Founded in 1966

MS Degree

Full Regulations for Graduate Study

Degree Overview

This degree requires 30 credits of formal coursework, including either an MS project or an MS thesis. Please see COMPUTER SCIENCE COURSES for course descriptions.

Coursework may include:

  • Four courses, one from each of the following specialization areas: Architecture and Compilers (CS2410 or CS2210), Operating Systems and Networks (CS2510 or CS2520), Artificial Intelligence and Database Systems (CS2710 or CS2550), and Theory and Algorithms (CS1511, CS1510 or CS2150). CS 2001 and CS 2002 do not count toward the MS degree.
  • Four (for thesis option), or five (for project option) additional graduate (2100-level or higher) CSD courses. These must be actual courses and cannot include independent study courses (CS2990, CS3000), graduate internship (CS2900), thesis project or research courses (CS2910, CS3900). Alternatively, a student may (a) petition GPEC to count either one out-of-department course, or (b) count one CS1600-level (or its CS20xx cross-listed equivalent) course.
  • Either of the following two options:

Project option

  • One additional graduate-level course in computer science. (Independent study and directed study do not count toward this requirement.)
  • An MS project, taking at least three credits of CS 2910 with the S/N grading option.
  • A project report and satisfactory performance in an oral examination on the project given by the advisor.

Thesis option

  • MS-level research resulting in a written thesis.
  • At least six credits of CS 2000 taken on the S/N grading basis.
  • Selection, with the assistance of the student's advisor, of a thesis committee consisting of at least three faculty members, at least two members must be from Computer Science (one being your advisor) and at most one from outside of the department or University.
  • An oral final examination conducted by the committee.

General Requirements

  • All courses except project or thesis must be taken for a letter grade.
  • The student must receive a grade of B or better in each of the required courses, a grade of B- or better for all other courses, and must maintain an overall average of B or better.

Other requirements, options, and procedures are detailed in the Full Regulations for Graduate Study

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