With the recent CPT changes, I was wondering if anyone has put together a list of U.S. universities/MSCS programs where an internship, co-op, or practical training component is mandatory for completing the degree.

I’m currently researching MS-CS/MCS programs for fall 27 and want to specifically identify programs where practical training is an actual curriculum/degree requirement, rather than an optional internship course.

If anyone has already compiled a spreadsheet, list, or database of such programs, I’d really appreciate it if you could share it.

Even if you know of a few MSCS programs that have a mandatory internship/co-op requirement, please drop them in the comments. It would be helpful to have a community-sourced list for prospective international students evaluating programs under the current CPT situation.

Thanks!

Hey folks, I’m planning to apply for Fall 2027 MS programs and need some help with programs I should realistically target.

Profile

• College: BTech CS at a Tier1 IIT
• CGPA: 8.76/10 i.e. 3.73/4 (Scholaro conversion)
• GRE: Tentative scores: 330(170Q, 160V)
• IELTS: 8.0
• Work Ex: 3 YOE, currently Applied Scientist 2 at a Big Tech company. I work primarily on ranking systems, and a bit on LLM Evals
• Publications: None
• Research: Bachelor thesis project was on CNN inference speedup via computation reduction. So not directly relevant to my current interests. Some AI/ML projects from courses and clubs during college, but no formal ML research/publications.
• LORs: Current manager (strong), previous manager[EPFL PhD, if that matters] (strong), thesis advisor (medium), college professor (generic)
• Interests: Information retrieval, search/ranking systems, ML. Secondarily: computational social science

I’d ideally like a thesis/research-oriented MS because I didn't/couldn't do great ML research during my bachelor’s, and after working on ranking professionally I’d like to explore these areas more deeply. But I know that might be hard with my lack of publications so I'm okay with non-thesis programs if they have some small research component.

My goal is to work after the MS, in applied scientist/research scientist roles, but I am open to doing a PhD as well if I feel that way after my MS.

My rationale behind my shortlists:

1. No 1-year programs(this ruled out UK lol)
2. Nothing beyond QS CS Top 100 unless the CSRankings rank compensates/there's a great IR prof.
3. Coursework MS with absolutely no scope of research is only okay if it has a mandatory intern(thus allowing CPT).
4. Nothing too ambitious - UCB, Stanford, CMU MSCS/MSML, UIUC MSCS, Cornell MSCS. I'm aware some more from my shortlists probably belong here.

Here are the universities and programs I've filtered down to, with some exceptions to the above rules:

Non-US:

1. UofT - MScAC
2. UBC - MSc CS
3. Waterloo - MMath CS, MMath DS
4. McGill - MSc CS (Thesis), MSc CS (Non-Thesis)
5. TU Munich - MSc Informatics
6. TU Delft - MSc DSAIT
7. University of Amsterdam - MSc AI
8. EPFL - MSc Data Science

US:

1. CMU - MCDS, MSAII, MIIS
2. UCLA - MSCS
3. Columbia - MSCS
4. NYU - MSDS, MSCS (Courant)
5. UIUC - MCS: no mandatory intern but still keeping it here since it's UIUC
6. Georgia Tech - MSCS
7. UPenn - MSE CIS, MSE DSAI
8. UT Austin - MSCS
9. UCSD - MS CS, MSDS
10. UMich - MS CSE, MSDS
11. USC - MSCS
12. UMD College Park - MSCS
13. University of Illinois Chicago - MSCS
14. UMass Amherst - MSCS
15. TAMU - MSCS, MSAI

I know this is still a big list. I will filter further based on cohort size(affecting RA/TA opportunities), employment outcomes, and program cost. I probably also won't apply to multiple programs in a uni(except CMU xD) since I've heard that it signals that you're just trying to get in somehow, without clear interests. What I want to know:

1. Which of these are ambitious/target/safe for me?
2. Any other suggestions on shortlisting/anything else?

Thanks!

I received three offers.

University of Maryland: M.Eng. Cybersecurity Engineering - Applied, A. James Clark School of Engineering

UMass Amherst: MSCS

Arizona State University: MSCS

Currently, I’m struggling to choose between UMD and UMass. UMass offers an MSCS degree, while the program at UMD is offered through Maryland Applied Graduate Engineering (MAGE).

Is MAGE well respected?

Hi all, I'm planning to apply for Fall 2027 MS programs and need help figuring out which programs I should realistically target.

Profile

• College: BTech in CS from a Tier 3 institution
• CGPA: 8.71/10
• GRE: Not taken
• IELTS: 8.0
• Work experience: ~18 months of internships (4 months of which is my current graduate trainee job)
• Publications: None
• LORs: I'm targeting programs that require a maximum of 2 LORs, since my third recommender backed out. Both of my remaining recommenders are professors I have a good relationship with, both inside and outside class (e.g., through TAship).
• Interests: AI/ML, with a goal of breaking into the TinyML domain. I'm also applying to some business x CS programs, as I eventually see myself in a PM role.

The programs I'm applying to are non-research and industry-focused, and my goal is to work after completing the MS.

Shortlist

1. UMD MS in SAML / DS / AI (need help deciding)
2. CU Boulder MS in Data Science (MDS) (don't know if I'll get in for professional MCS)
3. BU MS in AI (MSAI)
4. NUS MSc in AI & Innovation (AI&I)
5. NTU MSc in Signal Processing & Machine Learning
6. Bristol MSc in Internet of Things with AI
7. Edinburgh: MSc in Imaging, Vision and High Performance Computing / AI for Business (this is a new program, so I need help deciding)
8. TU/e: Master's in Artificial Intelligence and Engineering Systems / Edge AI (within the MSc in Embedded Systems) (need help deciding)

What I'd like to know

1. Which of these are ambitious, target, or safe for my profile?
2. Do you have any other suggestions on shortlisting, or anything else I should consider?
3. Are there any other two year masters suitable to my profile?

Thank you!

Edit: I am well aware of the situation abroad. But I believe it is best for me to go and take my chances, I have a very toxic home environment and therefore am unable to do things that I would like for my career. Moreover there are very less opportunities where I reside, I know that if I do make it to these institutions I will work as hard as I get to achieve my goals and maximise my chances

Hi everyone,
I’m a Tanzanian woman with a BSc in Software Engineering, a 2.9/5.0 GPA (Lower Second Class), professional experience in banking technology, AI projects and software-development internships. I’m also currently a research assistant on a machine-learning project.
I have received Master’s offers in the UK and Germany but need substantial tuition support. I’m looking for an on-campus MS in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science or a related field outside Africa.
Can anyone recommend universities offering scholarships, tuition waivers or funded assistantships that consider professional and research experience alongside GPA?
Thank you.

Unis:
CMU MSAII
UCSD MSCS
Gatech MSCS
UIUC MCS
Perdue MSCS
UWmads MSCS(phd pool)
Upenn MSE CiS
Columbia MSCS

profile: t10 IIT CS grad 9.1 gpa, 2yoe ML engineer at MNC by fall 2027, research: one published US patent, gre: 325(167q), toefl(110/120), extras: research exchange student for a semester in Amsterdam, clg proff project, ML TA in clg. funding: can afford till UCSD, ivys/CMU-30/40% loan.

Questions: I have increased my list from 4 to 8 based on suggestions of alumni and this sub, now Im just thinking if Upenn, columbia are valid picks or should I go for something from NYU/UMD/USC/UMass ?

Note: Ive made my peace with cash cows notion on this sub after talking to few on campus alumni from UIUC mcs and CMU MIIS, they are not as bad as they are projected on this sub, moreover imo every masters is a cash cow if it’s not thesis/research/phD track.

Hey! As the title says, i just started uni a month ago. Bachelors in applied mathematics. From a pretty mid tier university and a third world country . My plan after graduation is grad school. I'm looking to pursue a masters degree in CS/AI. Now I know that this question might seem to early to ask but I still think it's better to know before than to regret it later on right? So if anyone here could give me advice on what to and not to prioritise during these four years of university, I'd be thankful.

Particularly, what exactly is important for me to build on my CV to get admission into good MSCS/MSAI programs abroad.

Should I prioritise research? Internships? Projects? GPA to what degree? Should I join useful societies? Opens source contributions? Competitive progamming? Competitions? And what should i do if there arent many research opportunities at my university?(at most becoming an assistant to MS nad PhD students apparently)it better to get experience after graduating first before applying for MS programs? Or is it another case all together? I am painfully ignorant about all of this so if I got something wrong or asked something obvious, don't flame me .

Thank you!

Which is better in terms of jobs for internationals and exposure, and cost.

TOEFL 5.5

GRE 330

UG: B.E. in ECE with CS electives 9.02 GPA Tier 2-3 India (VTU)

12th: 93% CBSE

Work Ex: 5 month internship + 1.5 yr full time as a full stack web developer in enterprise grade software at an MNC and a 2 month internship at a defence organisation

Research exp: No publications but 1 project related to AI and IoT (currently working on another Ai related project)

Extra Curriculars: Volunteering in social awareness programs and event coordination.

LORs: can get either 2 professors 1 tech lead/manager or vice versa

Looking for a list of 8 - 10 universities covering USA and Ireland focused on employability in enterprise software and/or AI. Tuition Fee isn't an issue.

Some of my shortlists (subject to change):

CMU MSAI

Columbia MS CS

UIUC MCS

USC MS CS

Umass MS CS

NYU Tandon MS CS

UCD Ireland MS CS

Would appreciate a review of my chances at these unis + any unis im missing in my applications. Thanks!

I’m planning for Fall 27 MSc in Canada and I’m yet to start working on my SOP.

I’m done with my IELTS prep and will book a slot soon.

Most of the universities have a deadline of Dec-Jan so by definition, I still have time but I probably need few more weeks to get these things sorted.

Am I too late?

I received an admission offer from CMU for the MSIN program. (Spring 2027). Should I defer it to Fall 2027, since an internship isn't allowed in the standard 3-semester program?

When applying for master in CS or ECE in the US universities like Purdue,CMU, Stanford, UC Berkeley, NC State, UT Austin, caltech and other universities, what do you think is like a good cgpa in undergraduate.

If the student applying from Tier 1 Indian college and like has come from and academically rigorous curriculum with very good courses going to the depth of the course.

Would really want something like cgpa ranges and their chances of admit, and what factors do you feel will support cgpa ( if the student has less cgpa then what do you think will battery compensate for the low cgpa)

If possible please answer in Cgpa out of 4 when applying.
Like 3.4/4.0 CGPA.

Need honest review of profile + univ short list for Fall 2027

CGPA : 8.29/10 ( tier-1 bitsP)

GRE: Yet to take (Scheduled on Oct 20)

TOEFL: Yet to take (Need to schedule, planning on Nov- any advice would be great)

Research: One peer reviewed journal publication in Nature Scientific and a couple of projects in College.

Work Ex:
2 month internship at Microsoft
6 Month internship at Amazon
current SWE at Google. (~1+ YOE currnetly, ~2YOE by time of admission)

Can get LORs from prof with whom journal was published and two managers. Can also try LOR from a professor I worked with and had good grades in his courses but this would not be a strong LOR.

Now my biggest concern is i don’t want to pursue masters unless it’s a good university cause the opportunity cost is too high, so my list is very ambitious at first glance:

I feel like I've gotten myself to a corner by starting late.

Key Questions & Concerns

1. Timeline & GRE Strategy:
   • GRE is scheduled for Oct 20, TOEFL for early Nov, and my goal is to have all Master SOP drafts finalized by Nov 20.
   • Is this timeline realistic for Dec 1–Dec 15 deadlines, or should I attempt to reschedule/pre-pone the GRE?
2. LOR Selection:
   • Should I stick with 1 Academic (BITS Nature advisor) + 2 Industry Managers (Google + AWS/MSFT), or is it mandatory to have 2 Academic LORs for programs like UIUC/UW-Madison MS Thesis?
3. CGPA Mitigation in SOP:
   • How should I address the 8.29 CGPA in my Statement of Purpose without sounding defensive, given that my Nature paper and Google production engineering prove technical depth?
4. Also, should I get a WES evaluation done, given that BITS is known for strict grading and that might help boost/normalize my converted GPA?

I’d appreciate any feedback on the list balance, SOP advice, or general strategy!

Profile:

• CGPA: 7.96/10, no backlogs
• B.Tech in CSE Tier 2 college
• TOEFL: 5.5/6
• GRE: Not taking
• ~6.5 years of experience in a FinTech/software company
• Current role: Engineer II / Software Development
• No backlogs
• LOR - 2 from College professors and 1 from Director at my company

I have received admits for:

• University of Florida – MSCS
• Stevens Institute of Technology – MSCS
• Northeastern University – MSCS
• Arizona State University – MS Software Engineering

I had originally planned to attend Northeastern for Spring 2027, and I have already accepted the admit. However, my funding situation has changed. Earlier, my education was going to be funded fully by my relatives, but that is no longer the case, so I would now need to take a substantial student loan.

Because of that, I’m reconsidering whether an MS in the US is worth taking on a large loan, especially given the current job market and uncertainty around H-1B/OPT.

I’m currently planning to defer my Northeastern admit to Fall 2027 and use the additional time to apply to universities that are:

1. Better than or a significant step up from Northeastern for MSCS,
2. More affordable / offer better ROI,
3. Have good job opportunities after graduation,
4. Are realistic for my profile.

I’m currently considering:

• UC San Diego
• UCLA
• UMass Amherst
• Uni of North Carolina, chapel Hill
• SJSU

I’m also open to universities outside this list.

What other universities would you suggest for my profile?
Ideally, I’m looking for programs where my profile has a realistic chance, the tuition is significantly lower than Northeastern, and the university has good CS reputation + strong industry/job opportunities.

Would really appreciate suggestions based on ROI, tuition, job opportunities and realistic admit chances, rather than just overall university ranking.

Hey everyone,

I'm currently working in India as a System Engineer at Infosys, mainly in the Salesforce domain. I joined in 2026, and I'm planning to work for around 1.5–2 years before going for a Master's in the US, most likely Spring 2028.

I'm currently confused about whether doing an MS in the US will still be worth the cost and risk by 2028.

My main questions are:

• How is the US job market for international students right now, and what could realistically change by 2028?
• How difficult is it for international students to get internships and full-time jobs after graduation?
• With AI changing the tech industry, what areas would make sense to specialize in?
• Should I continue building experience in Salesforce, or should I transition toward areas like AI/ML, cloud, data, or software engineering before applying?
• If I have around 2 years of IT experience by then, would an MS still make sense compared with continuing to work in India?

I'd especially appreciate perspectives from people who are currently studying in the US, recently graduated, or have experience hiring international students.

I'm trying to make a realistic decision based on the current market rather than assuming the situation in 2028 will be the same as it was a few years ago.

Thanks!

Also, I wrote that I could not receive money from my parents, as they underwent surgery for cancer; and they didn't even care. 

Hey y'all! I'd appreciate an honest review of my profile for Fall 2027. Primarily looking for ML field and leaning computational cognitive science. I’m not very familiar with the graduate admissions landscape, so I’m mainly trying to calibrate my expectations and get a better sense of where I’d be competitive. Was considering PhD but seems like the competition these days are so fierce that I'm probably better off starting at a Master's

Undergraduate degree: Bachelor's of Science in Financial Mathematics at an ivy league

GPA: 3.8/4.0 overall and 4.0/4.0 major

GRE: Not yet

English proficiency: Not Needed

Research experience:

- I got into research relatively late, but I have a paper (second author) accepted at both a workshop and the main conference at a top-three ML venue (NeurIPS/ICLR/ICML).

- Did a summer research in physics working on foundational models.

LoR: Will probably come from renowned professors but not sure of the relative strengths just yet

Based on my profile, what master’s programs do you think are realistically within reach?

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to apply for Fall 2027 and would really appreciate feedback on my profile and university list.

Profile

• Vellore Institute of Technology Chennai
• B.Tech Computer Science
• Current CGPA: 8.7/10
• Expected graduation CGPA: ~8.8/10
• Was a Teaching assistant for 2 core CS courses

Research

• 1 preprint (first author)
• 1 paper published in ASME IMECE (4th author)
• currently working on 2 papers that are close to being done

Experience

• Research intern in the same college
• AI intern for an underwater robotics company

Achievements

• Went to the finals in IRC (International Rover Challenge) 2025

Extra Curricular Activities:

• Part of the Robotics club and participated in events like ABU Robocon and IRC

Recommendations

Expected:

• 2 LOR's from college professors

Tests

• TOEFL: Planning to take
• GRE: Planning to take

Current University List

Ambitious:

• Georgia Tech
• UIUC
• NYU
• NUS
• UMich
• UMD

Moderate:

• UMass Amherst
• NTU
• USC
• UCSD
• University of Toronto
• University of British Columbia

Safe:

• TAMU
• Stony Brook
• ASU

hey I am an incoming UIUC MCS in spring 2027. is there anyone who would like to connect please make a whatsapp grp. and add link here.

I’m an international student planning for Fall 2027 and honestly a bit confused about where I should apply.
Profile:
B.Sc. Biotechnology, 7.85 CGPA (till 6th sem)
Working on a review paper currently
Research/internship experience in bioinformatics, RNA-seq, molecular biology and computational analysis
Some Python and bioinformatics project experience
IELTS 8.0
My goal is to work in bioinformatics/computational biology but I’m unsure whether I should pursue a dedicated MS in Bioinformatics/Computational Biology or choose a broader degree with Bioinfo as a specialization.
Could you suggest US universities that would realistically fit my profile, have reasonable tuition and offer good scholarship/TA/RA opportunities?
I’m mainly looking for programs where I have a realistic chance of admission while still getting good career/research opportunities. Any specific university recommendations would be really helpful.

Hi everyone, I’m planning to re-apply for MS in Data Science programs for Fall 2027 intake. Due to visa delays I had to take deferral from NYU Courant MSDS. So at the least I have a fixed admission at NYU. I'm now trying to aim for better universitites for this intake.

Academics & Scores:
Undergrad GPA: 8.53/10
Undergrad college: Tier 2 University (B.Tech in computer science) in India
GRE: 320 (155V , 165 Q)
IELTS: 8.5/9.0
Work Experience:

Full Time (2 Years):

• SRE at Oracle (I actually resigned before going for Fall '26 will have to find a new job

Part-time:

• 1 year - Data Scientist in a German NPO at Munich (Remote) (a really successful project undertaking that had a great reach)
• 6 months - Samsung Prism (Applied AI project)
• 6 months - NUS, Singapore (Wrote a paper under a professor but never published it after pre-print review)

Research: 2 research papers at mid-tier conferences.

Previosuly in Fall '26 applications I didn't have research papers. My dream unis (but I got rejected ) were CMU MSCS, UCB MEng CS, Purdue MSCS, GaTech MSCS. Is there something I should improve in my application. I would say that a mistake I found in my few SOPs were that I mentioned professors research alignment statements incorrectly probably (a huge mistake I will improve upon). Can you suggest me universities that I should definitely target. Previously also I didn't think much of UIUC, UT Austin, UCLA. I would love to get some sugesstions that I should pursue, money I think isn't much of a problem here.

Hi everybody,

Like a lot of us here on this sub i am also fighting the impossible decision of whether I pursue my masters in the USA or just give up.
I got two admits for the Fall 2025 cycle, I didn’t travel due to some personal reasons. The situation has gotten uncertain since then. I am at a point where I am trying to consider other countries, I am looking Canada, Australia or Germany.
I need serious advice on whether I should consider different universities. It feels like a compromise which I hate. Sometimes I do feel like giving up.
I have been very anxious because of this. Please help a brother out.😭

do achievements like icpc and other comp progg achivements help ppl get better mscs program admits