Master of Science [M.S] [Computer Science and Systems] From University of Washington

University of Washington Master of Science in Computer Science and Systems is a full-time, on-campus Tacoma programme with 40 to 45 quarter credits. Autumn 2027 is the announced target intake, and Autumn entrants can complete four quarters with satisfactory progress. Applicants need GPA 3.0/4.0 and an accredited baccalaureate, approximately 75% to 80% or CGPA 7.5 to 8.0 on 10 for Indian applicants.

Autumn 2027 tuition is unpublished; 2026-27 tuition was US$13,551 per full-time quarter (INR 12.98 Lakhs), as a prior-cycle reference. The curriculum combines systems theory with applied design, research or electives, making it suitable for applicants who already have the listed computing prerequisites and want a concentrated graduate route.

• Students can shape the degree through thesis, capstone or coursework-only pathways.
• Six available concentrations include Data Science, Cybersecurity and Distributed Systems.
• Faculty and industry fellows connect classroom study with practical systems problems in the Tacoma technology region.

Also Check: UW Tacoma graduate admission requirements

UW Tacoma M.S. Computer Science and Systems Fees and Living Costs 2027

Autumn 2027 tuition is unpublished after checks of the current programme, registrar, application and handbook pages. The 2026-27 official rate below is therefore a prior-cycle planning reference, not a confirmed 2027-28 charge.

The registrar places full-time graduate study at 10 or more credits per quarter and states that listed rates include student fees. Verify the target fee on the official tuition rates page before accepting an offer.

2026-27 prior-cycle planning reference: The programme is grouped with the listed Tacoma graduate programmes for the 7 to 18 credit non-resident band.

All INR conversions in the article use a conversion rate of USD 1 = INR 95.763 as of 25 August 2026. Rates fluctuate daily, verify before applying.

• The four-quarter figure multiplies the prior-cycle quarterly rate by four and does not establish the target-cycle tuition.
• Summer offerings may carry different charges, so applicants extending beyond four quarters should not multiply the table mechanically.
• The registrar’s full-time band supports the four-quarter illustration, while the handbook confirms that the degree requires 40 to 45 quarter credits.

Cost of Living in Tacoma for Computer Science and Systems Students

The official 2026-27 graduate budget estimates nine months from October through June and combines housing and food rather than publishing a rent-only figure. Monthly values below are calculated by dividing each official nine-month amount by nine, so they are budgeting equivalents rather than separate university quotes.

Housing, food and transport total US$22,935 for nine months (INR 21.96 Lakhs). Books and personal costs bring the official living estimate to US$26,343 (INR 25.23 Lakhs). This student budget is separate from the financial evidence required for an international student visa and does not include tuition.

A calculated prior-cycle planning illustration combines four quarters of tuition with the nine-month living budget: US$54,204 + US$26,343 = US$80,547 (INR 77.13 Lakhs). It excludes visa charges, travel, health costs and one-time arrival expenses, so applicants should hold a separate reserve for those items.

Key insight: The target tuition remains unpublished, so use the official 2026-27 rate only to size funding and recheck the 2027-28 charge before accepting an offer.

UW Tacoma M.S. Computer Science and Systems Admission 2027

Admission requires a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale plus preparation across programming, mathematics, systems and software engineering. The prerequisite list is substantial, so applicants should map each requirement to a transcript course before deciding that their degree is ready for review.

The programme accepts a thesis, capstone or coursework-only route, but all applicants first need the same foundation in computer science and related quantitative subjects. Missing prerequisites can weaken the academic case even when the overall GPA reaches the published threshold.

Academic Eligibility and Prerequisites

The table separates the published threshold from the evidence an Indian applicant should assemble. The Indian percentage and CGPA range is an approximate planning aid because the programme does not publish a country-specific conversion.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is optional and can add context when the programme identifies prerequisite gaps or a GPA below 3.0. It is supplementary evidence rather than a substitute for the listed subjects.

• Prepare a prerequisite matrix with the exact transcript course, term, grade and syllabus reference for every listed subject.
• Use the GRE strategically when the programme identifies missing prerequisites or a GPA below 3.0 as a reason for submitting it.
• Keep the personal statement focused on systems preparation and the thesis, capstone or coursework-only route you can support.

The official programme sources checked do not publish a programme-specific QS, THE, FT, ARWU or US News position, so no ranking section is included.

Read More: UW Tacoma graduate programmes

English Language Proficiency Requirements

English Language Proficiency (ELP) evidence is required under Graduate School Policy 3.2, and the programme page states that waivers are not available. The revised ELP policy effective Winter 2027 applies to the Autumn 2027 target cycle.

The main routes are Academic IELTS (International English Language Testing System), TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based test) and Duolingo English Test. The table preserves the policy’s published scales and recommended scores.

The revised policy gives current TOEFL iBT scores on a 1.0 to 6.0 scale and preserves an older scale reference for tests taken before 21 January 2026. Indian applicants should use the exact scale shown for their test date rather than converting scores themselves.

• Because the programme states that ELP waivers are unavailable, schedule an accepted test before the application window rather than relying on a medium-of-instruction letter.
• Target the policy’s recommended IELTS 7.0, TOEFL iBT 4.5 or Duolingo 130 when preparation time permits, because those are the institution’s own guidance points.
• Confirm any English-medium degree route with Graduate School and programme staff because policy conditions do not create an automatic waiver for Indian applicants.

Tip for Indian students: A 3.0 GPA alone does not settle readiness because the programme lists several computing prerequisites; audit the transcript and ELP test route together before submission.

UW Tacoma M.S. Computer Science and Systems Application 2027

Autumn 2027 and Spring 2027 are both listed as future international intakes, with applications scheduled to open on 01 September 2026. Their final international deadlines and decision dates are not published in the current official application record. Applicants should prepare the complete file before the portal opens and verify the live cutoff.

The programme currently lists a US$90 application fee (INR 8,619), two recommendation letters and an English test among the required components. The fee is a current published programme figure rather than a confirmed 2027-28 charge, so recheck it when the target application opens.

Target-cycle deadline status: The table records every future intake shown by the official programme application record; the prior Autumn date is included only as a labelled planning reference.

The prior-cycle conversion uses Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) and India Standard Time (IST), while the university’s time zone controls the portal cutoff.

The previous Autumn international cutoff was 31 July 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), which was 01 August 2026 at 12:29 p.m. India Standard Time (IST). The university’s time zone controls the portal cutoff, so use the IST conversion only for planning.

Required Application Components

The application asks for evidence of academic preparation and the applicant’s intended graduate direction. Each component should reinforce the same pathway choice because the degree can be research-led, project-led or coursework-only.

Application Preparation Strategy

Use the opening date as the first fixed checkpoint and treat the missing final deadline as an unresolved risk rather than an invitation to estimate. The most useful preparation sequence is tied to the programme’s published evidence requirements.

• Complete the prerequisite matrix before 01 September 2026 so missing subject evidence is visible when the application opens.
• Book IELTS, TOEFL iBT or Duolingo early enough to submit the exact policy scale and avoid relying on an unavailable waiver.
• Ask two technical referees for letters that connect your preparation to systems, research or applied project work.
• Check both the official deadline date and its published time zone before submitting because the 2027 international cutoffs remain unpublished.

Read More: MS Computer Science planning guide

Application tip: The university has announced the opening but not the international final deadline. Finish prerequisite mapping and testing before 01 September 2026, then record the portal’s exact cutoff.

UW Tacoma M.S. Computer Science and Systems Scholarships 2027

Three relevant UW Tacoma funding routes are named, but their Autumn 2027 amounts and deadlines are not published. The available pages therefore support funding research and eligibility checks, not a confirmed reduction in the unpublished target tuition.

The latest published School of Engineering and Technology (SET) scholarship window ran from 15 May to 26 July 2026 for the 2026-27 cycle. Awards were intended for the Autumn tuition period. Treat that window as prior-cycle context and verify the next call when the programme’s target application cycle opens.

Named Funding Routes

The School of Engineering and Technology (SET) graduate funding page identifies awards by programme scope and eligibility, while the university does not publish a target-cycle award amount. The SET graduate funding page is the starting point for each eligibility check.

The Vicky L. Carwein and William B. Andrews Endowed Scholarship is the Carwein-Andrews route listed for Computer Science and Systems. The William W. Philip Endowed Fellowship asks for a GPA of 3.3 or above in recent courses and requires a transcript.

• The Carwein-Andrews Endowed Scholarship supports Computer Science and Systems master’s and doctoral students based on merit, research potential and need for one academic year.
• The Philip Endowed Fellowship is open across SET graduate programmes and gives priority to Pierce County residents.
• General SET scholarships are available to SET students, with preference for academic merit and demonstrated need, but the page does not state an award amount or target-cycle duration.

The Carwein-Andrews page says support may cover all or part of tuition, books, fees or other expenses subject to funds. Its current instructions emphasise research materials and do not publish an MS 2027 award value.

Funding Strategy for Indian Applicants

International applicants should treat the named awards as possible supplementary funding rather than assured tuition relief. The university’s general scholarship information says eligibility and residency conditions vary. The SET page links demonstrated need with assessment through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for some awards.

• Ask the funding contact whether an international student applicant can apply before counting any need-based award against the first-year proof-of-funds requirement.
• Prepare a concise statement of technical merit, research potential and financial need because those themes recur across the named graduate awards.
• Record the next published scholarship deadline separately from the admission deadline because the 2026-27 award window closed before the Autumn tuition period.

Target-cycle scholarship amounts remain unpublished, so calculate funding using gross tuition and living costs until an award letter states the value and permitted expense categories.

Scholarship reality: UW Tacoma names relevant Computer Science and Systems awards, but Indian applicants should verify international eligibility and the 2027 amount before treating any award as a funding commitment.

UW Tacoma M.S. Computer Science and Systems Salary 2027

No course-cohort salary, offer-rate or placement report is published on the official Computer Science and Systems pages checked. The programme does list career options and employers, but that evidence shows possible role direction rather than a typical graduate outcome.

The external figures below are occupation-wide United States benchmarks from May 2024, not UW Tacoma salaries. They can frame the market value of relevant roles, but they cannot establish employment probability or repayment speed for this specific degree.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2024 occupational wage data; all figures above are external job-market benchmarks, not UW Tacoma course outcomes.

The programme’s thesis, capstone and coursework-only choices change the evidence a student can present to employers or doctoral programmes. That distinction matters because the degree can support a professional or research direction, but the official pages do not quantify either result.

Professional-Course ROI Assessment

For return on investment (ROI) planning, the last verified cost basis is a prior-cycle illustration of US$80,547 (INR 77.13 Lakhs). It combines four quarters of tuition with nine months of official living costs. The 2027-28 tuition and course-specific employment outcomes remain unpublished, so no reliable break-even period can be calculated.

The programme record lists CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) code 11.0101. This code identifies the academic field used for reporting, and the Department of Homeland Security science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) list includes it.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes the occupation-level figures above. These figures describe the wider market rather than this course’s graduate outcomes.

• Because target tuition is unpublished, the prior-cycle US$80,547 (INR 77.13 Lakhs) basis may rise; keep a reserve and await the official 2027-28 rate.
• No course-cohort salary or offer-rate report is available, so a market median cannot support a payback promise; request current employment evidence before borrowing.
• Choosing thesis, capstone or coursework-only changes the evidence available for employment or doctoral applications, so select the pathway before committing the full cost.
• The 11.0101 code appears on the STEM list, so confirm the programme’s immigration document before modelling a possible 24-month post-completion work extension.
• BLS medians are gross occupation-wide wages, so compare tax-adjusted take-home pay with an India-return salary before using them in a repayment model.

Take-home pay varies with state, filing status, benefits and deductions, so use a current United States tax calculator rather than the gross benchmarks. A student returning to India should compare the degree’s verified cost with an India-based role plan. Host-country wages do not transfer directly to the return scenario.

Read More: US post-study work options

ROI reality: Without target tuition or course-cohort outcomes, a payback period would be speculative; fund the degree only after verifying the offer, pathway value and work-authorisation assumptions.

US Visa for UW Tacoma M.S. Computer Science and Systems 2027

International students admitted to this programme normally need an F-1 (academic student) visa. UW Tacoma requires first-year financial evidence before issuing Form I-20, the Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status. The United States student visa page lists a US$185 application processing fee (INR 17,716). The I-901 Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) fee is US$350 (INR 33,517). SEVIS is the federal student record system tied to the fee and immigration record. An F-1 visa may be issued up to 365 days before the programme start, but entry is limited to the 30 days before that start date.

• Post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) can provide up to 12 months of work authorisation, with applications generally running from 90 days before completion through 60 days after completion.
• Code 11.0101 appears on the STEM list, so confirm the Form I-20 designation before relying on a possible 24-month extension.
• An H-1B specialty-occupation work visa requires employer sponsorship and applicable actual-wage or prevailing-wage compliance, while permanent residence has no course-linked timeline.
• Spouses and minor children need separate immigration documents and visa applications, so ask the university’s international student office about current study and work restrictions.

Check Out: F-1 visa steps for Indian students

Visa reality: The degree may support 12 months of OPT and a possible STEM extension. Verify the Form I-20 code, employer conditions and funding before using that pathway in an ROI plan.