5-year BS/MCS Program

Admission Requirements

The 5-year program in Computer Science combines two degrees. You will earn a B.S./MCS (Bachelor of Science in Computer Science/Master of Computer Science). This program is competitive with admission based on overall academic performance, letters of recommendation, and a statement of purpose.

• Current Siebel School of Computing and Data Science students enrolled in The Grainger College of Engineering with "junior" standing (must have at least one year left of their undergraduate study after being admitted into the program) who maintain an excellent academic performance are eligible to apply for this program. Students admitted to this program will receive both degrees upon completion of all requirements for both degrees. Transfer students entering the CS undergraduate program in their junior year are also eligible to apply to this program.

Note: Senior students follow the standard application process for the MCS Program.

• Applicants must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher to be eligible to apply.
• Applicants transferring to CS from another institution may apply with 15 graded credit hours on the Urbana campus and with current enrollment for at least 15 credit hours. They must hold a minimum technical GPA of 3.0 and an overall GPA of 3.0, and may apply through the application process outlined under "Application Process" below.
• There is no automatic admission to the B.S./MCS program.
• B.S./MCS Degree Requirements

Note: Students in Liberal Arts and Sciences (CS & Math, CS & Stat, or CS + X) are not eligible for the B.S./MCS 5-year program. The Grainger College of Engineering and the Graduate College negotiated this joint program.

Application Deadline

Applications for the B.S./MCS program will open on February 1st, and the deadline to submit is March 15th. This program only has a fall entrance. An informational session will be held in mid-October for all interested undergrads to learn more about the program and the application process.

All application materials must be submitted by the deadline of March 15th. Applicants who do not submit a completed application by the deadline will not be considered for entry into the program for that term.

Application Process

Applicants must submit the following application materials by the deadline to be considered for the program. If you have any questions regarding the application process, please contact Kara MacGregor at kmacgreg@illinois.edu.

• Applications for the B.S./MCS program must be submitted through the university's Online Application system. Please select "Computer Science - BS/MCS" as the "Degree Name".
• Please review and follow the Application Process & Requirements to submit your application.
• Required elements of the B.S./MCS application:
  • Resume
  • Statement of Purpose
  • If the technical GPA is below 3.5, one letter of reference from a professor for a course completed at the 400- (or 500-) level
  • (Students with a technical GPA of 3.5 or higher do not have to submit a letter of reference.)
• The application fee must be paid by the application deadline for the application to be considered complete.

Acceptance into the Program

Admission decisions will be released after Spring grades and GPA are posted.

Students provisionally admitted to the program:

• Are assigned a graduate academic advisor.
• Must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 through completion of the B.S. component of the program to remain in the program.
• If they have 12 hours or less to complete in the FINAL semester of their undergraduate studies, they may register for four-credit graduate courses with approval from their graduate academic advisor. Please note that students cannot transfer more than 12 credit hours of coursework to their MCS degree, including the shared coursework.
• Must earn at least 120 hours of undergraduate credit and 9 hours of graduate credit (this is the "Breadth Requirement") and satisfy all B.S. requirements to be officially recommended for admission to the Graduate College.

Upon successful completion of the B.S. component (including grades of B- or better in the "Breadth Requirement"), and an overall GPA of at least 3.0 GPA, students

• Will be officially admitted into the Graduate College for the next term (not including Summer term).
• Will be issued a letter of admission from the Graduate College Admission Office and the Siebel School of Computing and Data Science, at which time they will be considered graduate students and assessed for graduate tuition the following semester. International students may be required to submit additional documentation at this time.
• To remain in the combined program, you must maintain a graduate GPA of 3.0 or better.
• Must complete all the remaining MCS degree requirements within two semesters (fall-spring, spring-summer, or spring-fall). Please note that if you finish your B.S. requirements in less than four years, you will not be given extra time to complete the MCS degree requirements. You will finish this joint program in less than 5 years and be able to start working sooner!

Coursework

B.S./MCS Degree Program Requirements Planning Document

B.S. Component: 120 hours plus 3 "Breadth Requirement" courses for 9-12 graduate hours

• The same required courses as the traditional B.S. degree, with the minimum hours, required reduced to 120 hours.
• Must complete 3 out of the 4 "Breadth Requirement" courses:  four different courses, each from a different area, from the following eight core areas with a grade of B- or higher.
• University undergraduate minimum residence requirement satisfied.
• Overall GPA of 3.0 or higher maintained through the completion of the B.S. component of the program.

MCS Component: Minimum 20-23 additional coursework hours

• The program is identical to the traditional MCS program, with the 3 out of the 4 "Breadth Requirement" courses satisfied while still classified as an undergraduate.
• Students who take the "Breadth Requirement" courses for 3 credit hours instead of 4 must complete a minimum of 23 additional graduate-level coursework hours.
• Additional Coursework: Graduate (400- and 500-level) coursework from Computer Science, other Grainger College of Engineering Departments, MATH, STAT, or PHYS are pre-approved as Additional Coursework. All other courses must receive prior approval from the CS Graduate Advising Office to satisfy degree requirements.
• Students must satisfy the university's graduate student minimum residence requirement.
• Students must complete the remaining MCS degree requirements in two semesters (fall-spring, spring-summer, or spring-fall).
• Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 through the completion of the MCS component of the program.

University Residency Requirements

Undergraduate residency requirements include a student spending the first three years, earning not less than 90 semester hours, or the last year (two semesters or the equivalent), earning not fewer than 30 hours, in residence at the Urbana-Champaign campus, uninterrupted by any work in another institution. Graduate residency requirements include that half or more of the graduate hours applied toward the degree must be earned in courses counted for residence credit. Consult the University of Illinois Programs of Study book for additional details about university residency requirements.

Additional Information

Students may earn graduate hours for MCS "Breadth Requirement" component taken during the third and fourth year while a classified undergraduate. Students are required to perform and be graded at the (more advanced) graduate student level in those courses or must register in the graduate level section of a course when offered.

Students who do not complete all 5-Year B.S./MCS degree program requirements may petition to have graduate hours earned, including the Breadth Requirement coursework, converted to undergraduate hours and applied toward a traditional B.S. in Computer Science degree. Students who reverted to the B.S. degree program must earn the minimum number of hours and satisfy all degree requirements of whichever version of the B.S. curriculum is appropriate. Graduate credit not used to fulfill the B.S. degree requirements will remain on the transcript and may, at some future point, be considered for transfer to another degree program.

Fifth Year Master's Degree Conferral & Commencement Policies

Graduation Convocation / Commencement Policy

Students enrolled in a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree program can only walk in a convocation/commencement ceremony once both programs are completed, and they will walk as a Master’s graduate. A joint degree program is a campus-approved program in which a student concurrently pursues two specifically identified degrees, which are conferred simultaneously upon completion. For graduate students, this is a combination of a graduate degree with one of the following: another graduate degree, an undergraduate degree, or a professional degree.

Confirm that Bachelor's Requirements are Met

Students enrolled in a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree program must meet with the Engineering Undergraduate Program’s Degree Conferral staff in the Engineering Undergraduate Program Office, room 206, Engineering Hall, to ensure all requirements have been met for the Bachelor’s degree. The degree audit must be completed at the time students transition into the master’s degree program.  

In addition, students must submit any required paperwork to confer either their Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree no later than November 1 for a December conferral or April 1 for a May conferral. If paperwork is not submitted by this deadline, the college cannot guarantee that your degree will be conferred for that degree conferral period.

Add Your Name to Both Degree Conferral Lists

Students enrolled in a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree program must add their name to both the Bachelor’s degree conferral list and the master’s degree conferral list to graduate. Students must add their name by the designated deadlines for each degree. 

If either deadline is missed, the student may be required to wait until the following degree conferral period.