The GRE is not mandatory
The page says it may be included if desired.
Doctoral · Brown Computer science
Brown Computer Science PhD: the GRE is not mandatory and no advisor is needed up front
The Brown Computer Science doctoral pages say the GRE is no longer mandatory but may be included, and ask for three recommendation letters, at least two from academia. They say research experience is not required but can help, that applicants do not have to pick an advisor before entry, and that the statement is read primarily by Brown CS faculty. The pages carry no entry-year label, and the FAQ says a 2020-21 plan may replace some of its information.
Official information · no entry-year label on the page
What Brown asks for in Brown Computer Science PhD
Taken from the Brown Department of Computer Science doctoral applications page and doctoral FAQ and read on 2 November 2026. The page carries no entry-year label, so every value below is treated as previous-cycle evidence for a 2028-29 start; Brown's requirements, dates and funding for 2028-29 are awaiting publication, and none is stated here.
No advisor up front
Students have the first year to find an advisor; listing many professors without reasons is unlikely to help.
Two academic letters
Three letters are asked for, at least two from academia.
Official sources
- Brown CS: Applying To Our Doctoral Programcs.brown.edu
- Brown CS: Frequently Asked Questions About Our Doctoral Programcs.brown.edu
Read on 2 November 2026 on the Brown Department of Computer Science doctoral applications page and doctoral FAQ, which carries no entry-year label. The application portal, deadlines, funding and the English-test scores were not used and are not stated. No deadline, fee, funding amount or place number is stated.
The decision
Does your record fit what the programme page asks?
This guide concerns only the Brown research degree. The reading below is Avandy's judgment (heuristic), built from what the programme page says.
It fits if
you have research experience or a clear research plan and can explain why Brown CS rather than naming many professors.
Think again if
you were counting on the GRE to carry the application. The pages say it is not mandatory and the FAQ calls it optional.
Check the page
The Graduate School's programme page is the source; deadlines, funding and score thresholds change by cycle and are not stated here.
How the application is read
What the programme page lists
The pages list a record of grades, research experience or a clear research plan, three recommendation letters, TOEFL or IELTS for applicants whose native language is not English, and say the GRE is no longer mandatory. The FAQ says GPA is not the only criterion and that grades in computer science and related disciplines count more. This guide states no deadline, fee or funding term.
How the programme runs
Focus and working pattern
All doctoral students start in September, in a single application period. Students can earn a master's degree on the way to the PhD, and master's students do not move to the PhD track automatically. The FAQ says a 2020-21 plan may replace some of its information, so check the live page.
Avandy's judgment
Where an application can go wrong
These points are Avandy's heuristic reading of the page. They are not Brown rules and carry no probability.
Treating the GRE as the deciding factor
The pages say it is no longer mandatory and the FAQ calls it optional.
Listing professors without reasons
The FAQ says this is unlikely to help the case.
Relying on the FAQ's older figures
The FAQ says a 2020-21 plan may replace some of its information.
Next steps
A sensible order of work
The order is Avandy's suggestion, built from the page's own steps.
Check your record
Compare your coursework and experience with the stated expectations.
Prepare the written work
Draft the statements and writing sample the page asks for, in the formats it lists.
Plan the tests
Check which tests are required, optional or not accepted.
Read the current page
Read the programme page for the cycle you apply in.
Planning for 2028-29 entry
Planning for 2028-29 entry: what carries over and what awaits publication
Brown's programme page carries no entry-year label. A start in 2028-29 means applying under rules Brown has not yet published. Each item below is either read on the page and treated as previous-cycle wording, which may change, or awaiting publication for 2028-29 entry.
The structure of the programme and the application
The expectations, the written work and the test policy are described on Brown's programme page, which carries no entry-year label. Brown has not published the following cycle.
Deadlines, places, funding and fees
This guide states none of them. Brown publishes them per cycle; read the page again for the cycle you apply in.
What to do now
Check your record against the programme page, prepare the written work it lists and plan any required test.
Support
Independent support with the research statement and fit
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Brown University or any of its departments, and it has no relationship with any member of staff. Support sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant and a PhD-level Academic Mentor help the applicant test a research idea against the department's published research areas and plan their own statement. Support here is limited to testing a research idea against the department's published research themes and planning the applicant's own statements; it does not extend to contacting staff on the applicant's behalf. Avandy does not write or submit any part of an application, cannot arrange a supervisor and promises no outcome or funding.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
What does the Brown Computer Science PhD ask for?
The FAQ says the GPA is not the only criterion for admission.
Is a test required?
The applications page says the GRE is no longer mandatory but may be included if desired, and that TOEFL or IELTS is asked of applicants whose native language is not English. The FAQ is partly dated, saying a 2020-21 plan may replace some of its content.
Does this guide state a deadline?
No. The page carries no entry-year label and this guide states no deadline, fee or funding. Check the programme page for the cycle you apply in.
Does the programme include funding?
This guide did not use Brown's funding sections and states no funding.
Students and families
Talk to us about the Brown Computer Science PhD
Tell us about your degrees, your research experience, the research question you want to pursue and the supervisors or groups you have in mind. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to develop the research statement.