How to Apply to Computer Science at Tennessee Tech: Cybersecurity and High Performance Computing Concentrations in the BS in Computer Science, the New BS in Artificial Intelligence, and the 2.85 Engineering GPA, with Requirements and Timeline for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

At Tennessee Tech University, undergraduate computer science is taught by the Department of Computer Science in the College of Engineering in Cookeville, Tennessee. 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 concentrations

• BS in Computer Science: the department says the BS and all its concentrations are accredited by ABET’s Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC).
• Concentrations: the undergraduate program page lists three: Information Assurance and Cybersecurity, Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, and High Performance Computing. The Data Science and AI page says the concentration is no longer enrolling new students now that the BS in Artificial Intelligence starts in fall 2026; fall 2026 freshmen already admitted to it move automatically to the new BS.
• BS in Artificial Intelligence: a new degree from fall 2026 that expands the former Data Science and AI concentration, covering machine learning, neural networks, data science, natural language processing and the ethics of intelligent technologies.
• Courses (2025-26 degree map):
  • Year 1: Connections to Computing (CSC 1020), Intro to Programming (CSC 1300), Data Structures and Algorithms (CSC 1310), Calculus I and II;
  • Year 2: Object-Oriented Programming, Intro to DevOps with Unix, Design of Algorithms, Discrete Structures for Computer Science, Linear Algebra, and one science sequence (biology, chemistry, geology or physics);
  • Year 3: Database Management Systems, Computer Organization and Assembly, Foundations of Computer Science, Professionalism/Communication/Research, Computer Architecture, and MATH 3070 or MATH 3470;
  • Year 4: Operating Systems, Computer Networks, Software Engineering I and II, plus upper-division CSC electives;
  • Lower-division CSC electives are two of the three concentration gateway courses (CSC 2220, CSC 2570, CSC 2770).
• The degree map is one suggested path; check credit hours for each course in the degree map and catalog.
• Fast Track: juniors and seniors with a B in CSC 2400, a 3.25 overall GPA and a 3.5 CSC GPA can take up to 6 graduate credits during the bachelor’s before the MS in Computer Science.

2. Admission

• International applicants: the general GPA requirement for all majors is 2.50 on a 4.00 scale; engineering (including computer science and engineering technology) requires 2.85. Students who meet the general requirements but not their program’s are admitted to interdisciplinary studies with an attribute showing their intended program; the university says this only affects which advisor you have, not which classes you take.
• Testing: the international requirements page lists the SAT and ACT as optional; if submitted, engineering and computer science need an ACT composite of 17 with ACT math 17, or an SAT total of 930 with SAT math 470.
• Domestic freshmen: a 3.0 GPA, or a 2.50 GPA with ACT 17 / SAT 920 and other conditions; engineering (including computer science) needs a 2.85 GPA, ACT composite 17 and ACT math 17. Those who don’t qualify enter the Student Success Program to prepare for their chosen program, and applicants below the minimums can be considered through holistic review.
• Changing majors: the pages we read give no conditions for switching into computer science from another major, so these are not published; confirm with the College of Engineering Student Success Center or the department (csc@tntech.edu).

3. Application timeline and materials (international first-year)

• Application: the international application page is currently open for fall 2026, spring 2027 and fall 2027. International deadlines are not published; the university encourages applying early.
• Fee: the international transfer and conditional admission pages give USD 40; the international freshman page says a non-refundable fee is required but gives no amount.
• Materials: transcripts for all years of high school and your diploma (originals or certified copies, with official translations if not in English); you can email a copy first for an initial review. Submit any AP, IB or Cambridge O/A-Level results, as they may earn college credit.
• Proof of funds: for the I-20 you must show enough for at least one year; the international freshman page gives about USD 43,448 and the international transfer page about USD 37,000, so the two differ.
• Conditional admission: students attending a partner language school who need a conditional letter of admission must have a high school GPA above 2.5.

4. English requirements

• International requirements page: TOEFL iBT 61 or paper-based 490; TOEIC 600 or IELTS 5.5.
• Chinese-language apply page (the figures differ): TOEFL iBT 61; IELTS 5.0; PTE 52; TOEIC appears as both 650 and 580; completing level 7 at the partner language school FLS also qualifies.
• English test waivers (international freshman page): SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 460 or higher; ACT English 15 or higher; a C or better in Cambridge IGCSE, O-Level or A-Level English; IB Language A (Language and Literature, SL or HL) 5 or higher; AP English Language and Composition 3 or higher; or 28 or higher on the university’s ACCUPLACER exam.

5. Students at high schools in China

• Gaokao: the international requirements page says the university accepts Chinese applicants using the Gaokao, and states “Gaokao 110/150 or 90/120” without saying which subject these scores refer to; confirm with the Office of International Programs. Gaokao applicants submit the Gaokao transcript and high school graduation certificate, plus either an English test score or the ACCUPLACER exam on arrival (USD 20), which places them in the ESL center, the pathway program or college-level English composition.
• Chinese-language apply page (no date shown): it lists a three-year high school GPA of 2.5/4 or a 70% average; Gaokao English scores can be used for admission, with an interview below 90 that a Duolingo score above 50 can replace; alternatives are ACT English, math and reading 19 each, or SAT reading/writing and math 460 each, with SAT 600 recommended for scholarships. Its English minimums differ from the English-language requirements page (see section 4); rely on the English-language page and the admissions office.
• A-Level: the Cambridge credit page lists each subject, for example a C or better in A-Level Mathematics earns MATH 1730 plus 1 hour of math elective, and English Language A-Level with a C or better earns ENGL 1010 and 1020.
• IB and AP: submit your results, as they may earn credit; we did not check every subject’s conversion.

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

• The university does not list an English waiver for Canadian students or grade requirements for the BC curriculum; these are not published, so confirm with the Office of International Programs.
• Under the international standard, engineering (including computer science) requires a 2.85 GPA on a 4.00 scale.

7. Transfer students

• General: students with 24 transferable college hours are transfers; those with fewer are reviewed on a combination of freshman and transfer requirements. You need a 2.00 GPA in your last full-time semester and a 2.00 cumulative GPA.
• Engineering (including computer science): a 2.00 cumulative GPA (excluding remedial courses) and a C or higher in a pre-calculus course that includes trigonometric identities; those below enter the Student Success Program.
• Coursework abroad: if your institution is in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), submit course descriptions for each class; if not, get an evaluation from WES, Educational Perspectives or another approved service. Credit is decided by each department’s chair or transfer coordinator.
• CS courses: the department says the first two programming courses taken elsewhere in Java generally transfer as CSC 1300 and CSC 1310, and discrete mathematics can also transfer. Courses such as word processing or spreadsheets count only as general electives.

8. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-2027 cost of attendance: out-of-state undergraduate tuition and fees USD 17,551, and USD 38,522 in total living on campus (including housing, food, transportation, books and personal expenses). The page does not list international students separately.
• Chinese-language cost page (no date shown): it says international students pay international tuition of USD 661 per credit hour (USD 7,932 for 12 hours) on top of in-state costs, plus a USD 100 international fee each semester, and medical insurance is required. Check with the university whether these figures are current.
• Presidential Scholars (fall 2027 freshmen): guaranteed for students who meet the criteria and apply by December 15, 2026; a 3.40+ GPA and ACT 23 (SAT 1130) or higher, tiered by ACT/SAT at USD 3,000 to 10,000 a year, with scores received by January 15, 2027. The page does not say whether international students are eligible; check with the scholarship office. HOPE awards are Tennessee state awards for residents, and the Golden Opportunity Grant requires US citizenship or permanent residency.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Aim for a 2.85 GPA (the engineering threshold); if applying with the Gaokao, ask which subject “110/150 or 90/120” refers to
• Prepare TOEFL 61 or IELTS (5.5; the Chinese page says 5.0), or take ACCUPLACER on arrival
• For the Presidential Scholarship, apply by December 15, 2026 and ask whether international students qualify

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

• Ask the Office of International Programs about English waivers and how BC grades are converted

Transfer students:

• A 2.00 cumulative GPA and a C or higher in pre-calculus with trigonometric identities
• Prepare English course descriptions for each class, and a credential evaluation if needed

Sources: Tennessee Tech University, CS undergraduate program; CS accreditation; Data Science and AI concentration; BS in Artificial Intelligence; 2025-26 Computer Science degree map; CS transfer students; International admission requirements; International application; International freshmen; International transfer students; Chinese-language apply page; Chinese-language cost page; Freshman requirements; Transfer requirements; Cambridge International credit; Cost of attendance; Freshman scholarships. Scholarships are for fall 2027 entry and costs for 2026-2027; the Chinese-language pages show no date. Check Tennessee Tech’s website for the latest.