Introduction

If you have either decided on or are deliberating pursuing a research-focused MS or a PhD in computer science and are wondering what steps you should take towards this goal, then you have come to the right place! In this section of the guide, I will (unsolicitedly) share what I have learned from my time at UTD pursuing academic and summer research, applying for fellowships and scholarships, and ultimately applying to PhD programs in computer science. In addition, I will also post links to various previous application materials of mine that I believe would be useful for UTD students applying for REUs, summer research internships, Goldwater / NSF, etc. While reading through this entire guide may be beneficial, if you were to take one thing away please instead skim the additional resources section. Within that section you can find resources written by professors at top schools on many of the things which I discuss (although my input is from a UTD student perspective).

Warning: While some of the things we cover may hold true for industry-focused CS MS programs, I don't personally have experience applying to them and cannot speak to whether this will be truly helpful for you. Furthermore, everything here is our opinion and should be held as such. Always ask your research advisor for feedback on important decisions! They will know better than us.

Note: I am always happy to mentor students who are excited and motivated to pursue research careers, as I believe we are far too few amongst the throng of industry-centered students. If you fall into this category and plan to apply outside of UTD for PhD programs in computer science, definitely feel free to reach out to me (you will certainly find up-to-date contact info on my personal site) if you have any questions that could not be answered by this guide. I am also happy to give feedback on any of your applications for anything, although you should always get general feedback from your research advisor first.

Good luck!