Computer Science - MASTER'S (M.S.)

DEGREE OVERVIEW

The purpose of the graduate program in computer science is to facilitate the student's continued professional and scholarly development. The Master of Science programs are designed to extend the student's knowledge and emphasize a particular area of concentration.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

The M.S. in Computer Science degree program provides graduates the latest theoretical and hands-on skills for gaining employment in the ever-growing IT industry, or to prepare for continuation to a Ph.D. program.

The M.S. degree in computer science is intended to give those who successfully complete it:

• An ability to understand fundamental concepts of algorithms, programming languages, data structures, and all core mathematical foundations.
• In-depth knowledge of their selected major track (e.g., AI, data analytics, networks and wireless systems, cybersecurity, bioinformatics, and software engineering).
• An ability to apply this knowledge to subject areas in order to solve real-life problems such as image processing, text mining, speech recognition, health informatics and bioinformatics, and social network data.

Candidate selection for the M.S. in Computer Science program is a very a competitive process, considering GPA, performance in computer-related classes, TOEFL or IELTS (for non-English-speaking candidates), GRE, and reputation of the university where you did your undergraduate studies. Relevant recent work experience is considered in cases where educational credentials are dated or not in the computer science field.

LEARN MORE

• Admissions requirements
• Degree curriculum (scroll down to course list)
• Degree information in the University Catalog
• Faculty in Computer Science and Engineering 

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Demand for jobs in the computer and information technology field continues to grow at a record pace, with employment expected to increase by more than 20% annually, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. An M.S. in Computer Science will provide graduates the latest theoretical and practical skills in their selected tracks, such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, and many more as listed under the options below.

DEGREE OPTIONS

Students may select one or two of the following eight graduate tracks provided by the Computer Science and Engineering Department within the three thesis options below:

1. Data Analytics (database systems, data mining, cloud computing, big data, and others)
2. Intelligent Systems (knowledge representation, knowledge acquisition, machine learning, neural networks, parallel AI, and others)
3. Networking, Telecommunications, and Mobile Computing
4. Software Engineering (environments, formal verification, testing, and others)
5. Multimedia Systems (authoring, compression, collaboration, and communication)
6. Theory and Algorithms
7. Bioinformatics
8. Information and Cybersecurity

30-Hour Thesis

Student will select one of the eight concentration tracks above and complete eight courses (combination of core computer science classes, such as algorithms, distributed systems, compilers, data modeling, and computer organization), plus a number of 5000- and 6000-level courses from their selected track. Additionally, they will complete a thesis in their selected area. The M.S. thesis will be administered by a committee of at least three members (supervisor, plus two non-supervising members).

30-Hour Non-Thesis

This option is for M.S. students who are not interested in completing a thesis, but have a very strong academic background in computer science. To qualify for this degree, candidates must have a GRE score of 305 or higher plus a B.S. degree in computer science or a computer-related field with no deficiency classes. Students in this option will select 10 courses from a list of the core classes and select two of the tracks above.

36-Hour Non-Thesis

This option is for M.S. students who are not interested in completing a thesis and have an average academic background in computer science. To qualify for this degree, a student must have earned a B.S. degree in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, or other STEM-related fields. Students in this option will select 12 courses from a list of core classes and select two of the tracks above.

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Take the next step toward investing in yourself by learning more about our Computer Science - Master's (M.S.)  program.