How to apply to Computer Science at UMass Boston: the BS and BA in the College of Science and Mathematics, courses, ABET accreditation and electives, international deadlines, English requirements, scholarships and 2026-2027 tuition, and requirements and timelines for students in China, Canada and transfer applicants

The University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass Boston) is the Boston campus of the University of Massachusetts system. Its BS and BA in Computer Science are offered by the Department of Computer Science in the College of Science and Mathematics. This guide summarizes the official requirements 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

• Accreditation: the department page says the BS in Computer Science is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET.
• BS requirements: the program page lists a minimum of 73 credits from 23 courses, including 13 required computer science courses, four math courses, four physics courses and two CS electives; a 2.0 GPA in major courses, no pass/fail, and at least six 300-level or higher major courses at UMass Boston. The sections it lists are 44 credits of CS, 14 of math, 12 of physics and 6 of electives, which do not match the “minimum of 73 credits”; follow the academic catalog.
• Required CS courses: CS 110 Introduction to Computing, CS 210 Intermediate Computing with Data Structures, CS 220 Applied Discrete Mathematics, CS 240 Programming in C, CS 285L Social Issues and Ethics in Computing, CS 310 Advanced Data Structures and Algorithms, CS 341 Computer Architecture and Organization, CS 410 Introduction to Software Engineering (the capstone course), CS 420 Theory of Computation, CS 444 Operating Systems, CS 446 Internetworking, CS 449 Computer Security and CS 451 Compilers.
• Math and physics: Calculus I and II (MATH 140, 141), Linear Algebra I (MATH 260) and Probability and Statistics (MATH 345); PHYSIC 113 and 114 with labs PHYSIC 181 and 182.
• CS electives: two courses from areas such as applied cryptography, user interface design, databases, applied machine learning, IoT security, mobile applications, graphics, game programming and artificial intelligence; some graduate courses count with department approval. The program page mentions an Artificial Intelligence and Data Science track.
• BA: a humanities-oriented degree of 48–49 credits from 15 courses: eight required CS courses (26 credits), three math courses (MATH 140, 141, 260), a capstone (CS 444 or CS 451), an applied elective, a theoretical elective and one more elective; an Honors Thesis option is available.
• Starting point: the BA page says students whose department placement scores show they are not ready for CS 110 or MATH 140 start with MATH 130 (Pre-calculus) or MATH 115 (College Algebra); these credits count toward the degree but not the major.

2. How admission works

• Admission to the major: the pages we read do not say whether Computer Science has its own admission criteria, whether students enter the major directly, or what current students need to switch in. This is not published; ask the department or admissions.
• Test optional: first-year applicants, including international students, can choose the test-optional plan for any major; the test-optional FAQ says the most competitive test-optional applicants have a recalculated high school GPA of 3.2 or higher.

3. International first-year requirements and dates

• How to apply: the UMass Boston application or Common App, with a USD 60 fee.
• Deadlines: the international first-year page gives Early Action I on November 1, Early Action II on January 1 and Regular Decision on February 15 for fall, and December 15 for spring. The first-year apply page also lists rolling admission to July 15, and the Computer Science program page says Early Action November 1 and Regular Decision June 15. These differ, so follow international admissions and apply early.
• Materials: high school records or exam results (translated into English by a certified translator and sent directly by the school), one academic recommendation from a counselor or teacher, an essay of about 500 words on one of the listed prompts, and test scores.
• Provisional admission: applicants who meet academic criteria but not the TOEFL or IELTS minimum may be admitted provisionally and referred to the University Preparation ESL program; this is not offered to nursing, engineering or management applicants.

4. English requirements

• Tests: TOEFL 4 for tests after January 21, 2026 or 79 for earlier tests; IELTS 6.0; Duolingo 105; SAT ERWS 480; or ACT reading and English scores totaling 34.
• Exemptions: the list includes Canada (except Quebec), the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong among others; mainland China is not on the list.

5. Students at high schools in China

• Transcripts: high school records, leaving certificates or exam results, translated into English. China is not listed separately in the international transcript requirements.
• Gaokao: whether Gaokao scores are used is not published; email undergrad.admissions@umb.edu to ask.
• A-Level and IB students: students at British-model international schools send Cambridge O-Level, IGCSE and AS/A-Level certificates; IB students send the official IB diploma.

6. Students at Canadian high schools (including BC)

• English: Canada (except Quebec) is on the English exemption list.
• BC: grade requirements and conversion for BC curriculum are not published; ask admissions.

7. Transfer students

• International transfer deadlines: June 15 for fall and December 15 for spring; USD 60 fee and an essay of about 500 words.
• Transcripts and evaluation: send official transcripts from every college attended; transcripts not modeled on the American system need a course-by-course evaluation (WES, CED, ECE, a NACES member or The Evaluation Company). With fewer than 24 college credits, also send high school records. You may be asked for course descriptions or syllabi for credit evaluation.
• English: with fewer than 12 college credits, SAT ERWS 480 works; a B or better in first-year English Composition at a US college waives TOEFL; or send TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo scores.

8. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-2027 tuition: out-of-state tuition is USD 39,586, or USD 40,366 with mandatory fees; with one-time new-student fees the first year totals USD 41,152. The table does not list international students separately; an international student fee of USD 336 applies to international students only, and health insurance is USD 1,455.85 for fall and USD 2,036.19 for spring (waivable with comparable coverage).
• Estimate on the international first-year page (labeled the 2025 academic year): tuition and fees USD 41,488, room and board USD 13,298, books and personal USD 4,294, health insurance USD 3,487, total USD 62,567.
• Scholarships: first-year applicants are automatically considered for merit aid; international first-years with a high school GPA of 3.3 or higher can receive USD 4,000–10,000 a year, renewable for four years (the grid is for fall 2026 first-years). Students entering through partnership programs are not eligible for international scholarships.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Prepare TOEFL 79 (4 on the new scale), IELTS 6.0 or Duolingo 105
• Submit the application, recommendation and 500-word essay by November 1, January 1 or February 15
• Without test scores, choose the test-optional plan in the application
• Ask admissions whether Gaokao scores are used

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

• Confirm the English exemption (Quebec excluded)
• Ask admissions how BC grades are reviewed

Transfer students:

• Apply by June 15 for fall or December 15 for spring
• Get a course-by-course evaluation for university credit from abroad

Sources: University of Massachusetts Boston, Computer Science BS; Computer Science BA; Department of Computer Science; International first-year application; International transfer application; First-year application; Test-optional FAQ; Transfer application; 2026-2027 tuition and fees; Undergraduate scholarships. Tuition is for 2026-2027; check UMass Boston’s website for the latest.