Computer Science M.S.

In addition to meeting the degree requirements of the Office of Graduate Education, a candidate must plan a degree program and complete the Plan of Study form in consultation with a faculty adviser. The M.S. degree requires 30 credits and must:

• include at least 18 credits at the 6000 level.
• include no more than six independent study credits.
• demonstrate competence in the core areas of Algorithms, Software, and Systems at the undergraduate level. A student may demonstrate competence in a variety of ways, including taking a relevant undergraduate course, taking an examination, or taking a more advanced course. See the Computer Science Web site for more details.
• include at least four courses with a grade of B or better in each course. The four courses must cover at least two depth buckets with at least two courses in one depth bucket. The depth buckets are listed under the Ph.D. requirements.
• include either 3-4 credits of a master’s project (CSCI 6970  or CSCI 6980 ) or 6-9 credits of a master’s thesis (CSCI 6990 ). Students completing a thesis must do an oral presentation, while students completing a project must present a poster at a departmental poster session.
• attend at least 50% of colloquia offered for each semester they are enrolled as a full-time student in the graduate program (up to a maximum of four semesters).

Outcomes of the Graduate Curriculum

Students who successfully complete this program will be able to:

• demonstrate a solid understanding of computer systems, algorithms and theory, and the application of computer science.
• successfully plan, design, and conduct independent, publishable-quality research or an extensive independent project.
• clearly articulate the results of their independent work in computer science in both oral and written form.