Computer Science, M.S.

General Admission Requirements. Admission to Graduate Studies (see Graduate Student Admissions ).
Program Admission. In addition to meeting university admissions requirements for a graduate degree, admission to the M.S. in Computer Science (MS-CS) program is based on an evaluation by the program’s admission committee of the following information:
1. A resume reflecting work experience and educational background.
2. A one-page essay that states the student’s reasons for applying to the program and his or her career goals and research and scholarly interests, if any.
3. Submit official GRE or GMAT scores and have an Admissions index of 980 or higher, obtained by either of the following:

GRE taken on or after August 1, 2011: GPA on at least the last 60 semester credit hours times 200 Plus 15 times (Verbal + Quantitative - 260)

GPA on at least the last 60 semester credit hours times 200 Plus GMAT score times

Evidence of having completed undergraduate or graduate coursework in the following areas:
1. 3 s.h. of Calculus, Discrete Structures or Discrete Mathematics
2. 3 s.h. of Statistics
3. 6 s.h. of programming or data structures

Degree Requirements

The Master of Science in Computer Science degree plan has a 36 semester hour requirement. Students can choose a thesis or non-thesis option. Students in both tracks must complete 12 semester hours of core requirements.

Non-thesis option:

Students in non-thesis track must complete their remaining 24 semester hours of graduate coursework by successfully completing any graduate level COSC or GMNG specialization courses.

Thesis option:

Under the thesis option, students must complete 6 thesis semester hours (COSC 6308 and COSC 6309 ) and the remaining 18 semester hours of COSC or GMNG specialization courses.

Core Courses (12 semester hours)

Specialization (24 semester hours; 18 semester hours under the thesis option)

These courses are selected from the following list (or any COSC or GMNG courses from the currently approved graduate course catalog):

Thesis Option:

Students have the option of writing a research-oriented thesis towards the completion of their master of science in computer science degree. This option is available for academically strong students wishing to advance their knowledge and making a contribution in a particular area of computer science or mathematics. Approval for the thesis option by a faculty member and a minimum overall “B” average in the program is required. Students approved for a thesis will register for the following courses, typically during two consecutive semesters in their second year of studies: COSC 6308 -COSC 6309 - Computer Science Master’s Thesis.