COV19 FAQs for MSCS/MSDS Students

For International Students

For Domestic Students

About Admissions

For Continuing Students

Program Issues

International Students

1. How do we handle international students who want to take courses remotely for Fall 2020, but are unable to come to the United States?

New Students

If the department is offering remote/online instruction to students in Fall 2020, new international students can begin their programs remotely. Their immigration status cannot be activated until they arrive in the U.S.

Continuing Students:

unable to return and would like to maintain their enrollment remotely should be able to do so while maintaining their legal status (while overseas), as long as the temporary accommodations from the government regarding remote instruction for international students continue through the fall semester. In the event that government policies do not remain flexible, continuing students can still participate in remote/online instruction from overseas and their legal status will be closed temporarily (and reactivated when they are able to return).

The University is currently awaiting updated guidance from the government and additional information on this will be shared as it becomes available. For more information on international students, please see the Rutgers-Global alerts page and FAQ page.

If students request a deferral from their graduate program, it is up to the graduate program to decide how to proceed. Please see questions 5-8 for more information on deferrals.

2. Can international students who are attending remotely be paid on a TA/GAship or Fellowship?

New Students

International students cannot be on University payroll unless they have reported to Rutgers to activate their SEVIS status and have applied for a social security number. For information on deferrals for students with an offer of financial support, please see question 7.

Continuing Students:

We are awaiting guidance from the university to determine if continuing students with active SEVIS records and a valid SSN can be on University payroll while they are outside the U.S. More information will be made available as we receive updated guidance.

The University is Please also see the appendix, with information from Barbara Lee on supported international students.

3. Can international students who are attending remotely receive tuition remission?

The issue of whether or not tuition remission can be provided to international students who are attending remotely has yet to be determined. The University is currently looking into this matter and we hope to have guidance on this issue soon. We will provide updates on this issue as needed.


Domestic Students

4. If a domestic student cannot be on campus in the Fall and will attend remotely, can they be a TA?

The University is currently looking into this matter and additional information about this issue will become available as we receive it.


Admissions

5. If a newly admitted student cannot be on campus for Fall 2020, what are the options?

We are still awaiting guidance from the University on the mode of instruction for Fall 2020. We will provide additional information on this as it becomes available. For information on international students, please see questions 1-3.

6. Can we offer students a deferral of admission?

If a student requests a deferral of admission from their graduate program, it is up to the program to decide how to proceed. Please note that the student must request a deferral before the program can defer their offer of admission. Computer Science MS students should email cs-ms-program@cs.rutgers.edu to request a deferral.

7. If a student chooses to defer, how do we handle their financial offer?

If a student has decided to defer their offer of admission, their financial offer would begin the same semester as when they enter the program. For example, if a student has received a five-year package and has deferred to Spring 2021, their financial offer will begin in Spring 2021 rather than in Fall 2020.

8. If a student chooses to defer, how does it affect their health insurance?

Please note that a student´s health coverage will only be affected if they were to be appointed as a TA/GA for their first semester. If a student defers to Spring 2021 and will be appointed as a TA/GA, the student will not be eligible for the state health benefits because their one-semester appointment is considered a less than full-time appointment by the state. Students on one-semester TA/GA appointments are eligible for coverage through United Health Care. Please see the UHR website for more information.


Continuing Students

9. Can we support continuing students as a GA or Fellow if they are attending remotely?

This has yet to be determined and this issue is closely tied to University-level discussions about ramping up research. We will provide additional information as it becomes available.

10. How do we handle students who were planning to apply for external fellowships if the fellowship application cycles have been postponed? Can we support them as a Fellow or TA?

Any unused Fellowship or TA lines can be used to support continuing students in the graduate program. Graduate Program Directors should speak with their Chairs regarding support for continuing students in such situations.

11. Can programs rollover unused graduate fellowships and TAships to the following year to support continuing students?

This has yet to be determined and we will provide additional information on this as it becomes available.

12. Can programs rollover unused graduate fellowships and TAships to the following year to support continuing students?

This has yet to be determined and we will provide additional information on this as it becomes available.


Program Issues

13. Can small graduate seminars that can accommodate social distancing guidelines be offered in-person for Fall 2020?

The University has not yet determined its operating status for Fall 2020. We will provides updates as more information becomes available about the Fall 2020 operating status and guidelines.

14. Can we relax or waive certain program requirements to alleviate delays in students´ time to graduation?

Graduate Program Directors must send any proposed changes in requirements to the Sr. Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the School of Graduate Studies. However, PhD programs must still follow the state of New Jersey´s requirements. PhD students must complete 72 credits and at least 24 of the total 72 credits must be research credits.

15. Can students participate in industry-related activities, such as internships or capstone experiences?

If the academic program has an internship or co-op component that is required, then the experience must be remote. If the experience is not required for the program, then it is up to the individual student to decide whether they want to participate in a remote or in-person opportunity, as long as the organization is following the recommended COVID-19 safety guidelines provided by the state in which the experience is occurring. For additional information and updates on virtual resources, please visit the Rutgers Career Exploration and Success website.