GRE required for the PhD
GRE scores are required for PhD applicants, and for the 2026-2027 doctoral application. They are neither required nor reviewed for the master's application.
Doctoral · Northwestern Computer Science
Northwestern Computer Science PhD: a required GRE and a statement that carries the weight
Northwestern's Computer Science PhD, in the McCormick School of Engineering, asks PhD applicants for GRE scores and says the Academic Statement carries extremely important weight. Applicants rank research interest groups and name up to two faculty members they would like to study under, and interested faculty may interview them informally. The pages describe Fall 2027 entry, and the department says its admissions process is highly selective and competitive.
Official information · last verified for 2027-28 entry
What Northwestern asks for in Northwestern Computer Science PhD
Taken from the Northwestern Department of Computer Science's PhD, graduate admissions and PhD curriculum pages and read on 3 November 2026. The page describes 2027-28 entry. For a 2028-29 start, applied for in 2027-28, every requirement below is last verified for the previous cycle and may change; Northwestern's requirements, dates and funding for 2028-29 are awaiting publication, and none is stated here.
The Academic Statement carries weight
For PhD applicants the Academic Statement carries extremely important weight, so it should say why you want to work in a topic and with particular faculty.
Two or three letters
A minimum of two letters of recommendation is required, but three is highly recommended.
Name faculty and ranked groups
Applicants are asked to provide up to two names of specific faculty members they would like to study under, and to choose among research interest groups.
A computing or related degree
A typical applicant is expected to have a bachelor of science in electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science or a related discipline.
Candidacy and a prospectus
Students must pass a qualifying exam for admission to candidacy and have a prospectus approved no later than the beginning of the fifth year.
Official sources
- Northwestern Department of Computer Science: Graduate Admissionsmccormick.northwestern.edu
- Northwestern Department of Computer Science: PhD in Computer Sciencemccormick.northwestern.edu
- Northwestern Department of Computer Science: PhD Curriculum & Requirementsmccormick.northwestern.edu
Read on 3 November 2026 on the Northwestern Department of Computer Science's PhD, graduate admissions and PhD curriculum pages, which describes 2027-28 entry. The Graduate School's application requirements and English language pages, the financial-aid page, the admissions FAQ and the faculty research pages were not read and are not stated. No deadline, fee, funding amount or place number is stated.
The decision
Is a CS+X research degree the right route?
This guide concerns only the Northwestern Computer Science PhD. The comparisons below are Avandy's judgment (heuristic), built from what the pages say.
It fits if
you can name faculty whose work matches yours and want a department that links computer science with fields such as business, law, economics, journalism and medicine.
Think again if
you want to apply without a GRE score. The pages list it as required for the PhD.
Check the track list
The PhD page names five tracks and the admissions and curriculum pages refer to six research interest groups, so check the current list before you rank them.
How the application is read
The Academic Statement, faculty choices and letters
The admissions page says that for PhD applicants the Academic Statement carries extremely important weight and should make clear why you want to work on a particular topic with particular faculty, and why they should be interested in you. Applicants rank research interest groups, name up to two faculty members and submit two or three letters; some faculty may hold informal interviews. GRE scores are required for the PhD, and the Graduate School's English requirements apply. This page carries no deadline, fee or funding.
How the degree runs
An adviser early, then candidacy and a prospectus
The department says full-time PhD students should identify a research adviser by the end of the first academic quarter. Admission to candidacy requires meeting the academic requirements of a programme of study and passing a qualifying exam, and a prospectus must be approved no later than the beginning of the fifth year. This page carries no funding figures.
Avandy's judgment
Where an application can go wrong
These points are Avandy's heuristic reading of the pages. They are not Northwestern rules and carry no probability.
A statement about the university rather than the research
The page says simply liking Northwestern or admiring the faculty is not recommended as the content of the statement.
Letters that do not support the statement
The page notes it is helpful if parts of the letters back up the claims in the statement.
Choosing the MS option by mistake
The MS option is for terminal master's only and does not constitute admission to further work toward a PhD.
Next steps
A sensible order of work
The order is Avandy's suggestion, built from the pages' own steps.
Read the faculty pages
Identify up to two faculty members whose research matches yours.
Plan the GRE
Arrange scores before you apply.
Draft the Academic Statement
Say why this topic and these faculty, and what you bring.
Choose recommenders
Prefer people who can back up the claims in your statement.
Planning for 2028-29 entry
Planning for 2028-29 entry: what carries over and what awaits publication
Northwestern's pages describes entry in 2027-28. A start in 2028-29 means applying in the 2027-28 cycle, under rules Northwestern has not yet published. Each item below is either last verified for 2027-28 entry, which means Northwestern published it for the previous cycle and it may change, or awaiting publication for 2028-29 entry.
The structure of the route and the application
The entry standard, the application items and the research-degree structure are described on Northwestern's pages for the cycle they describe. Northwestern has not published the following cycle.
Deadlines, places, funding and fees
This guide states none of them. Northwestern publishes them per cycle; read them again when they show 2028-29.
What to do now
Identify two faculty members, plan the GRE and draft an Academic Statement that links your experience to their work.
Support
Independent support with the research statement and fit
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Northwestern 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
Is the GRE required for the Northwestern Computer Science PhD?
Yes. The department's pages say GRE scores are required for PhD applicants, and neither required nor reviewed for the master's programme.
How many letters of recommendation are needed?
A minimum of two, but three is highly recommended.
Do I need to name faculty?
The application asks for up to two names of specific faculty members you would like to study under.
Do I need a master's degree first?
No. The pages say to select the PhD option if you want a PhD, with or without a master's degree.
Does this guide state a deadline or funding amount?
No. The pages describe a particular cycle, and this guide states no deadline, fee or funding.
Students and families
Talk to us about the Northwestern 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.