How to Apply to Computer Science at the University of Nebraska at Omaha: The 120-Credit BS in Computer Science, Five Optional Concentrations and Direct Admission to the College of Information Science & Technology, with Requirements and Timeline for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

At the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), undergraduate computer science is taught by the Department of Computer Science in the College of Information Science & Technology (IS&T). Here is what you need to know, based on the university’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), and transfer students.

1. Degree and courses

• BS in Computer Science: the catalog says the program is accredited by ABET’s Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC). It is offered on campus and online. The department also offers a BS in Artificial Intelligence.
• Credits (2026-2027 catalog): at least 120 credit hours, with 30 of the last 36 taken at UNO. General education (MavEd) is 34 hours and the major is 85 hours, with electives making up the rest.
• Grades: a C or better in CIST 1400 (Introduction to Computer Science I) and CSCI 1620 (Introduction to Computer Science II) is needed for all later CSCI courses; other major courses need a C- or better. A student receiving below C- in a CSCI course for the second time gets a formal warning, and after a third time cannot enroll in that course again.
• Core (42 hours): Introduction to Computer Science I and II, C programming, technical writing and communication for IS&T, IT ethics, data structures, theory of computation, computer organization, communication networks or computer architecture, algorithms, principles of programming languages, operating systems, software engineering, the capstone project and an assessment course.
• Extension courses (21 hours): at least 12 hours of upper-division CSCI courses; up to 9 hours may be lower-division, including MATH 1960, MATH 1970 or 2000–4000-level courses from CSCI, ACMP, AIML, BIOI, CYBR, ISQA, ECEN or MATH. Completing an optional concentration can cover 18 extension hours.
• Math (15 hours): Calculus I, mathematical foundations of computer science, introduction to mathematical proofs, applied linear algebra and applied statistics for IS&T.
• Science (7 hours): from the catalog’s list of physics, chemistry, biology, geology and geography courses, in at least two disciplines with at least one lab.
• Optional concentrations: the catalog lists five: Artificial Intelligence, Game Programming, Internet Technologies, Information Assurance and Software Engineering. The program page lists only Internet Technologies and Information Assurance (available online). The two differ; follow the catalog and your advisor.
• Four-year plans: the catalog gives two sample plans, both with Calculus I in the first semester. One starts CIST 1400 in the first fall; the other starts with CIST 1300, CSCI 1200 or CSCI 1280 and takes CIST 1400 in spring. Math and English placement exams may be required.
• Fast Track: students with at least 60 undergraduate hours and a 3.0 GPA can count up to 9 graduate hours toward both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

2. How admission works

• Direct entry to the college: the college catalog says incoming first-year students must meet general university admission requirements to be admitted to IS&T; there is no separate major threshold. The college requires a 2.5 cumulative GPA for good standing and for graduation.
• Assured admission to UNO: 16 high school core units (English 4, math 3, social science 3, natural science 3, two units of one world language and one elective; students without a world language may still be admitted), plus any one of: a 3.0 cumulative GPA, the upper 50% of the class, ACT 20 or higher, or SAT 1040 or higher (the figure on the first-year page; the catalog says “the SAT equivalent”).
• Testing: the how-to-apply page says test scores may not be needed for admission but are used for placement and scholarships.
• Moving in later: the pages we read don’t say how students in other UNO colleges switch into computer science. Ask IS&T advising (402.554.3819).

3. Application timing and materials

• Applying: online at apply.unomaha.edu; international applicants pay a nonrefundable USD 45 fee, valid for one year (no fee for domestic applicants).
• Deadlines (catalog): a complete file is due one week before classes start. Spring 2027: January 4, 2027; summer 2027: June 21, 2027; fall 2027: August 16, 2027. First-year applicants are encouraged to apply in the first semester of their final high school year for scholarships. The IS&T catalog page separately gives the first day of classes for fall and spring and July 1 for summer; the two differ, so plan around the university’s admission deadlines.
• International materials: transcripts from every high school and college attended (with certified English translations if needed); a passport copy; proof of English; and, for F-1 applicants, a financial affidavit and bank statements under six months old. The checklist page says documents can be emailed to unointernational@unomaha.edu or uploaded in MavLINK, while the catalog says financial documents must go through the iGlobal e-form after admission and are not accepted by email or mail. The two differ; submit financial documents as your admission notice instructs.
• Decisions usually come within a week of a complete file.

4. English requirements

• General undergraduate admission (English proficiency page): TOEFL iBT 61 (3.5 on the 2026 scale), Duolingo 95, IELTS 6.0, PTE 44, ACT English 18 or SAT Reading 520. The College of Engineering’s programs require more; computer science is in IS&T, not in Engineering. TOEFL MyBest, TOEFL Essentials and IELTS Indicator are not accepted.
• A difference between pages: the catalog’s English policy says an ACT English subscore of 20 or the SAT equivalent, while the general column on the English page says ACT English 18. Both are given as written.
• Exemptions: the English page exempts applicants whose first language is English from Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the UK; the catalog also mentions UNO’s waiver list and an official medium-of-instruction letter showing the entire program was taught in English.
• Students who meet academic standards but not English can be conditionally admitted through the Intensive English Program (IEP) and move to full admission once they meet the requirement.

5. Students at high schools in China

• Gaokao: UNO does not say how Gaokao results are used. Ask International Admissions (unointernational@unomaha.edu).
• Records: transcripts from every high school, with certified translations if not in English; college credit from abroad needs a NACES course-by-course evaluation.
• A-Level, IB and AP: we did not read the credit rules; ask admissions.
• Calculus I comes in the first semester, so build strong math.

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

• Applicants from Canada whose first language is English are exempt from English testing.
• Required scores for BC courses are not published. UNO’s assured-admission criteria use a 3.0 GPA or the top 50% of the class, among others; ask admissions how BC grades are converted.

7. Transfer students

• Into IS&T: the admission requirements page gives a 2.5 GPA for the college; the college catalog says transfers from other institutions need a 2.5 cumulative GPA with at least 12 credit hours. Transfers must be in good standing at their last school, and those with fewer than 24 transferable hours also send a high school transcript.
• Credit: courses from accredited US institutions need a C- or better, with up to 64 hours from a two-year institution. Courses from abroad may require syllabi with translations.
• International transfers pay the same USD 45 fee and meet the same English requirement; the International Academic Excellence Scholarship is open to transfers too.

8. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-2027 international undergraduate estimate (IS&T): tuition and fees USD 27,121, health insurance USD 4,577, books USD 1,264, on-campus room and board USD 13,548 and other living costs USD 4,240, for a total of USD 50,750, based on nine months at 12 credits a semester. This is the minimum to show for the I-20.
• International Academic Excellence Scholarship: partial tuition, starting at about USD 3,000 a year (varies with tuition); all newly admitted first-time and transfer international undergraduates are considered automatically; requires full-time enrollment of at least 12 credits and renews for up to five years or until the bachelor’s degree; cannot be combined with other tuition-remission scholarships.
• Sieu Mei Tu Endowment Fund Scholarship: for newly admitted degree-seeking students who graduated from a high school in Asia; one-time, amount varies; deadlines April 1 for fall and November 1 for spring, applied for with an essay in UNO’s scholarship system.
• College and department scholarships are available once enrolled.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply in the first semester of your final year; for fall 2027 have everything in by August 16; prepare the USD 45 fee
• Prepare TOEFL 61 (3.5 new scale), IELTS 6.0 or Duolingo 95
• Show at least USD 50,750 in funding
• If you finish high school in Asia, note the Sieu Mei Tu scholarship deadline of April 1 for fall

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

• English testing is waived if English is your first language; confirm how BC grades are reviewed

Transfer students:

• A 2.5 cumulative GPA with at least 12 credits; get a course-by-course evaluation for courses from abroad

Sources: University of Nebraska at Omaha, BS in Computer Science program page; 2026-2027 catalog: BS in Computer Science; catalog: Computer Science; catalog: College of Information Science & Technology; application deadline dates; international applicants; admission requirements; first-year admission requirements; English proficiency; admissions checklist; 2026-2027 undergraduate financial affidavit; scholarships for international students. Courses and deadlines are from the 2026-2027 catalog and costs are 2026-2027 estimates; check the UNO website for the latest information.