How to apply to Computer Science at Clark University: the major’s foundational courses, research and honors thesis, the 4+1 accelerated master’s with a full-tuition fifth year, no application fee, deadlines, English guidelines and costs, and requirements and timelines for students in China, Canada and transfer applicants

Clark University is in Worcester, Massachusetts. Its computer science major is offered by the Department of Computer Science. 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

• Degree name: the program page title says “Computer Science, B.S.”, but its text says the major leads to a bachelor of arts, and the major map PDF is also titled Bachelor of Arts. Confirm the degree awarded with the department.
• Design: the program page says the curriculum closely follows ACM/IEEE guidelines, balances theory and practice, and lets students join research and programming competitions from the first year.
• Foundational courses (major map): CSCI 140 Assembly Language and Computer Organization, CSCI 160 Algorithms, CSCI 170 Analysis of Programming Languages, CSCI 180 Automata Theory. Featured courses on the program page include CSCI 210 Artificial Intelligence (in Lisp), CSCI 265 Robotics and Intelligent Systems and CSCI 110 Diving into Computer Science Research: Modeling Plasmas.
• Capstone: the major map says the senior capstone is fulfilled through an honors thesis, an interdisciplinary project, a directed study or advanced CS courses. Students may be accepted into the honors program in junior year and write a thesis with a professor.
• Full requirements: the major requirements and credits are in the catalog (catalog.clarku.edu), which we could not read; check the catalog. The program page suggests a second major, minor or concentration.
• Accreditation: the pages we read do not mention ABET accreditation.

2. 4+1 Accelerated Master’s

• Eligibility: a cumulative GPA of at least 3.4; before applying, students must find a faculty member willing to be their research advisor and meet with the advisor and program director.
• Scholarship: the page says the fifth year carries a 100% tuition scholarship.
• Requirements: at least 10 graduate units: five of thesis research, four of 310–395 level CSCI, and one more of research or coursework, plus a thesis and defense. The page also says students typically take three graduate units in senior year and the remaining eight in the fifth year, which does not match “at least 10”; follow the department’s guidance.
• STEM: the page says the program is STEM designated, so F-1 graduates may be eligible for up to 36 months of OPT.

3. How admission works and deadlines

• Major admission: whether Computer Science has its own threshold, and when students declare, is not stated on the pages we read; ask admissions or the department.
• Deadlines (no year shown): Early Decision I (binding) November 1, decisions late December; Early Action November 1, decisions mid-January; Early Decision II January 15, decisions early March; Regular Decision January 15, decisions late March. International applicants follow the same deadlines. Clark also admits first-year students for spring.
• Application: Common App or the Coalition Application with Scoir; the international page says there is no application fee.
• Testing: test-optional since 2012; scores are not used for merit aid and are not required of international students.
• First-year profile: average high school GPA 3.83; among the 14% of admits who submitted scores, the middle 50% was SAT 1310–1450 and ACT 29–33.
• Interview: optional but strongly encouraged, on campus or virtually, or through InitialView or Vericant; for international students it can also supplement the English assessment.

4. International requirements

• Materials: the application; transcripts covering the last three years; two recommendations (counselor and teacher); English scores; tests optional; and the International Student Certification of Finances and Financial Assistance Application Form (available on the applicant portal after applying). All documents must be in English, with originals and certified translations allowed.
• English guidelines: non-native speakers submit TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo or PTE. Clark says it has no specific minimums; general indicators are TOEFL 4.5 on the new scale (no sub-score below 4) or 85 (no sub-score below 20), IELTS 6.5 (none below 6), Duolingo 120 (none below 100) and PTE 61 (none below 55). Academically admissible students may be recommended for 1–4 semesters of the English for Academic Success program.
• Need-aware: the international page says admission is need-aware, and an application may be denied if the stated need exceeds what Clark can offer.

5. Students at high schools in China

• Years of transcripts: at least three complete years are required. For 6-3-3 systems like China’s, send the final year of middle school (equivalent to U.S. 9th grade) plus the first two years of high school; applications with only two years cannot be reviewed.
• Gaokao: whether Gaokao scores are considered is not published; ask intadmissions@clarku.edu.
• A-Level, IB, AP: Clark awards credit for AP, British A-Level and IB; we did not read the score and credit rules, so ask the Academic Advising Office.

6. Students at Canadian high schools (including BC)

• English: native English speakers do not need English scores; no country list is given.
• Credit: the international page says the Ontario 13th Year and Quebec CEGEP may qualify for advanced standing.
• BC: grade requirements and conversion for BC courses are not published; ask admissions.

7. Transfer students

• Deadlines: the fall window differs by page: rolling February 1–August 21 on the transfer page, February 1–June 1 on the apply page and February 1–May 1 on the cost and aid page. Spring is September 1–November 1 everywhere. Follow transfer admissions and apply early.
• Materials: Clark’s transfer application or the Transfer Common App, with no fee; one recommendation (preferably from a recent college instructor); a Mid-Term Report for students in their first full-time semester; the final high school transcript; all college transcripts; a College Report Form; tests optional.
• International transfers: English scores; a credential evaluation for colleges outside the U.S.; national exam results such as A Levels are optional.

8. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-2027: tuition USD 62,070, room (standard double) 8,580, board 5,780, student activity fee 460, orientation fee 400 and health and wellness fee 680, for billed charges of USD 77,970; with transportation, books, miscellaneous costs and health insurance (USD 2,833), the total estimate is USD 82,753.
• Merit scholarships: all admitted students, regardless of citizenship, are considered automatically; the first-year profile lists an average merit scholarship of USD 41,000.
• Presidential Scholarship: covers tuition, room and board; the international page says 3–5 students a year and the cost page says about five; recipients still pay about USD 12,000–15,000 a year.
• International aid: the international page says international students typically pay about USD 40,000 a year after aid against a total cost of about USD 85,000, and Clark cannot admit international students who need full funding. The pages differ on the need-based form: the materials list names the International Student Certification of Finances and Financial Assistance Application Form, while the FAQ says to file the international CSS Profile; confirm with financial aid.
• UWC graduates: United World College graduates may receive a Davis need-based grant of up to USD 15,000 a year.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Prepare TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo or PTE scores (guidelines: TOEFL 85, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 120)
• Submit the application, three years of transcripts (including the last year of middle school) and two recommendations by November 1 (ED I, EA) or January 15 (ED II, RD)
• Book an interview and complete the finances and aid form on the applicant portal
• Ask admissions whether Gaokao scores are used

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

• Confirm whether English scores are needed
• Ask admissions how BC grades are reviewed

Transfer students:

• Confirm the fall deadline with transfer admissions
• Get a credential evaluation for college credit from abroad

Sources: Clark University, Computer Science; Computer Science major map (PDF); 4+1 Accelerated Master’s; Apply and deadlines; Application process; International students; First-year student profile; Cost and financial aid; 2026-2027 tuition and fees; Transfer students. Costs are for 2026-2027; check Clark’s website for the latest.