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Five-Year BS+MS Degree Program

in Computer Science

• A. Rationale

  The BS degree program in CS requires 120 credits of course work including 37 credits of CS coursework and 11-12 credits in Math/Stat. It is designed to be completed by a full-time student in four academic years. The 30-credit MS degree program in CS may take two academic years to complete - dependent upon the academic performance and preparation of the BS degree holder, e.g. how well he/she satisfies the prerequisites for admission to graduate school at Pitt. However, the requirements of the two degree programs can be accomplished by our best students over a period of five years, instead of six years. Besides beingable to earn both degrees within five rather than six years, advantages of this program include the opportunities to participate in a variety of experiential educational activities such as research and teaching (once admitted to the MS program, a student is eligible to be considered for a teaching assistantship (TA) or a research assistantship (RA)).

• B. Program Description

  In order to complete both degrees in five years, the student must (a) be very well prepared as an incoming freshman, ready to take our core CS courses, (b) plan from the outset to follow a tightly packed and challenging, three-year course schedule, and (c) satisfy all the conditions (see below) before the end of the junior year - in order to be certified for early admission to our MS program.

  The course requirements for the BS + MS program will total to 138 credits. They are based on the currently existing requirements for each program separately.

  1. Required Progress in Undergraduate Studies: A CS major must have achieved the following in (approx.) three years of study toward the BS degree at Pitt:
     • completion of 96 credits of coursework
     • at least 34 of the 37 CS credits required for the BS degree
     • 11-12 credits in Math/Stat required for the BS degree
     • the particular CS courses (22 credits) and the particular Math/Stat courses (18 credits) that are specified as prerequisites for admission to the MS program
     • all General Education requirements specified by CAS
     • all of the above with a QPA of at least 3.3, both overall and in CS
  2. Early Entry into the MS Program: If a student meets the conditions, a CS faculty committee will certify that fact and admit him/her to the MS program:
     • admission will be formalized using a minimal procedure based on completion of (a) relevant parts of the regular graduate application form and (b) a special checklist form identifying all above-specified requirements, including those in General Education
     • upon certification of a student1s admissibility, the following offices will be notified: (a) CS Graduate Programs, (b) CAS, (c) FAS Graduate Studies, and (d) the Registrar
     • the student will have one year (approx.) of study remaining to complete 24 credits toward the BS degree and to get started with selected graduate-level courses
     • one year will remain for study dedicated to the MS degree program
  3. Feasibility: It is possible for a student to earn both the BS and MS degrees in CS in five years because:
     • one of the required courses for the MS degree, either CS 1510 or 1511 can be taken among the 96 credits of undergraduate coursework, thereby leaving only 27 credits necessary for the project-based MS degree
     • as a senior, the student can register for three graduate courses (nine credits) in some pattern distributed over the two terms of an academic year
     • the balance of 18 credits required for the project-based MS degree can then be taken during the fall and spring terms of the fifth year of study
     • the summer term between the fourth and fifth years can be used by the self-supporting student to get a head start on the three-credit MS project. Use of the summer is only an option, not a requirement
     • students who enter Pitt with advanced academic standing may be able to complete the program in less than five years

• C. Summary of Course Requirements and Prerequisites

  1. Core CS Courses (13 Credits): CS 0401, 0441, 0445, 0447
  2. Upper-Level Required Courses (9 credits): CS 1501, 1502, 1550
  3. Upper-Level Elective Courses (15 credits): At least five 1000-level courses
  4. Required Math/Stat Courses (11-12 credits): MATH 0220, 0230, and one of the following: MATH 0280, 1180, STAT 1000, 1151

  Prerequisites for Admission to MS Program

  1. Core CS Courses (13 credits): Same as 1. above
  2. Upper-Level CS Courses (9 credits): Either CS 1510 or 1511, either CS 1520 or 1621, and either CS 1550 or 1651. These can constitute a subset of 2. AND 3. above
  3. Required Math/Stat Courses (18 credits): MATH 0220, 0230, 0240, and either MATH 1180 or 0280, and either STAT 1151 or 1152. These constitute a superset of 4. above; the student needs one more Calculus course and one more Math/Stat course

  Existing MS Degree in CS

  1. Required CS Courses (9 credits): Either CS 1510 or 1511 (also required among the prerequisites - see above), either CS 2410 or 2510, and either CS 2210 or 2710
  2. Elective CS Courses (18 credits): Any six graduate courses (2000-level or above)
  3. A three-credit MS project (or a six-credit MS thesis in lieu of one course)

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