Difficulty: Foundational | Prerequisites: None (this is orientation-level material)
Source: CEN MS Graduate Handbook 2024-2025, Arizona State University
Tags: ASU CEN MS admission, GPA requirement, TOEFL IELTS, academic probation, continuous enrollment, leave of absence, 4+1 accelerated, application deadlines, transfer credit
Before you can start your CEN MS coursework, you need to get in, and once you are in, you need to stay in good standing. This document covers both sides: what the programme requires for admission (GPA, English proficiency, recommended preparation) and the rules that govern your academic status once enrolled (probation categories, continuous enrollment, time limits, leave of absence). Misunderstanding any of these can delay your graduation or, in the worst case, lead to removal from the programme.
You need a 3.0 GPA (last 60 hours of your bachelor's), a bachelor's in a related field, a personal statement, and English proficiency scores if applicable. The GRE is no longer required. Once enrolled, you must maintain a 3.0 across all GPA measures and register continuously every fall and spring. Falling below 3.0 puts you on probation with a fixed window to recover.
Satisfactory progress
The status indicating a student has no academic or progress probationary issues and is communicating with their faculty advisor each semester. In simple terms, this is the "all clear" category.
Academic probation
Triggered when any of three GPA measures falls below 3.0: iPOS GPA, cumulative post-baccalaureate GPA, or overall graduate (500-level and above) GPA. You get 9 credit hours or two semesters (fall and spring) to bring the GPA back up.
Progress probation
Triggered by failing to hit degree milestones on time: not completing core courses within the first year, not passing the portfolio, or not making satisfactory thesis progress. Think of it as a warning that you are falling behind structurally, not just grade-wise.
Continuous enrollment
The requirement to register for at least one credit hour every fall and spring semester from admission through graduation. Failure to register without an approved Leave of Absence means you are considered withdrawn.
Leave of Absence
A formal request filed through the iPOS to skip registration for one or two semesters (maximum two total during the programme). Must be approved before the semester of non-registration. While on leave, you may not use any university resources.
4+1 Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's programme
A pathway allowing ASU undergraduates in Computer Systems Engineering (BSE) or Electrical Engineering (BSE) to begin MS coursework before finishing their bachelor's. Students can share up to 9 credit hours between the two degrees, plus 3 additional pre-admission credits.
Pre-admission credits
Graduate-level credits earned before formal admission to the CEN MS programme. Up to 12 credits with grades of B or better, taken within three years of admission, may be applied. Subject to approval by the Programme Chair and the Graduate College.
iPOS GPA / Cumulative GPA / Graduate GPA
Three separate GPA measures the programme monitors. iPOS GPA covers only courses on your approved plan of study. Cumulative GPA covers all post-baccalaureate work. Graduate GPA covers 500-level and above courses. All three must stay at or above 3.0.
Eligibility: Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) or graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution in a related field (Computer Engineering, Computer Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science). Non-traditional backgrounds may be considered but could require foundational coursework.
GPA: Minimum 3.00 cumulative (on a 4.0 scale) in the last 60 hours of the first bachelor's degree.
GRE: No longer required (dropped as of Fall 2023).
Personal statement: Required. Should indicate professional goals and reasons for pursuing the MS.
Letters of recommendation: Optional. If submitted, three are recommended, with at least one from a former faculty member.
TOEFL: 575 paper-based or 90 internet-based
IELTS: 7
Pearson: 65
Scores are valid for two years from the start date of the degree programme
ASU institution code: 4007; department code: 0000
Waivers may be available for students who completed coursework in the US (contact Graduate Admission)
Fall admission: December 31
Spring admission: August 15
Apply through the Graduate Admission application portal. All documents should be submitted by the deadline for full consideration.
Cumulative GPA, major, institution, personal statement, letters of recommendation, standardised test scores, and individual course performance.
The programme recommends completing these before admission: Calculus I and II, Discrete Math (MAT 243), Algorithms and Data Structures (CSE 310), and Random Signal Analysis (EEE 350).
Up to 12 graduate-level credits with grades of B or better (not used toward a previous degree) may transfer. They must have been taken within three years of admission. Subject to Programme Chair and Graduate College approval. Transfer credit cannot satisfy core course requirements unless earned at ASU.
BSE Computer Systems Engineering students apply to the CEN-CS concentration; BSE Electrical Engineering students apply to CEN-EE
Minimum GPA of 3.0 required
Up to 9 shared credits between bachelor's and master's, plus 3 additional pre-admission credits
Requires approval from both the undergraduate and graduate programmes
500-level courses taken as an undergraduate count toward your graduate satisfactory progress GPA immediately
Every student is placed in one of four categories, reviewed at the end of each semester:
1. Satisfactory progress: No issues. You are communicating regularly with your faculty advisor.
2. Academic probation: One or more of your three GPAs has fallen below 3.0. You receive a letter and have 9 credit hours or two semesters (fall/spring) to raise it.
3. Progress probation: You have missed a structural milestone, such as failing to complete core courses in the first year, failing to pass the portfolio, or not making satisfactory thesis progress. Conditions are outlined in a probation letter.
4. Removal from the programme: Triggered when you fail to meet probationary conditions within the specified timeframe. You receive a letter explaining the reasons and have 5 calendar days to appeal. The appeal goes through the Graduate Programs Committee, then potentially to the Dean of Academic Affairs, the Ira A. Fulton Schools Standards Committee, and finally the Graduate College, which makes the final decision.
Note: fully admitted students who take optional summer courses are placed on probation if their summer grades cause their GPA to fall below the minimum.
You must register for at least one credit hour every fall and spring semester
Summer registration is required if you are taking exams, defending, completing a culminating experience, or graduating
Valid credit hours must appear on the iPOS, or be research/thesis/dissertation/continuing registration courses, or be any graduate-level course
Grades of W (withdrawal) and X (audit) do not satisfy continuous enrollment
Incomplete grades (I) must be resolved within one year or they become permanent
Maximum of two semesters total during the programme
Request filed through the iPOS before the anticipated semester of non-registration
While on leave: no tuition, but no access to university resources, libraries, labs, or faculty time
Failing to register for a fall or spring semester without approved leave means you are considered withdrawn. You would need to reapply as a new applicant.
All work toward the MS must be completed within six consecutive years from the semester and year of admission. Pre-admission courses on the iPOS must have been completed within three years of admission.
Assistantship within the Fulton Schools: must register for exactly 12 credit hours (audit hours do not count)
Non-thesis CEN students hired as RAs must register for 3 credits of CEN 580 (practicum) in the semester they are hired
TAs/RAs working 10-19 hours per week (25-49% FTE): 50% tuition remission
TAs/RAs working 20 hours per week (50% FTE): full tuition remission, plus the university pays health insurance
All TAs/RAs are treated as residents for tuition purposes
Students responsible for fees other than tuition
"A 3.0 GPA overall is enough." The programme monitors three separate GPAs (iPOS, cumulative, and graduate). All three must be at or above 3.0. A student can have a 3.1 cumulative but a 2.9 iPOS GPA and still land on probation.
"I can skip a semester and come back." Not without an approved Leave of Absence filed before the semester. Unregistered students are treated as withdrawn and must reapply.
"The GRE is required for admission." It has not been required since Fall 2023.
"Meeting the minimum requirements guarantees admission." The handbook states explicitly that admission is competitive. A 3.0 GPA and complete application materials are necessary but not sufficient.
⚠️ Three GPA thresholds, not one. Dropping below 3.0 on any of the three triggers academic probation.
⚠️ Probation remediation window: 9 credit hours or two semesters. Miss this and the programme recommends dismissal.
⚠️ You have only 5 calendar days to appeal a removal decision.
⚠️ An incomplete grade (I) that is not resolved within one year becomes permanent on your transcript.
⚠️ Six-year clock: all MS work must be finished within six years of admission. Pre-admission credits on the iPOS must have been completed within three years of admission.
True or False: The GRE is required for CEN MS admission. (False, dropped since Fall 2023)
Fill in the blank: The minimum GPA for admission is _______ in the last 60 hours. (3.00)
True or False: W and X grades satisfy the continuous enrollment requirement. (False)
Fill in the blank: Students may request a maximum of _______ semesters of leave during the programme. (Two)
True or False: TAs/RAs working 20 hours per week receive full tuition remission and health insurance. (True)
Q: What minimum GPA is required for admission to the CEN MS programme?
A: 3.00 cumulative (on a 4.0 scale) in the last 60 hours of the first bachelor's degree.
Q: What are the application deadlines for Fall and Spring admission?
A: December 31 for Fall, August 15 for Spring.
Q: What English proficiency scores does the programme require?
A: TOEFL 575 (paper) or 90 (internet), IELTS 7, or Pearson 65.
Q: Name the four academic standing categories in the CEN MS programme.
A: Satisfactory progress, academic probation, progress probation, and removal from the programme.
Q: How long does a student have to resolve an incomplete (I) grade before it becomes permanent?
A: One year.
Q: What is the maximum number of pre-admission credits that can be applied to the CEN MS degree?
A: 12 graduate-level credits with grades of B or better, taken within three years of admission.
Q: How many shared credit hours are allowed in the 4+1 Accelerated programme?
A: Up to 9 shared credits, plus 3 additional pre-admission credits.
The GPA thresholds here directly affect your eligibility for internships (covered in the CPT and OPT study notes), since CPT has its own GPA-tiered rules for in-state vs out-of-state and part-time vs full-time. The degree requirements document covers the specifics of what courses compose the 30 credits and how your iPOS is structured. The prerequisite subject guides cover the academic preparation recommended before admission.
ASU CEN MS admission requirements, GPA 3.0, TOEFL 90, IELTS 7, Pearson 65, academic probation ASU, progress probation, satisfactory progress, continuous enrollment, leave of absence, 4+1 accelerated bachelor's master's, pre-admission credits, transfer credit, six-year time limit, RA TA tuition remission, Graduate College