculum (2026-27 Catalogue)

• Total: at least 120 credits.
• CS credits, two figures: the catalogue lists 52 credits of computer science; the department’s overview page says 50. Both are given here; follow the catalogue and your advisor.
• Required CS courses: Computer Programming I (CS 1210), Seminar for New CS Majors, Discrete Structures, Intermediate Programming (CS 2100), Computer Organization, Data Structures & Algorithms, Computability & Complexity, Advanced Programming, Intro to Artificial Intelligence, Operating Systems, Algorithm Design & Analysis and Senior Seminar, plus 15 CS elective credits (6 at the 2000 level or above and 9 at the 3000 level or above). CS 1210 and CS 2100 need a C- or higher.
• Math and statistics: 14 credits of math (including Calculus I and II) and 6 credits of probability and statistics (Statistics for Engineering and Applied Probability).
• Natural sciences: 7 credits in two courses, one with a lab.
• Intro programming: CS 1210 is taught in Python. The department offers a placement exam; students who place out can take courses such as CS 2100 but do not receive credit for CS 1210.

3. B.A. curriculum (department overview)

• At least 120 credits, including 41 credits of computer science, 8 of math, 6 of probability and statistics and 7 of natural sciences, plus fine art, foreign language, humanities, social sciences and literature, and a minor of about 18 credits.

4. Admission and high school courses

• Holistic review: rigor, grades and trends, plus essays, recommendations and life experience. UVM states that admission decisions are made without regard to family financial circumstances.
• CEMS high school requirements: four years of math including trigonometry or precalculus; engineering majors also need a year each of chemistry and physics, and other majors two years of lab science.
• University minimums (international page): three years of math (Algebra I, Algebra II and geometry or equivalent), two years of one foreign language, three years of natural or physical science including a lab science, and three years of social sciences.
• Separate thresholds: the pages read do not say whether computer science is capped or what current students need to change into it. This is not published; ask Admissions or the college.
• Admitted profile: fall 2024 admitted first-years had an average GPA of 3.8 (4.0 scale), with middle-50% SAT EBRW 670–740 and Math 650–740.

5. How and when to apply

• Application: Common App or Coalition App with Scoir, with no advantage either way; there is no application fee.
• Materials: an official secondary transcript from your school (with English translation), first-quarter or mid-year grades, at least one recommendation (preferably a teacher) and English test results. SAT/ACT are optional, and applicants without scores are not disadvantaged for admission, merit scholarships or the Honors College.
• Fall deadlines: Early Action and Early Decision I November 1; Early Decision II and Regular Decision January 15. Decisions generally come in early December (ED I), late December (EA), mid-February (ED II) and early March (RD). The deadline page does not state a year.
• Enrollment: admitted students pay a $500 non-refundable acceptance fee, after which the I-20 and visa process can start. You must show funds for one year, usually with a bank statement dated within six months.

6. Students at high schools in China

• Transcripts: the catalogue asks international applicants for official transcripts of all secondary and postsecondary study, including final exam results, with certified translations. No Gaokao score requirement is published.
• English minimums: Duolingo 110, TOEFL 80 (4.5 on the new scale), IELTS 6.5, ACT English 22, SAT EBRW 550 or Cambridge English 180. MyBest TOEFL scores are not accepted. Students with TOEFL 80–89 (4.5 new scale) or equivalent are enrolled in an ESOL course in their first semester.
• Waivers: the admissions page asks applicants who think they qualify to email Admissions; the catalogue says Admissions may waive the test case by case, for example after three or more years at an English-medium school.
• AP and IB credit: AP 4 or 5 earns credit in most subjects, and 3 in some; IB HL or SL scores of 5 or higher may earn credit without the full Diploma, up to one year of introductory credit per discipline. A-level treatment is not published.

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

• UVM publishes no separate grade requirements for Canadian or BC curricula and does not list Canada as exempt from English tests. Check with Admissions using the waiver guidance above.

8. Transfer students

• Deadlines: spring November 1, fall June 1, with rolling notification.
• CEMS requirements, two versions: the transfer page says you “must have completed up to pre-calculus and physics”; the catalogue says math, computer science, physics and data science majors need at least one semester of college calculus and prefer one computer science or lab-science course. Both are given here. Applicants who fall short may be considered for their second-choice major outside CEMS and can transfer internally with a CEMS advisor once prerequisites are met.
• Review: with fewer than 21 college credits, your high school record is reviewed alongside college work; after that, college GPA and course selection matter most.
• Credit: no credit for grades below C; in general 30 of your last 45 credits must be taken at UVM.

9. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-27 I-20 estimate: tuition and fees $50,713, other expenses (books, health insurance, personal) $10,575, and an I-20 estimated cost of attendance of $79,012.
• Scholarships: international merit scholarships of up to $30,000 a year, considered automatically with no separate application and announced at admission. Students on non-immigrant visas pay out-of-state tuition.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Take four years of math including trigonometry or precalculus
• Apply by November 1 (early) or January 15 (regular) through Common App or Scoir; no fee, testing optional
• Prepare IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 80 or Duolingo 110

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

• Meet the CEMS math requirement; confirm English waivers and grade expectations with Admissions

Transfer students:

• Apply by June 1 for fall with college calculus completed; check both published versions of the requirements

Sources: University of Vermont, Overview of undergraduate CS programs; 2026-27 Catalogue: Computer Science B.S.CS.; Admission requirements by college; How to apply: international students; Catalogue: international student admissions; Application deadlines and notification dates; How to apply: transfer students; Catalogue: transfer student admissions. Deadline pages do not state a year, and costs are 2026-27 I-20 estimates. Check UVM for the latest details.