Admissions

The Department of Computer Graphics Technology (CGT) welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds. Our students have completed bachelor's degrees in fields as diverse as art & design, communication, various types of engineering, computer graphics, and computer science.

Admission requirements

Each applicant should submit:

  • A completed online application form.*
  • A Statement of Purpose. See some advice on how to write one.
  • Official copies of their transcripts for all degrees received**
  • Official GRE score, which must be sent to Purdue by the ETS service - GRE was temporarily waived through Spring of 2024 and will be required again starting Fall 2024 *** 
  • Three or more recommendation letters: 2 letters must come from professors. The 3rd can also be from a professor or a work supervisor only.  We cannot accept letters of recommendations from other students, teaching assistants, etc. 
  • Four (4) samples of your best work which demonstrate competencies related to computer graphics. Upload samples of work on your application checklist as a "Miscellaneous Supporting Document" after you submit your online application. Samples of work may be research papers, animation clips, UX projects, code snippets, drawings, renderings, digital art, portfolio website link, etc., etc., etc. It is up to each applicant to decide how they wish to present themselves to the admissions committee.
  • A writing sample that clearly conveys their ability to communicate in a written form, such as a final term paper, excerpts from an undergraduate or graduate thesis, or a published article for which the applicant is the sole author. Please limit writing samples to five (5) pages or fewer.
  • International degree-seeking applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores for Purdue University Graduate School admission.Your scores must be sent to Purdue by the ETS service for the scores to be considered official.

Notes

*You need to indicate your top 3 choices of graduate chair you wish to work with. If you do not understand the role of a graduate chair and graduate committee, please read the relevant sections of our program's handbook, available on the Forms and Documents page. Browse the list of CGT graduate faculty and ensure the faculty you choose are eligible to chair MS committees.

**If your college transcript is from outside the U.S., you must also submit a brief explanation of your college’s grading system. Include the grading scale (the range of possible grades, from the lowest to the highest possible grade) used at your college. It would help if you include along with your original transcript a version that shows all your grades and grade point averages as percentages. For example, a grade of 3.0 out of a possible 4.0 would be shown as 75%.

***While we do require a GRE score, we do not have a minimum requirement. Of course, the higher the score, the better. We consider the GRE score in the larger context of the overall application. The GRE score is one indicator of likelihood to succeed in graduate school. Other indicators are undergraduate transcripts, resume, and letters of recommendation. We consider these as a whole and balance their strengths and weaknesses as we make an overall assessment.

Deadlines

Please see information about deadlines on the graduate school's page.