ut austin computer science essay

Essays & Short Answers

Summer/Fall 2025 Essay

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Please keep your essay between 500–650 words (typically two to three paragraphs).

The Common App personal essay will complete the UT Austin essay requirement.

Spring 2025 Essays

All freshman Spring 2025 applicants must submit Topic A in ApplyTexas.

Please keep your essay between 500–700 words (typically two to three paragraphs).

Spring 2025 Essay Topic

Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?

Submitting Your Essay

You can submit your essays:

• In conjunction with your application.
• Using the Document Upload System in MyStatus.

*Students do not need to submit other Common App essays. We’ll only review what is required.

Short Answers

Submit the required short answers to prompts in your admission application. Answers are limited to no more than 40 lines, or about 250–300 words per prompt, typically the length of one paragraph.

Summer/Fall 2025 Prompts

• Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major?
• Think of all the activities — both in and outside of school — that you have been involved with during high school. Which one are you most proud of and why? ( Guidance for student s: This can include an extracurricular activity, a club/organization, volunteer activity, work or a family responsibility.)

Optional Short Answer

Please share background on events or special circumstances that you feel may have impacted your high school academic performance.

Spring 2025 Prompts

• Describe how your experiences, perspectives, talents, and/or your involvement in leadership activities (at your school, job, community or within your family) will help you to make an impact both in and out of the classroom while enrolled at UT.
• The core purpose of The University of Texas at Austin is, “To Transform Lives for the Benefit of Society.” Please share how you believe your experience at UT Austin will prepare you to “Change the World” after you graduate.

Submitting Your Short Answers

You can submit your short answers with either your Common App or Apply Texas application. Short answer responses must be completed in order to submit your application.

Transfer applicants must submit one essay responding to Topic A. Applicants to the School of Architecture are required to upload Topic D in addition to Topic A. 

Essay Topics

Topic a (required).

The statement of purpose will provide an opportunity to explain any extenuating circumstances that you feel could add value to your application. You may also want to explain unique aspects of your academic background or valued experiences you may have had that relate to your academic discipline. The statement of purpose is not meant to be a listing of accomplishments in high school/college or a record of your participation in school-related activities. Rather, this is your opportunity to address the admission committee directly and to let us know more about you as an individual, in a manner that your transcripts and the other application information cannot convey.

Topic D (School of Architecture majors only)

Personal interaction with objects, images and spaces can be so powerful as to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your intended area of study, describe an experience where instruction in that area or your personal interaction with an object, image or space effected this type of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area?

Submitting Your Essay(s)

Are you seeking one-on-one college counseling and/or essay support? Limited spots are now available. Click here to learn more.

UT Austin Supplemental Essays 2024-25 – Prompts and Advice

June 26, 2024

The University of Texas at Austin is one of the top public universities in the United States, and its ultra-elite business, engineering, and computer science programs attract brilliant teen minds from all over the world. It’s no wonder that close to 73,000 students applied for a chance to join the Longhorn Class of 2028. This enthusiasm has caused the annual acceptance rate to drop significantly. Thanks to a state policy that guarantees admission to Texas high schoolers who finish in the top 6% of their class, close to 90% of UT Austin’s 40,000+ undergraduate students placed in the top decile of their high school cohort. Additionally, the mean SAT for entering freshmen is over 1400. That brings us to the immense importance of the UT Austin supplemental essay prompts.

(Want to learn more about How to Get Into UT Austin? Visit our blog entitled:  How to Get Into UT Austin: Admissions Data and Strategies for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

In a rare move, UT Austin reduced the number of supplemental essays that students need to write for the 2024-25 admissions cycle. However, the UT Austin supplemental section still affords applicants an excellent opportunity to showcase what makes them uniquely qualified for admission. Below are the University of Texas at Austin’s three supplemental prompts for the 2024-25 admissions cycle along with advice on how to address each one.

UT Austin Supplemental Essay — 2024-25

1. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. (500-650 words)

It doesn’t get more open-ended prompt than “topic of your choice.” Feel free to take this in whatever direction produces the most compelling and personal essay you can compose. What do you want the admissions office to know that they couldn’t possibly glean from anywhere else in your application? Don’t be afraid to share your struggles just as freely as your triumphs. An emotionally honest essay that showcases your unique personality is the desired product here.

One additional tip from an essay writing efficiency standpoint…if you are applying to a number of schools through the Common and/or Coalition App, you can “recycle” your Common App essay here (or vice versa).

UT Austin Short Answer Prompts — 2024-25

Answers are limited to no more than 40 lines, or about 250–300 words per prompt, typically the length of one paragraph.

1. Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major?

Share your authentic story of why you are interested in a particular discipline. For example, what books have you read on the subject? What documentaries have you watched? Which podcasts have you listened to? What subtopics most intrigue you? Did a teacher excite you about a topic or was it a parent or outside mentor? Do you know where you want to take this knowledge post-bachelor’s degree? Do you aim to one day go on to pursue a graduate/professional degree or is there an occupation you are shooting for right out of undergrad? Include as much detail as possible.

You can structure the narrative of this essay as a soup-to-nuts chronicling of your entire journey toward your discipline of interest or you could share one or two vignettes that illustrate your burgeoning passion for engineering, history, French, computer science, business, psychology, etc.

UT Austin Essay Prompts (Continued)

 2. Think of all the activities — both in and outside of school — that you have been involved with during high school. Which one are you most proud of and why? (Guidance for students: This can include an extracurricular activity, a club/organization, volunteer activity, work, or a family responsibility.)

Perhaps you are the captain of a team, the editor-in-chief of your school paper, or the president of a club. On the other hand, you may simply be a valuable contributing member. Regardless of whether you are a leading man/woman or a still-essential bit player, make sure that you use your writing ability to show the admissions officer what type of involved team member you are and why you are proud of your contributions.

You can also discuss how you have engaged with your high school local/community. Share what you have learned from interacting with people of a different ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual identity, etc. Draw on past evidence of your commitment to being a positive force in the context of your activity/activities. Finally, you can draw a link between your past efforts and future aims by researching and citing UT Austin organizations or initiatives. The admissions committee wants to understand precisely how you will contribute to their campus community.

Optional Short Answer

Please share background on events or special circumstances that you feel may have impacted your high school academic performance.

This section functions similarly to the Additional Information section of the Common App . Feel free to use this space if you encountered any hardships that impacted your academic performance. This could be anything from dealing with a divorce to challenges faced from a learning disability.

However, this prompt is truly optional and you should only take advantage of the space if you need it. If your high school performance has not been majorly impacted by special circumstances or events, you do not need to write this essay.

How important are the essays at UT Austin?

In essence, UT Austin’s admission staff “uses an individualized, holistic review process to consider each completed freshman application. Applications from students who qualify for automatic admission are reviewed to determine admission to specific colleges, schools, and majors. Applications from students who are not eligible for automatic admission are reviewed to determine admissibility and to make decisions about admission to specific colleges, schools, and majors.”

The following items are considered during the holistic review:

• Strength of academic background
• Test scores
• Record of achievements, honors, and awards
• Special accomplishments, work, and service both in and out of school
• Special circumstances that put the applicant’s academic achievements into context, including his or her socioeconomic status, experience in a single-parent home, family responsibilities, experience overcoming adversity, cultural background, race and ethnicity, the language spoken in the applicant’s home, and other information in the applicant’s file
• Recommendations (although not required)
• Competitiveness of the major to which the student applies

UT Austin Essay Prompts – Want Personalized Assistance?

To conclude, if you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your UT Austin supplemental essays, we encourage you to get a quote  today.

Need more writing-related resources? Consider checking out the following:

• Common App Essay Prompts
• 10 Instructive Common App Essay Examples
• College Application Essay Topics to Avoid
• How to Brainstorm a College Essay
• 25 Inspiring College Essay Topics
• “Why This College?” Essay Examples
• How to Write the Community Essay
• College Essay

Dave Bergman

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2 Awesome UT Austin Essay Examples

The University of Texas at Austin is one of the hardest colleges to get into in Texas . With a competitive acceptance rate, the school is moderately selective. Writing strong essays, however, will certainly boost your chances. 

UT Austin requires one long essay and three short answers, with an additional optional short answer question. There are also a handful of program-specific prompts. 

In this post, we’ll analyze sample essays written by a real applicants, sharing what they did well and what could be improved.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Read our UT Austin essay breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts. 

Essay Example #1

Prompt: Using a favorite quotation from an essay or book you have read in the last three years as a starting point, tell us about an event or experience that helped you define one of your values or changed how you approach the world. Please write the quotation, title and author at the beginning of your essay (prompt from the 2020-2021 cycle). 

“Fortunately, among these people a man was judged according to his worth and not according to the worth of his father.”

– Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart 

Like most children, I aspired to my father. 

I saw my dad as an image of whom I wanted to be. Charismatic, genuine, respected among his peers – he embodied the qualities I saw essential to being a successful person. 

The most appealing to me, however, was my father’s medical background. As the first person to attend university in our extended family, he had always been revered for his accomplishment of becoming a doctor. 

As a direct consequence, biology was a keen passion during my childhood. I remember how each evening, as I was being tucked into bed, I would unload an avalanche of questions on my dad, many of them amusingly simple such as: If my body is 70% water, why don’t I have water spilling out of my finger every time I get a papercut? In school, I’d stay after class to probe my teachers about the topics I had read of but did not yet comprehend. And anytime I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I, without a whiff of doubt, bolted out I was going to be a doctor. 

However, as I got older, I developed new interests – in particular, social science and leadership – which did not always align with my childhood goals of medicine and biology. 

With this dichotomy in my mind, I decided to spend my sophomore summer volunteering at a hospital. 

Once there, it suddenly dawned on me that, for my entire life, I had viewed being a doctor through rose-tinted glasses since the reality of being a medical professional differed wildly from my perceptions. The dozens of biology textbooks I had read had not prepared me for a single drop of blood, as seeing just one could send me into an exhausting realm of dizziness. With every additional day of volunteering, it became painfully clear – I could not follow in my father’s footsteps. 

Disappointed, I began contemplating what made my experience in the hospital so bad and if anything could be done to improve people’s – whether patients’, doctors’, or volunteers’ like myself – experience. Then, a light-bulb switched on: what if I could improve the look of the hospital? As it stood, the hospital was incredibly run-down and inspired depression rather than hope. 

With a goal to improve the hospital’s appearance and thus create a friendlier environment for the people inside, I started the Better Setting – Better Getting project, which was going to decorate the hospital with photographs of nature. Having done so, there was a question of financing ー with the hospital administration over-budget, I had to source the funding entirely from the private sector. It was challenging but, a few dozen cold-calls and a handful of live-pitches later, I found a corporate partner that recognised my vision. Finally, I was ready to make my goal a reality. Legal roadblocks and printing nuances still stood in the way, but, with the enthusiastic support of the hospital community, I was able to navigate my way through. Today, dozens of wall-sized nature photos emit joy and hope into the halls of the hospital. 

My hospital volunteering, which had begun with heartbreak and disillusion, turned out to be a defining experience of self-discovery. It helped me close my chapter on medicine, a chapter I had so often doubted, and helped me validate my passion for leadership; it allowed me to operate free of doubt, knowing that I don’t have to follow my father’s footsteps. Above all, it made me realise that, although I would never be a doctor, I could nonetheless have a positive impact on society in my very own way.

What the Essay Did Well

The author begins with a quote from a historical fiction novel that the author has read. Although their essay topic doesn’t tie directly in with the novel’s plot, the quote they chose is profound and serves as a hook that piques the reader’s interest about the essay subject. 

The author starts the essay by mentioning their father. Their use of first person and writing style makes their first lines seem like the narration at the beginning of a film. This introduction draws the reader in as it seems like the author is building up to something. Similarly, your introduction should start as if you are telling a story to provide the most engaging experience for the reader. 

The author then delves more into their father’s background and describes his medical prowess by showing, rather than telling, readers about it. Instead of saying that his father is exceptional, the author presents a specific detail about how he was the first in his family to attend university. Phrasing your writing like this allows the reader to infer through descriptive detail rather than simply absorbing your words at face value. Ensuring that you create this immersive writing style might take more time, but it is worth it as it will make your essay more memorable to admissions officers.

Eventually, the third-to-last paragraph is the climactic point the reader has been waiting for. It is the most important part of the essay ー it’s time for the author to describe how they grew from the incident. During this portion of your essay, you should take readers through your thought process as you begin to formulate a solution for your conflict. It is not enough to say that you learned something new or to merely state that you felt like a changed person. You must provide concrete examples of how you reached a solution and what that solution entailed. Here, the author mentions their distaste for the hospital, specifically, its aesthetic. This sets readers up to hear their solution. 

In the next paragraph, the author describes how they resolved part of their issues with the hospital and were able to grow into their new career path. When detailing your solution, make sure you are centering yourself as the agent of change and give specific details as to your specific impact in your environment. In this essay, the author doesn’t just say “I learned that I had a passion for business.” Rather, they show readers how their skills developed and mention specific steps they took, like live pitching and navigating legal roadblocks. 

The author concludes this essay by summarizing their journey and bringing their essay back to their chosen quote. By wrapping up their essay in this manner, they underscore their growth in a way that flows well and is easy to read. Furthermore, their open-ended, future-facing final thoughts demonstrate that they intend to continue growing. This inclusion is a key part of any good essay; ending your essay on a strong, future-facing note evokes confidence and illustrates a readiness for the challenges that come with college and beyond.

What Could Be Improved

One area of improvement for this essay is that the section on their transformation is relatively brief. The author spends multiple paragraphs giving context but only dedicates one to the actions behind their growth. The author might want to trim other areas of the essay in order to fully develop this paragraph. They could describe what they did more thoroughly, and really delve into the steps they took to carry out the mentioned processes like so:

Essay Example #2

Prompt: Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major?

I woke up. The curtains filtered the sun rays, hitting my face directly. I got up, looked from the bathroom to the kitchen, but my dad wasn’t there. I plopped on the couch, then the door opened. My dad walked in, clutching a brown paper bag with ninety-nine cent breakfast tacos. After eating, we drove to a customer’s house. He sat me in a chair, lifted the floorboard, and crawled under the house to fix the pipes. As he emerged, he talked, but my mind drifted to the weight of the eleven-millimeter hex wrench in my hand. My interest in mechanical engineering originates from my dad, who was a plumber. When I was fifteen, my dad passed away from cancer that constricted his throat. Holding his calloused hand on his deathbed, I wanted to prevent the suffering of others from cancer. Two years later, when I was given a topic of choice for my chemistry research paper, I stumbled upon an article about gold nanoparticles used for HIV treatment. I decided to steer the topic of gold nanoparticles used for cancer treatment instead, entering the field of nanotechnology. After reading numerous articles and watching college lectures on YouTube, I was utterly captivated by topics like using miniscule devices to induce hyperthermia as a safe method of cancer treatment. Nanotechnology is multi-disciplinary, reinforcing my interest in pursuing mechanical engineering as a gateway to participate in nanoscience and nanotechnology research at the University of Texas at Austin. I have learned that nanotechnology is not limited to stories like mine, but to other issues such as sustainable energy and water development that I hope to work towards. It is important for me to continue helping others without forfeiting my interest in nanotechnology, working in collaboration with both engineering and the medical field.

The introduction of this essay stands out for its narrative style. The first sentences only give hints of the story to come, which builds intrigue and keeps the reader engaged. The introduction transitions seamlessly into a vivid, personal story that shows where the author’s academic interests come from. Using a short anecdote like the one in this essay is the most effective way to explain your major choice.

The author then guides readers through their intellectual journey of discovering their academic passions. They demonstrate their passion by discussing specific details about cancer treatments and nanotechnology. Indeed, “nerding out” over your intellectual interests is an excellent way to prove that you are highly motivated to learn about them in college.

Lastly, the end of the essay looks forward to the future. We learn that the author’s dream is to cure cancer, and they want to do it by gaining multidisciplinary knowledge about engineering and medicine. We learn too that UT Austin is a part of the author’s vision. They show their interest in the school by discussing more than the major they want to pursue at UT Austin, highlighting research and the opportunity to explore new applications of nanotechnology.

The main area for improvement in this essay is its formatting. While formatting is far less important than the content of an essay, it can do much more than you would think to make your essay more impactful. This essay only needs one formatting change — paragraph spacing. Here is an example of the improvements:

I woke up. 

The curtains filtered the sun rays, hitting my face directly. I got up, looked from the bathroom to the kitchen, but my dad wasn’t there. I plopped on the couch, then the door opened. My dad walked in, clutching a brown paper bag with ninety-nine cent breakfast tacos. 

After eating, we drove to a customer’s house. He sat me in a chair, lifted the floorboard, and crawled under the house to fix the pipes. As he emerged, he talked, but my mind drifted to the weight of the eleven-millimeter hex wrench in my hand. 

My interest in mechanical engineering originates from my dad, who was a plumber. When I was fifteen, my dad passed away from cancer that constricted his throat. Holding his calloused hand on his deathbed, I wanted to prevent the suffering of others from cancer. 

Two years later, when I was given a topic of choice for my chemistry research paper, I stumbled upon an article about gold nanoparticles used for HIV treatment. I decided to steer the topic of gold nanoparticles used for cancer treatment instead, entering the field of nanotechnology. After reading numerous articles and watching college lectures on YouTube, I was utterly captivated by topics like using miniscule devices to induce hyperthermia as a safe method of cancer treatment. 

Nanotechnology is multi-disciplinary, reinforcing my interest in pursuing mechanical engineering as a gateway to participate in nanoscience and nanotechnology research at the University of Texas at Austin. I have learned that nanotechnology is not limited to stories like mine, but to other issues such as sustainable energy and water development that I hope to work towards. 

It is important for me to continue helping others without forfeiting my interest in nanotechnology, working in collaboration with both engineering and the medical field.

This new paragraph spacing makes the essay much easier to read. Separating certain parts into paragraphs puts powerful emphasis on the ideas that need them; for example, turning the sentence “I woke up” into its own paragraph creates a captivating hook that intrigues readers into finding out what happens next.

With the new format, it is also easier to see that the fourth paragraph would benefit from a few transitional phrases. To connect the author’s interests in mechanical engineering and cancer solutions, the paragraph could be reworded like so: 

My interest in mechanical engineering originates from my dad, who was a plumber. My interest in finding solutions to cancer — and how mechanical engineering could create them — comes from my dad too. When I was fifteen, he passed away from cancer that constricted his throat. Holding his calloused hand on his deathbed, I wanted to prevent the suffering of others from cancer. 

Where to Get Your UT Austin Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your UT Austin essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. In fact,  Alexander Oddo , an essay expert on CollegeVine, provided commentary on the essays in this post. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

University of Texas at Austin 2024-25 Essay Prompt Guide

Early Action: Oct 15

Regular Decision Deadline: Dec 1

University of Texas at Austin 2024-25 Application Essay Question Explanations 

The Requirements: 1 essay of 500-650 words; 2 short essays of 150 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why , Activity , Additional Info ,   Personal statement

Please keep your essay between 500–650 words (typically two to three paragraphs).

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. it can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design..

UT Austin used to ask applicants to tell a story about opportunities or challenges that shaped who they are today, but this year, admissions is opening the essay up to be about anything you like. This is a great place to recycle your Common App essay , regardless of which prompt you decided to respond to. If, on the other hand, you haven’t drafted a Common App essay, you may still find inspiration in the seven prompts. Ultimately, this is an opportunity for admissions to get to know the person behind the application data better, so you’ll want to tell a story that offers insight into who you are and who you hope to become.

Short Answers

Submit the required short answers to prompts in your admission application., answers are limited to no more than 40 lines, or about 250–300 words per prompt, typically the length of one paragraph., why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major.

This prompt sounds simple enough: describe what you want to study and why you like it so much that you’re willing to dedicate four years of your life to it (at the very least). While you might be tempted to get technical or poetic in your response, your reader will expect you to connect your intended major to some prior experience and/or passion. In other words, tell a story. Lucky for you, we would have advised you to start with an anecdote anyway. The most memorable essays spring from concrete descriptions of your experiences. What excites you and why? When was the last time you got drawn down a Reddit rabbit hole – and what was the topic? While you don’t need to pinpoint the exact moment you became interested in ancient history or calculus, try to zero in on some inspiring experience. What was the best TED Talk you ever watched? The first time you spoke to your new friend in ASL? Your story should showcase your unique connection to your chosen course of study. And don’t forget to talk about UT Austin! By the end of your essay, your reader should not only know why you are passionate about your chosen major, but also what excites you about Austin’s program. In admissions, we call that your fit!

Oh and a quick shoutout to all the undecideds out there: don’t worry! If you can’t decide, then tell a story that demonstrates your wide range of interests or natural curiosity. Focus on the opportunities UT Austin offers across departments and how you plan to explore once you arrive on campus. It’s normal to want to try new things at the start of college!

Think of all the activities — both in and outside of school — that you have been involved with during high school. Which one are you most proud of and why? (Guidance for students: This can include an extracurricular activity, a club/organization, volunteer activity, work or a family responsibility.)

Next up is a fun twist on the classic Activity Essay, which asks you to expand on an extracurricular endeavor that you are most proud of. Although we usually urge students to write about items that haven’t appeared elsewhere on their application, the Activity Essay is an exception. The trick here is to be authentic. The activity you want to write about will likely catapult to the front of your mind rather quickly, but if it doesn’t, take a moment to review your activities list (or start making one if you haven’t already) and reflect on each of those experiences. 

Maybe you want to write about your experience in the Debate Club, how you started with a fear of public speaking and, over the course of a few years, developed a knack for not only capturing the attention of a crowd, but thinking on your feet, as well! Or, perhaps you want to write about the Saturday mornings you spent volunteering in your neighborhood and the pride you take in serving your community. (Just make sure to avoid common Volunteering Essay pitfalls !) 

Whatever activity you choose to write about, be sure to infuse your story with specific, personal details so that no one else could have written it.

Optional Short Answer

Please share background on events or special circumstances that you feel may have impacted your high school academic performance. (40 lines, or about 250-300 words).

This essay is perfect for students who have encountered outstanding challenges, and need an opportunity to explain them. In fact, we recommend saving those details for an Additional Info essay, so that you can use the rest of your application to highlight other parts of your amazing personality. So, if something has happened that affected your academic performance, this is a great opportunity to explain the circumstances. Did a COVID-19 infection during your junior year cause your participation in clubs and activities to take a hit? Did a family emergency cause an overall drop in your GPA? A drop in grades or a gap in your resume does not define you. Remember to make this essay not about the things you couldn’t control, but the actions you took to improve the situation. You don’t want to come off as a victim of circumstance, but as a resilient person who can take steps to positively affect their situation.

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What Starts Here

   , ph.d. program, master's programs, portfolio program in robotics, admissions & incoming students, current students, online programs & degrees, master's degrees, student experience.

Please see the department website for more information.

The UT Department of Computer Science offers informational tours for its undergraduate computer science programs throughout the year, including an honors tour focusing on the Turing Scholars program as well as Texas CSB (CS + Business honors).

During your time on campus, you will have the opportunity to tour our state-of-the-art computer science facilities, attend a class, meet with an academic advisor, chat with a current student, and, if you sign up for the honors tour, visit with Professor Calvin Lin, the Director of the Turing Scholars program.

Students interested in honors visits are encouraged to come in the Fall when they can attend a first-year honors course. Spring visitors will need to visit a traditional, rather than an honors, class. Note that during the Spring semester, priority is given to admitted students.

Please visit the CS website for more information and to schedule a tour.

How do I apply?

High school seniors can apply to the Turing Scholars Honors Program alongside the standard UT Austin application, as long as they select Computer Science as either their first or second choice major. The honors application process includes short-answer questions and an expanded resume and can be completed within the ApplyTexas or Common Application, or on UT Austin's MyStatus page after submission of the UT Austin application.

We're looking for highly motivated students with strong math and science backgrounds. A demonstrated interest in computer science through classes or personal projects is a plus, and evidence of leadership as exhibited by significant extracurricular involvement is also helpful.

For more information about applying to freshman honors, visit the Texas Admissions page .

For Current UT Students

If you are interested in joining the Turing Scholars Honors Program and have excelled in your current CS and math courses at UT, please consider the following options:

Join the Turing Scholars program

Current CS majors can apply for admission to the Turing Scholars Honors Program at the end of each semester by submitting an online application and then emailing a resume to the address on the online application. Applications will be accepted through May 17, 2024 for students wanting to begin the program in Fall 2024 .

Enroll in individual honors courses

Our CS honors courses typically have a limited number of spaces available for non-Turing Scholars. Enrollment in honors courses is particularly useful for students who wish to transfer into the Turing Scholars Program, since they give the admissions committee an excellent way to evaluate your potential.

To apply, you should submit a separate request for each CS honors course that you wish to take, since the decisions are made by the individual faculty members who teach the course. In some cases, faculty may ask you to also make an appointment for an interview.

Turing Scholars Honors Program Department of Computer Science The University of Texas at Austin 2317 Speedway, Stop D9500 Austin, TX 78712 [email protected]

Director, Turing Scholars Honors Program Professor of Computer Science Calvin Lin GDC 5.512

Recruiting & Admission Coordinator Alejandra Bernal​​ [email protected]

Personal Statements & Statements of Purpose

Personal statements and statements of purpose are carefully crafted essays for academic applications, like graduate schools or fellowships, meant to effectively communicate to the admissions committee who you are, your motivations, your goals and how you prepared for graduate school.

Personal Statement vs. Statement of Purpose

While the terms might be used interchangeably, the two are subtly distinct from one another.

A personal statement is commonly written for scholarly fields in academia and professional fields like medicine and law. While it includes information about academic and career goals, it typically includes information about yourself as a person and your motivation for your chosen field. A strong personal statement demonstrates how much genuine motivation you have to pursue this field of study and that you have the necessary skills and background to be successful. It is typically a personal narrative.

A statement of purpose is written largely for science-oriented disciplines and typically describes your preparation to pursue your chosen field, your academic and research experience, and your career goals. A strong statement demonstrates how you have advanced your academic interests and how you plan to successfully pursue your goals. When writing a statement of purpose, you are making a case that you are a preferred candidate. Be logical, concise and clear in your writing for the best results.

Basic Content

Regardless of which version you are requested to write, a basic framework can be a good starting point. Keep in mind that your essay should be a reflection of your goals and illustrate your ability to write well. Take time to refine your personal statement and be sure to include transitional sentences between paragraphs. A good flow to your essay and story is essential to keeping your reader’s attention!

A personal statement or statement of purpose should answer the following 5 questions:

• Why do you want to go to graduate school?
• How have you prepared for graduate school?
• Why will you be a strong and successful graduate student?
• What are you career goals and how will this degree help you achieve them?
• Why do you want to attend this particular graduate program? Make sure you personalize your essay for each program and describe why the particular program or faculty is a good fit for you.

Getting Started

Do you feel like you don’t know what to focus on or don’t have experiences that will help you stand out? Try these activities to help you get started.

Brainstorming Activity

Select one of the following prompts and free write on the topic for 5 minutes.

• Think about a time you overcame an obstacle.
• Write about a person who inspires you. What qualities do they possess?
• Write about a time you acted as a leader.
• Think about key moments when you realised you wanted to pursue graduate school.
• What qualities do individuals in your field of study possess? Write about how you have demonstrated one of these qualities.

Once you have finished your free writing, have a friend read over the statement and highlight the one sentence that most interests them. Then free write for five minutes on that sentence. You will find this may help you narrow down your focus.

Call a Friend

Some people have a harder time writing than they do talking. If this sounds like you, have a conversation with a friend or family member about why you want to go to grad school and how you have prepared. Make sure to make an audio recording of your conversation and then type up when you said. This will give you some content you can start shaping for your statement.

Diving Deep into the Components

Committee members will read through hundreds of applications — How will you help yours stand out? Make sure to put significant thought into every section of your essay and that you’ve answered the 5 basic content questions above.

Introduction

Learn how to write in an engaging fashion that will bring your story to life. Avoid clichés like “ I have always wanted to be a... ” and instead paint a picture that creates connection to the reader.

The opening paragraph for a personal statement typically introduces the reader to your personal and/or professional motivations. Here are two examples:

For twenty-three years, my grandmother (a veterinarian and an epidemiologist) ran the Communicable Disease Department of a mid-sized urban public health department. The stories of Grandma Betty doggedly tracking down the named sexual partners of the infected are part of our family lore. Grandma Betty would persuade people to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases, encourage safer sexual practices, document the spread of infection and strive to contain and prevent it. Indeed, due to the large gay population in the city where she worked, Grandma Betty was at the forefront of the AIDS crisis, and her analysis contributed greatly towards understanding how the disease was contracted and spread. My grandmother has always been a huge inspiration to me, and the reason why a career in public health was always on my radar.

The brain, to me, is such a complex and sovereign organism that has influence over the internal mechanisms and this has always allured to me. My true fascination has manifested from observing the external factors that can affect the function of the brain. From a young age I have been exposed to addiction; a factor which I believe has incited a passion within me to pursue a neurological career. I have witnessed the physical and psychological effects that an alcohol addiction has over an individual, and in my seventeen years the greatest thing that I have observed is the pattern of habits that relapse and evolve with an addiction. Although this can be a truly upsetting environment to have been around, I have learnt that people and their minds are incredibly resilient. This is something I wish to delve deeper into in during a Master’s in Counseling.

On the other hand, opening paragraphs for statements of purpose should grab the reader’s attention in a straight-forward manner, since the reader is not expecting that you stray too far from your academic or professional field. Openings involving research experience, classroom experience or other specifics related to the field of study are common. Here are two examples:

I might not have learned about Professor Norman Roland’s lab if it had not been for the Freshman Research Initiative. This innovative program at The University of Texas at Austin introduces high-achieving freshman to university research. As a result, I worked for two semesters with Professor Roland’s team on the mutation rates and genetic interactions of bacteria. As a young Texan from a very “business-oriented” family in El Paso, I found myself in new territory. Those first two semesters were pivotal in defining my career direction. They gave me the foundation to pursue undergraduate assistantships in two additional research labs at UT Austin, which helped me identify my own specific research interests and the motivation to pursue a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology.

While assisting in field biology research in Prince William Sound, Alaska, I was intrigued to see that when a colony of 16,000 blacklegged kittiwakes was flushed by a predator, they made a particular descending warble vocalisation. In fact, this distinct call seemed to be the only coordinated activity in which I ever saw them participate. Later that afternoon, I practiced making the “flush call” for hours. Finally, I climbed onto the colony and did my best imitation. The thunder of the entire colony lifting off, as other birds picked up the call, cemented my long-held intention: I want to work with sound. My purpose for undertaking doctoral work in acoustics and animal behaviour is twofold. First, my professional goal is to contribute to the existing research on biological systems, which use sound. Second, my personal goal is to convey in-depth understanding and love of these systems to the students I teach.

Experiences

Admissions committees want to know where your interests originated, how they have evolved over time, and what experiences you have had in college to prepare you for success in their program. Don’t try to cram every experience on your resume into your statement. Instead, pick 2-4 of the most impactful experiences you had to describe in greater detail and how each of those experiences prepared you for graduate school.

Research or Academic Experiences

If you have had research experience or school-related activities (e.g., projects, papers, presentations) that have been influential to your goals, focus more on what you learned from these experiences if you are writing a personal statement, and more on describing the project or research study in detail if you are writing a statement of purpose. This paragraph would also be the place to mention any personal qualities that would make you a successful student in their program. Be sure to back up those statements with specific examples documenting your abilities in these areas.

Internships & Work Experience

Internships and work experience is extremely valuable when applying to graduate school. Make sure you include these in your statement especially if they are related to your field of interest.

Co-curricular Activities

Involvement outside the classroom can offer valuable experiences to your personal and professional development. This may be particularly important in business and law, where leadership qualities are given priority. For instance, being an officer in a student organization or editing the college newspaper can show programs the leadership qualities you possess. Again, do not simply describe your experiences. Thoughtfully analyze your activities and look for ways to set yourself apart from the crowd.

Career Goals

Although you do not need to have your life mapped out in detail, be able to identify some general career goals and indicate how you plan to use your graduate training. Admissions committees want to see that you can conceptualize your future. Point out how your goals are congruent with the training you would receive from that program. Keep in mind that no one in the graduate program will remember what you put for your career goals in your admissions essay so it is okay if these goals change in the future.

Goodness of Fit

Before making their admissions decisions, the committee first needs to determine if you are a good match for them and if they are a good match for you. Your academic record and exam scores, reference letters and personal statement all help them assess if you could be a successful student in their program. By pointing out what attributes about their program appeal to you and/or how the research by certain faculty is in line with your interests, you demonstrate to them your motivation to learn from their specific program. This is most appropriate when applying to a scholarly or research program and not for applied fields like law. Here is an example:

During my graduate training, I want to enhance my research skills, further my knowledge of pharmacology, and learn how to successfully and independently investigate complex research questions. I believe UTSW will provide the necessary training and resources to achieve my goals because of cutting-edge technology and a collaborative work environment. Outstanding faculty research, like the efforts to understand mechanisms of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases by Dr. Maria Chahrourand and Dr. Gang Yu, respectively, support my research interests and career goals of working in neurological diseases. Acceptance into UTSW’s graduate school would be the first step in achieving my career goal of becoming a successful research scientist.

In your final paragraph of the essay, briefly summarize your main points and remind the committee members that you are eager to be a part of their graduate program. Be mindful to not sound repetitive. A nice touch could be to return to the theme of your catchy intro and have your story conclude full circle.

Extenuating Circumstances

The statement can also provide an opportunity to explain extenuating circumstances or particulars about your background. Clarifying the reason you had a low GPA, for instance, can help the admissions committee understand your application better. The important thing is to explain, not make excuses for, your situation. We strongly recommend making an appointment with a CNS Career Coach to talk about the best way to frame your situation in your statement.

Tips and Mistakes

Our CNS Career Coaching team reads hundreds of essays each year. Here are our top tips and most common mistakes to help you be successful writing your admissions essays. 

• Focus on you : Graduate school committees are interested in knowing more about you as a person and whether or not you’re a good fit for their program.
• Follow word and/or character limits .
• Proofread : Keep in mind that these essays are a sample of your communication skills. Triple check for grammatical errors, typos and unclear passages before you submit your essays.
• Be concise and relevant : Admissions committees read hundreds of application each cycle. Keep their attention with concise and relevant writing.
• Finish before the deadline : Give yourself time to draft, revise and edit multiple times. Your recommendation letter writers will likely want to see a draft of your statement as well — another good reason to start early!
• Consider your audience : Most admissions committee members are professors in the department of the program you are applying to. 
• Create a holistic picture : Your statement should complement your resume/CV, but both documents should be understandable without the other.
• Have multiple people review your draft : CNS Career Coaches, faculty,  graduate students and the University Writing Center can all provide feedback.
• Only you will know when you are done .

Common Mistakes

• Breadth over depth : Focus on in-depth description of 2 or 3 key experiences as opposed to briefly mentioning everything you have done.
• Telling your life story : Instead, selectively mention key experiences that are most relevant to the application and you future field of study.
• Dramatic generalizations : These usually take the shape of “I always knew...” Don’t proclaim your passion. Demonstrate it.
• Not focusing on you : Make sure you hone in on what makes you uniquely qualified for this particular graduate program and how you can be an asset.
• Incomplete : Make sure your essay answers the question(s) or prompt provided by the application committee. If there is no prompt, then review our 5 questions your statement should answer at the top of this page.
• Dishonesty : Don’t just say what you think the admissions committee wants to hear. You don’t know what they want to hear. They will sense dishonesty and you lose credibility.
• Be careful with quotes: Admissions committees want to hear your story in your words. Avoid quotes unless there’s absolutely no way to tell your particular story without it.
• Mixing up schools : This usually happens when applying to more than one school. Carefully check which statement is going to whom and that any mention of the program you’re applying to is correct in the essay.

Want Help with Your Statement?

Visit the University Writing Center

Texas Honors Computer Science & Business is an integrated degree program at The University of Texas at Austin that allows you to earn degrees in Computer Science and Business in a shorter time. Texas CSB provides a world class education, countless opportunities and a tight-knit student community.

To learn more please feel free to come to one of our virtual information sessions "Technology + Business at Texas" hosted by the Department of Computer Science and the Canfield Business Honors Program. Sessions can be found under the McCombs School of Business or the College of Natural Sciences sections. Sessions for each fall are posted in late August and for Spring in late December. 

How to Apply

To apply to Texas CSB, you must: 

• Apply to UT Austin using either the ApplyTexas or Common applications. Select Unspecified Business and Computer Science Entry Level as your first and second choice majors. Your first choice major should be the one you are most interested in.
• Indicate your interest in an honors program towards the end of the application. By selecting the Unspecified Business and Computer Science Entry Level major combination, you will be able to complete the honors prompt for Texas CSB. Depending upon your first choice major, you will also be able to apply to either the Canfield Business Honors Program or Turing Scholars . 
• Complete all other requirements to apply to UT Austin. Test scores (SAT or ACT) are required. 
• Submit a detailed, expanded resume through MyStatus or the CommonApp documents section. The Activities section of CommonApp does not meet the resume requirement, a separate document must be provided
• Submit a letter of recommendation from an academic source (teacher, professor, etc.). Please note that you must use the Document Upload System in MyStatus, which will email your recommender a request to submit their recommendation to us directly.

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Looking for Advice on my Transfer Essays.

Next fall, I am hoping to transfer to UT Austin. I have wanted to go there for some time, and it is without a doubt #1 on my list of universities. With that said, I know that this is my last chance to transfer, at least as an undergraduate, and I want to make sure that I have these admission essays perfect.

Essays: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1j5spdOFdXMJrDu2LDtWaCTtjuQVPDsAPZ0Q1nyvtRMQ/edit?usp=sharing

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I greatly appreciate any advice you guys can give, and thank you for reading!

EDIT: Thank you all for your advice, I am working on it when I have the free time (what with Christmas and all). I may just make a new post when they are all done, as many of them will look completely different than how they were initially, and as such many of the comments here would be out of date. Thank you all, you've been a huge help!

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Ut austin opens robotics program to incoming freshman, high school seniors will be able to apply for the university of texas at austin's robotics program through the common app or apply texas portals, starting research the first year and the minor curriculum the second year..

UT Launches Nation’s First Robotics Program for Freshman Applicants

The University of Texas at Austin has introduced what is believed to be the first undergraduate robotics program in the country that allows high school students to apply directly as part of their freshman admissions application. The honors program will integrate students as soon as they arrive on campus into the immersive and interdisciplinary curriculum, which includes hands-on research, engineering and computer science coursework, and participation in UT’s top-ranked Texas Robotics’ events and programs.

“The University of Texas is already recognized for its leadership and expertise in robotics and artificial intelligence, and by pairing these disciplines with our top-10 programs in engineering and computer science, we are creating a first-class, unique educational and experiential program for students seeking to enter this exciting and evolving field,” said UT President Jay Hartzell. “With unmatched curricular and research opportunities, combined with access to our internationally renowned faculty and network of employers, these students will experience — from day one — the academic excellence and real-world preparation for which our University is known.”

Students entering the program will have full access to world-class robotics facilities and a specialized adviser to help with course registration, accessing resources and ensuring success. They will collaborate in a cohort of peers studying robotics while gaining entrance to organizations, clubs and access to Texas Robotics events. The program’s experiential learning will strengthen access to internships and better position students for future employment or graduate school. These types of opportunities historically have not been available outside of master’s programs.

Robotics honors students will apply to and pursue degrees in aerospace engineering, electrical and computer engineering, computational engineering, computer science or mechanical engineering, and they will also earn a minor in robotics. To launch their journey during their first year at UT, they will join a specialized track within the Freshman Research Initiative, the largest University undergraduate research program in the nation.

“We aim to attract the very best students in the country and across the globe to become future makers and innovators who will change the world,” said Peter Stone, director of Texas Robotics and professor in UT’s Department of Computer Science. “I’m enormously excited to see not only what these students do when they are here, but what they go on to accomplish in their careers. The education and experience they receive here will prepare them to do incredible things.”

Texas Robotics is a collaborative program that unites robotics efforts across the University to enable deeper connections, accelerate and grow research programs, and deliver comprehensive educational offerings. It comprises 16 core faculty members; 40 affiliated faculty members; and 200 students, postdoctoral researchers, visiting scholars and research engineers from four top-ranked engineering and computer science departments at UT.

Students can apply through the Common App or Apply Texas. The deadline to apply is Dec. 1.

In addition to the application requirements for majors in aerospace engineering, electrical and computer engineering, computational engineering, computer science or mechanical engineering, students will also be required to submit an additional short-answer essay about their interest in the program.

For more information, visit robotics.utexas.edu/undergradroboticsprogram or contact [email protected] .

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The University of Texas Semiconductor Science and Engineering Graduate Program stands out as the only in-person master’s degree program at a top-10 nationally ranked engineering school exclusively dedicated to semiconductors. It offers students the opportunity to work in real-world cleanrooms alongside industry partners.

The program prepares students to enter the semiconductor workforce in:

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• semiconductor packaging
• heterogeneous integration

Graduates of this program will develop a deep understanding of the science of semiconductors and how to engineer and manufacture devices and systems around these core disciplines. Students will train to investigate their own research projects to help them become team leaders and innovators in corporations that have semiconductor-centric applications. This degree focuses on the linkage between fundamental science, engineering disciplines and research. Graduates of the program will be well prepared to work across disciplines and overcome the inherent challenges faced by the semiconductor industry today.

This Master of Science degree is a collaboration between the Cockrell School of Engineering and the College of Natural Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin. It is backed by industry-leading companies that sponsor students and research within the program.

This program offers students a chance to develop hands-on skills in designing semiconductors and utilizing industrial-scale semiconductor manufacturing equipment. It also allows students to work on industrially relevant research problems with UT faculty members and industry sponsors.

Why earn your Master's in Semiconductor Science and Engineering?

According to the Semiconductor Industry Association, more than 31,000 new masters-level semiconductor jobs will need to be filled by 2030. About 40% of those are at risk of going unfilled due to a lack of people with the necessary training and skill sets. 

Graduates of this program will acquire in-demand knowledge and skills such as:

• An understanding of the theories underlying the multidisciplinary areas of semiconductor science and engineering
• Insight into the function of semiconductor devices
• Comprehension of the properties of semiconducting materials at the atomic and nanometer level
• Familiarity with standard semiconductor fabrication and metrology equipment
• Hands-on experience working in semiconductor cleanrooms
• Modern computational and data analysis skills required to work in the semiconductor industry
• Experience performing independent research and writing technical reports
• The ability to contribute constructively to multidisciplinary teams using team engineering principles and methods

This program provides students with a connection to the semiconductor industry through:

• The opportunity to work on industry-sponsored projects with UT faculty and industry representatives
• Coursework that continually exposes students to new technology development and needs in the semiconductor industry
• Summer internship opportunities at member companies for students in the program
• A regular seminar series of industry experts in semiconductors
• Access to a network of UT alumni working in the semiconductor industry

Curriculum Degree Requirements

The semiconductor science and engineering degree requires 30 hours of coursework, including a master’s report writing course. Students in the program are admitted into one of four potential tracks.

Degree Tracks

• Semiconductor Manufacturing This track focuses on gaining a fundamental understanding of semiconductor manufacturing processes and tools and hands-on experience using those tools. Required laboratories in this track include semiconductor manufacturing, where students will gain experience with standard semiconductor fabrication methods such as wafer cleaning, spin coating, photolithography, resist development, wet and dry etching, metal deposition, chemical vapor deposition, ion implantation, annealing and wafer bonding, as well semiconductor metrology and characterization, where students will gain experience with common semiconductor metrology methods such as profilometry, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, ellipsometry, interferometry and electrical probing. Electives in this track include courses focused on analysis, modeling and control of semiconductor manufacturing processes, ultra-large-scale integration techniques, optical and machine tool design for semiconductor equipment, plasma processing, lithography and practical metrology methods.
• Circuits and Systems This track focuses on developing the knowledge and skills to design semiconductor circuits and systems. Required laboratories in this track include very-large-scale integration (VLSI) circuit design, where students will explore complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology; static and dynamic CMOS combinational and sequential circuits; design of datapath elements; performance, power consumption, and testing and the use computer-aided design (CAD) tools for layout, timing analysis, synthesis, physical design and verification, as well as analog integrated circuit design where students will explore the analysis and design of analog integrated circuits; transistor models and integrated circuit technologies; layout techniques; noise; mismatches; current mirrors; differential amplifiers; frequency response and compensation; feedback and stability; nonlinear circuits; voltage references; and operational amplifiers using state-of-the-art CAD tools for design, simulation, and layout. Electives in this track include application-specific integrated circuit design, radio frequency integrated circuit design, power management design, physical design automation and optimization, system-on-chip design, embedded system design, semiconductor memory design and computer architecture.
• Heterogeneous Integration This track focuses on gaining a fundamental understanding of advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration for semiconductor manufacturing. Required laboratories in this track include semiconductor manufacturing, where will gain experience with common semiconductor fabrication methods such as wafer cleaning, spin coating, photolithography, resist development, wet and dry etching, metal deposition, chemical vapor deposition, ion implantation, annealing and wafer bonding, as well semiconductor metrology and characterization, where students will gain experience with common semiconductor metrology methods such as profilometry, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, ellipsometry, interferometry and electrical probing. Electives in this track include courses focused on microelectronics packaging techniques, thermomechanical issues in packaging, reliability-related aspects of packaging, thermal management conditions, packaging materials, integration of heterogeneous chiplets, thin films and interfaces and metalization.
• Semiconductor Devices This track focuses on developing the knowledge and skills necessary to design, fabricate and test new semiconductor devices. Required laboratories in this track include very-large-scale integration (VLSI) circuit design, where students will explore complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology; static and dynamic CMOS combinational and sequential circuits; design of datapath elements; performance, power consumption, and testing and the use computer-aided design (CAD) tools for layout, timing analysis, synthesis, physical design and verification, as well semiconductor metrology and characterization, where students will gain experience with common semiconductor metrology methods such as profilometry, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, ellipsometry, interferometry and electrical probing. Electives in this track include courses focused on optoelectronic devices, semiconductor heterostructures, metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET), bipolar junction transistors (BJT), thin-film transistors, quantum wires, quantum dots, spintronic devices and emerging 2D devices.

All students in the degree program need to complete two track-dependent laboratory courses and are required to complete a research course (SSE 395: Semiconductor Science and Engineering Research). In addition, all students need to complete three elective courses within their chosen track. These prescribed elective courses can be in Semiconductor Science and Engineering or may be selected from an approved list of courses offered in the Cockrell School of Engineering and the College of Natural Sciences. Finally, all students will conduct independent research and develop a master’s report (SSE 398R) under the supervision of a research advisor who is selected from the Semiconductor Science and Engineering Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) and an industry advisor.

Approved Elective Courses

Track 1: Semiconductor Manufacturing

CH 393L - Advanced Physical Chemistry: Elements of Spectroscopy CH 381M - Advanced Analytical Chemistry CH 393L - Introduction to Computational Methods in Chemistry CHE 384T - Nanomaterials Chemistry and Engineering ECE 396K.8 - Ultra-Large-Scale Integration Techniques ECE 396K.4 - Synthesis, Growth and Analysis of Electronic Materials ECE 396K.19 - Plasma Processing of Semiconductors I ECE 396K.20 - Plasma Processing of Semiconductors II ME 387R.8 - Practical Electron Microscopy ME 392Q.13 - Analytics and Control in Semiconductor Manufacturing ME384Q.3 - Time-Series Modeling, Analysis and Control ME 397 - Optical Design ME 392M.9 - Precision Machine Design

Track 2: Circuits and Systems

ECE 382M - ASIC Design Lab –I ECE 382M - VLSI II ECE 382M.25 - Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit Design ECE 382M.12 - Semiconductor Memory Design ECE 382N.26 - Machine Learning Hardware-Algorithm Codesign ECE 382M.26 - VLSI CAD and Optimization ECE 382M.22 - VLSI Physical Design Automation ECE 382M.20 - System-on-Chip Design ECE 382N.23 - Embedded System Design and Modeling ECE 382N.1 - Computer Architecture ECE 382N.14 - High-Speed Computer Arithmetic ECE 382V - Hardware Architecture for Machine Learning ECE 383V - Microwave and RF Engineering ECE 394 - Power Management Integrated Circuits

Track 3: Heterogeneous Integration

ECE 383P - Optical Communication/ Interconnects ME381R.7 - Nanoscale Energy Transport and Conversion SSE385.1 - Advanced Packaging and Heterogenous Integration SSE385.2 - Microelectronics Packaging and Thermal Management SSE385.3 - Materials for Semiconductor Packaging and Heterogeneous Integration SSE385.4 - Failure and Reliability in Heterogeneous Integration

Track 4: Semiconductor Devices

ECE 383P.6 - Semiconductor Optoelectronic Devices ECE 396K.23 - Semiconductor Heterostructures ECE 396V - Advanced Semiconductor Nanotechnology ECE 396K - Thin Film Transistors ECE 396N.2 - Carbon and 2D Devices ECE 396N.1 - Semiconductor Nanostructures ECE 396K.26 - Microelectromechanical Systems ECE 396V - Quantum Theory of Electronic Materials ECE 394 - Power Semiconductor Devices PHY 392Q - Density Functional Theory PHY 392K - Solid-State Physics I

Application and Admission Requirements

*Note: Only Track 1 (Semiconductor Manufacturing) and Track 3 (Heterogeneous Integration) will be accepting applications for Fall 2025

APPLY FOR 2025

Admission Requirements

• Have a minimum 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average (GPA) in junior- and senior-level work and in any graduate work already completed
• Hold a bachelor of arts or science degree in physical sciences (chemistry, physics) or in an engineering discipline from an accredited institution. Applicants with other bachelor’s degrees may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Students who do not have a background that the committee considers satisfactory for the study of semiconductor science and engineering will be required to take preparatory coursework, some of which may be at the undergraduate level. Completion of some coursework may be required before the student begins the work for the graduate degree.
• TOEFL or IELTS (international students only )
• Submit official transcripts from previous colleges or universities
• Statement of Purpose - Make sure you upload your Statement of Purpose and Resume (or CV) when you come to those sections on the application. Your Statement of Purpose should be a summary of your academic and professional goals, as well as a description of the research work you have done in the past, what research work you plan to do as a graduate student at UT, and why you are interested in the semiconductor science and engineering program. Please ensure these documents are edited to your liking before you upload them, for they cannot be deleted once uploaded to your application.
• Three Letters of Recommendation - Make sure you enter the valid e-mail address of each referee you want to submit a recommendation for you when you get to that section on the application. Please use the university domain address for each professor you are requesting a reference. Letters from industry or employers are also acceptable. Once you have completed this application section, a notice will be sent to each referee showing them where to go to complete a recommendation for you using our online system. Three is only the minimum number of recommendations required to accompany your application. You are welcome to add more.

Applications to the M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Mechanical Engineering no longer require the submission of GRE scores. Submitting these scores is optional. The admission committee uses a holistic approach to admissions, reviewing all parts of the application to get a picture of each applicant’s academic and professional background, life experiences, interests and goals and fit with our program offerings.

Each program updates and maintains graduate handbook information, which is available in each program's office and online. Please contact the program with concerns or questions.

Most students admitted into the program are expected to be supported through fellowships and research assistantships funded by our industrial members. Students financed in this way are expected to work on a research project with the industrial sponsor and a UT faculty advisor. Benefits of this funding include a stipend, paid tuition and fees, and health insurance coverage for the three semesters of the master’s degree program. Financial support is contingent upon satisfactory progress toward the degree and continued availability of funds.

Students who are personally funded or are funded by their employer may also be admitted to the program. If you anticipate self-funding or employer funding to cover your master’s degree, please indicate so in your personal statement.

Other Internal Fellowship Opportunities

All admitted applicants are nominated for institutional recruitment fellowships through the Graduate School and Cockrell School of Engineering. Selected applicants receive notification of these awards in the spring. Currently, the program submits all nominations automatically rather than individuals applying directly.

Fellowship opportunities are available for continuing students from the Graduate School and the Cockrell School of Engineering . The graduate coordinator and adviser will solicit faculty nominations and make submissions each year.

Competitive External Fellowships

Many US agencies offer excellent fellowship opportunities for graduate students in science and engineering. The list below is not exhaustive but includes the most widely recognized science and engineering fellowships. Students are encouraged to apply for multiple fellowships to increase their chances of receiving one.

Additional Fellowship Opportunities

• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
• National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship
• NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship
• US Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Fellowship Program
• Hertz Foundation Applied Science Fellowships
• Semiconductor Research Corporation Fellowships and Scholarships

The semiconductor science and engineering master's degree is a cross-collaborative degree with faculty from both the College of Natural Sciences and the Cockrell School of Engineering.

List of Affiliated Faculty

Deji Akinwande Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Michael Aubrey Assistant Professor Chemistry This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Edoardo Baldini Assistant Professor Physics This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sanjay Banerjee Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Seth Bank Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Chih-Hao Chang Associate Professor Mechanical Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ray Chen Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Michael Cullinan Associate Professor Mechanical Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Alexander Demkov Professor Physics This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dragan Djurdjanovic Professor Mechanical Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ananth Dodabalapur Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Mattan Erez Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Andreas Gerstlauer Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Feliciano Giustino Professor Physics This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Graeme Henkelman Professor Chemistry This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Alex Huang Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tanya Hutter Assistant Professor Mechanical Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Yaoyao Jia Assistant Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Lizy John Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Brian Korgel Professor Chemical Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Jaydeep Kulkarni Associate Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

S.V. Sreenivasan Professor Mechanical Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sensen Li Assistant Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Xiuling Li Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ruochen Lu Assistant Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Nathaniel Lynd Associate Professor Chemical Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

C. Buddie Mullins Assistant Professor Chemical Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Michael Orshansky Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

David Pan Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Leonard Register Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Hang Ren Assistant Professor Chemistry This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sean Roberts Associate Professor Chemistry This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Shyam Shankar Assistant Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Earl Swartzlander Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Emmanuel Tutuc Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Yaguo Wang Associate Professor Mechanical Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Jamie Warner Professor Mechanical Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Edward Yu Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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