PhD Computer Science at Illinois Institute of Technology

Programme overview

Doctoral programme for an academic or industrial research career requiring original research contribution, qualifying and comprehensive exams, and thesis defense.

Faculty: School of Computing | Department: Computing and Technology | Study mode: full-time | Location: Chicago, IL, United States

What you will study

Seven core groups: theory of computation, systems, programming languages, networks and security, databases, software engineering, and computational intelligence. Amount of coursework depends on previous degrees.

Career pathways

Computer scientist, computer systems engineer, computer science professor, computer network architect, research and development.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

The minimum standards for admission to the computer science Ph.D. program are: Master’s program, certificate, and non-degree applicants with bachelor’s degrees outside of computer science may be required to complete one or more of the following courses. Mastery of the material they cover is considered necessary for graduate-level study and is required for completion of a degree program or certificate. In addition, applicants who have not had at least one course in calculus will be required to take one. Grades of “B” or better are required in all these courses. Credit hours from them cannot be applied toward a degree or certificate. Proficiency in English. For applicants with degrees from schools where the primary language of instruction was not English, a minimum score of 70 on the internet-based TOEFL, 47 on the PTE, or 5.5 on the IELTS exam is required for admission consideration.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Entry terms: Fall and Spring.

Fall term: regular deadline January 31. Spring term: October 1, extended to October 15. GRE is required for PhD applicants.

Chicago-Kent J.D.: no application fee for 2026 J.D. applicants; first-year entry is Fall, with transfer entry in Fall or Spring.

Apply through the official page: https://www.iit.edu/admissions-aid/apply

Explore more study programmes

Engineering