Admission Requirements

The MSSE is a graduate program designed for professionals who are working full-time in a software development field and intend to remain employed full-time throughout the duration of the two-year program. We are unable to provide student visas for the MSSE program, and MSSE students do not qualify for graduate assistantships. Therefore, international students who are not already working in this country must obtain visas by their own efforts.

All candidates must meet specific criteria to be considered for admission, as detailed below.

• You must be currently employed with at least one year of full-time professional work experience in software development. Exceptions are granted only in very unusual circumstances.
• B.S. or B.A. degree in computer science or related field (mathematics, electrical engineering). Students with degrees in fields not closely related to computer science also may qualify with relevant work experience.
• Preferred undergraduate GPA of 3.0. Lower GPAs will be considered with substantial relevant work experience.
• Two (2) letters of recommendation. One (1) should be from someone at your company who is familiar with your work experience and performance. One (1) may be from a current or former professor.
• International students:
  • Minimum computer TOEFL score of 213 or minimum MELAB score of 80
  • Must hold a valid H1-B Visa
  • Admitted applicants are responsible for obtaining health insurance and covering international student fees assessed by the University.
  • Early application is strongly encouraged.

Please note: This is a highly competitive program. The qualifications of admitted students usually exceed the above prerequisites.

Application Deadline

Early application is encouraged for all candidates. The early application deadline is March 31. The final application deadline is June 15 for fall enrollment. We admit new students for the fall term of each year only.

Application Procedure

There are two parts to the application process: (1) complete the Graduate School Application and (2) complete the MSSE Online Application. Both applications are completed entirely online. You may start the Graduate School Application, save it, and return to it at a later time. When you begin the MSSE Online Application, however, you must complete it and submit it in one session.

1. The Graduate School process involves completion of the Graduate School Application with payment to cover the application fee. The application fees are $55 for U.S. and $75 for International applicants. The application fee cannot be waived and your application cannot be submitted without payment. The Graduate School now requires that applicants complete their application for admission online with payments by credit card. If this is impossible for you, please email . For the Graduate School Application, you must:

   1. Indicate the appropriate program code of the major and degree for which you are applying. The code for the MSSE program is

      MSSE Program Code: 104838108

   2. Send all official transcripts from all previous academic institutions to the Graduate School.

   3. Send official TOEFL scores (international students only) to the graduate school. Indicate the U of M Institutional code, which is

      TOEFL Institution Code: 6874

   4. Submit a personal statement. Use the same "statement of purpose" that you will submit with your MSSE Online Application.

2. The MSSE Online Application must be completed in a single session. You will not be able to start your application and then return to make further edits as you can for the Graduate School Application. For the MSSE Online Application, you must:

   1. Include your Graduate School Application number (Apply Yourself ID). After you submit your application to the Graduate school, you should print a copy of your submission. The Apply Yourself ID can be found at the top of this print out.

   2. Upload one file that contains a statement of purpose AND curriculum vitae (CV) or résumé on one document, preferably in pdf or plain text format. You may use the same "personal statement" that you submit with your Graduate School Application. If you do not have access to Adobe Acrobat, you may wish to use Adobe's online PDF creation service. There are also many free applications that allow you to create PDF files. Wikipedia provides a useful list of programs that create pdf files.

      Your statement of purpose should be limited to one page, explaining your immediate and long-range occupational objectives in relation to software engineering, being specific about your particular areas of interest. Please describe your current job responsibilities, career goals, and how these fit into the MSSE program. Also include your professional experiences with software engineering. If there are any factors that have influenced your grade point average or your test scores, for example, if your educational background has generally been disadvantaged or you have a disability that has affected your performance, and you would like these factors to be considered when your application is reviewed, please explain these circumstances fully. Give titles of any articles or other publications and of any research, inventions, or other creative work that you have done.

      Your CV or resume should include your educational background and degrees, professional experience, any teaching or research experience, a list of papers or publications (URLs included), computer languages in which you are proficient and any other information that will advance your application.

   3. Provide the names and email addresses of two (2) people who will recommend you for the MSSE program. You enter recommender information into your application and the application system will automatically email the recommenders. In the email, the recommender will be provided a link to a URL specific to your application where they may complete a questionnaire about your abilities and upload a letter written on your behalf. Again, one (1) should be from someone at your company who is familiar with your work experience and performance. One (1) may be from a current or former professor.

If any part of your application is missing, we will not be able to make an admission decision until your file is complete. We will do our best to advise you when pieces of your application have not been received.

Helpful Links

• English Proficiency Exams
• Graduate School Application
• MSSE Online Application
• PDF File Creation (Wikipedia)
• TOEFL, MELAB, or IELTS
• Transcript Information