How to apply to Computer Science at Southeast Missouri State University: the ABET-accredited BS with an 86–87-hour major and no minor required, its four-year sample plan, international deadlines, English requirements, 2026-27 costs and automatic scholarships, and requirements and timelines for students in China, Canada and transfer applicants

Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) is in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Its Computer Science BS is offered by the Department of Computer Science in the Harrison College of Business & Computing on the main campus. 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 BS in Computer Science is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) of ABET under the General Criteria and the Computer Science Program Criteria. The department also offers an ABET CAC-accredited BS in Cybersecurity and a BS in Computer Information Systems.
• Credits: at least 120 hours including general education, with at least 39 senior-division hours. The major is 86–87 hours and no minor is required.
• Required courses (program page): CS101 Introduction to Computer Programming, CS155 Computer Science I, CS245 Discrete Structures I, CS265 Computer Science II, CS288 Computer Systems & Assembly Language, CS300 Computer Science III, CS345 Discrete Structures II, CS350 Analysis of Algorithms, CS351 C and POSIX Environment, CS380 Computer Operating Systems, CS390 Programming Languages, CS433 Data Analytics, CS440 Database, CS445 Software Engineering I, CS461 Parallel & Distributed Computing, CS480 Data Communications, CS499 Capstone Experience, CS591 Advanced Artificial Intelligence, CY201 Introduction to Cybersecurity and IU315 Ethics in the Cyber World; math MA139 Applied Calculus, MA223 Elementary Probability and Statistics and MA464 Mathematical Cryptography; plus 9 hours of CS at the 300 level or above.
• Science: two lab courses from BI163/063, CH184/185 and PH120/020.
• Grades: a C or better is required in every course that is a prerequisite for another course.
• Four-year sample plan: year one takes CS101 in fall and CS155, CS245, IU315 and MA139 in spring; year two CS265, CS288, CS351, CS300, CS380 and MA223; year three CS345, CS390, CS440, CS480, CS433, CS591 and CY201; year four CS350, CS445, CS461, CS499, MA464 and upper-level electives.
• Hands-on learning: the department says 100% of students graduate with internships. SEMO has the Stamp Cyber Command Center (in collaboration with IBM) and the Cyber Range, and the department page links a course rotation for planning electives.

2. How admission works

• International applicants choose their program and entry term in the application. The pages we read do not describe a separate admission threshold for Computer Science or conditions for switching into the major after enrolling; this is not published, so check with the department (csdept@semo.edu) or international admissions.
• The international pages do not give a minimum GPA for first-year applicants. The domestic freshman page says applicants who meet the high school GPA and core curriculum requirements are regularly admitted, without giving a number or saying whether it applies to international students.
• Tests: ACT/SAT are not required for admission but can be used for merit scholarships and for math and English placement.

3. Dates and materials

• Deadlines (international policies page, no year shown): for fall (August), July 1 for regular international applicants and July 15 for web-only applicants and those with a valid U.S. visa; for spring (January), November 1 and November 15. The application and all required documents must be in by the deadline. Bachelor’s programs admit for fall or spring only; summer is for fully online programs.
• Application fee: USD 60 for international applicants, non-refundable, with no waivers at this time. (The domestic freshman page says there is no fee; that applies to domestic students.)
• Materials: transcripts, proof of English proficiency and a passport copy (as PDFs); test scores are optional. Uploaded documents are unofficial and used for the decision; official copies are required after admission, and without them students get no scholarship and cannot enroll for a second term.
• After admission: submit the Affidavit of Financial Support and proof of funds (annual estimated cost for on- or off-campus living minus scholarships) so SEMO can issue the I-20. There is no tuition deposit; new international students pay a USD 200 enrollment fee.
• The international admissions page currently says “Apply for 2026-2027 semesters”; check the website for fall 2027 arrangements.

4. English requirements

• First-year minimums: TOEFL iBT 61 (3.5 for tests on or after January 21, 2026), IELTS Academic 5.5, Duolingo 95, PTE 45, iTEP 3.7, Michigan 48 or Oxford ELLT 6, among others; SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 450 or ACT English and Reading 21 also qualify. Results must be within two years of the start date.
• Exemptions: a high school diploma from a listed country where English is the official language of education, which includes Canada (all provinces except Quebec) but not China; O-Level, AS/A-Level results sufficient for admission verified by Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel and others; a diploma from an English-only IB school; or a diploma from an international school with U.S. regional accreditation.
• Pathway: IELTS 5.0, TOEFL 52–60 (3.0 on the new scale) or Duolingo 80–90, among others, for students starting in the Intensive English Program.

5. Students at high schools in China

• The academic requirements page lists the Upper Middle School Graduation Certificate or High School Graduate Diploma for undergraduate applicants from China.
• Documents in Chinese need a certified English translation stamped by a translation agency; translations by friends or family are not accepted. An official evaluation from a NACES or AICE member can replace official transcripts for first-year applicants.
• How the Gaokao is used and what grades are expected from Chinese high schools are not published; ask international admissions (international@semo.edu).
• A-Level: AS/A-Level results (Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel, AQA, ZIMSEC) can be submitted for university credit and become part of the permanent record. The pages we read do not say which AP or IB results earn credit.

6. Students at Canadian high schools (including BC)

• Applicants who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents apply as international students. The academic requirements page lists the Secondary School Graduation Diploma for British Columbia.
• Graduates of Canadian high schools outside Quebec are exempt from English testing.
• Transcripts from Canadian schools must be sent to SEMO directly by the school.
• Grade requirements for BC courses are not published; check with international admissions.

7. Transfer students

• International applicants who have completed any post-secondary study apply as transfers.
• Applicants with 24 or more transferable hours and a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher are considered for admission; those with fewer than 24 hours must also send high school transcripts, are reviewed against first-year criteria and also need a 2.0 GPA.
• Official transcripts must come directly from the institution before a decision, and external evaluations are not accepted instead of transcripts for transfers. English course descriptions or syllabi are needed; without them most credit will only count as electives.
• English: a GPA of 2.50 or higher on 12+ hours at a U.S. institution, or on one full-time year at a university in a listed English-speaking country, meets the requirement.
• Conditions for entering Computer Science as a transfer are not published; check with the department.

8. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-27 tuition: USD 600 per credit hour for non-domestic students plus USD 47 in general fees, USD 647 in total. Undergraduate Computer Science courses (CS/IS/CY) carry an extra USD 40 per credit hour program fee.
• International on-campus estimate (2026-27, fall and spring): tuition and fees USD 19,410 (30 hours), books USD 396.20, housing USD 8,450, meals USD 3,570, personal USD 1,000 and mandatory health insurance USD 1,626, totaling USD 34,452.20. Undergraduates under 21 are generally required to live on campus. The estimate does not list the CS program fee separately.
• International scholarships (2026-27 criteria, awarded automatically at admission with no separate application, only before the first semester):
  • International Achievement Award (first-year): high school GPA 3.25, about USD 8,850 a year based on 15 hours per semester, offsetting the difference between nonresident and in-state tuition, for up to four years; renewal needs a 2.75 GPA and 24 hours a year.
  • International Student Scholarship (first-year): GPA 2.5, USD 2,000 a year for up to four years; renewal needs a 2.5 GPA.
  • Transfers: the IAA needs a 3.0 GPA and 24 transferable hours (about USD 8,850 a year); the International Student Scholarship needs 2.5 (USD 2,000 a year); both for up to two years. Students with fewer than 24 college hours are considered for first-year scholarships.
  • The page does not say whether the two awards can be combined. Endowed scholarships of USD 200–3,000 a year are also considered automatically for all admitted students.
• Scholarships listed on the I-20 are based on unofficial transcripts and are confirmed only after official transcripts are verified.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Prepare TOEFL 61, IELTS 5.5, Duolingo 95 or another accepted score
• Apply by July 1 for fall and upload transcripts (with a certified English translation), English scores and passport; pay the USD 60 fee
• After admission, submit the financial affidavit and proof of funds
• Ask international admissions whether the Gaokao is considered

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

• Apply as an international student; English testing is waived outside Quebec
• Have your school send transcripts directly
• Ask international admissions how BC grades are reviewed

Transfer students:

• Have official transcripts sent directly and include English course descriptions or syllabi
• Ask the department about entry to Computer Science

Sources: Southeast Missouri State University, Computer Science degree; Department of Computer Science; International first-year application; International transfer application; International admission policies (deadlines, English, transcripts); Academic requirements by country; International scholarships; 2026-27 costs and fees; Freshman admissions. Costs and scholarships are 2026-27 figures; check SEMO’s website for the latest.