Master of Science Degree in Computer Science

• Admissions requirements
• Matriculated Sept. 2008 or later
• Matriculated between Sept. 1997 and August 2008  
• Master's thesis
• Bioinformatics Option
• Entrepreneurship Option

Admissions requirements

Admissions requirements for the MS in CS are designed to ensure that MS candidates enter the program on roughly the same level as our own BS in CS graduates. See CS Graduate Admissions Requirements for details.

MS degree requirements for students matriculated September 2008 and later (pdf)

MS degree requirements for students matriculated between September 1997 and August 2008

MS degree requirements for students matriculated Spring 2010 and later

Each degree candidate will be required to pass, with an average of B or better, and not more than two grades below B, the following minimum number of credits, distributed to include one project and one general area:

Core courses
91.502 Foundations of CS
91.503 Algorithms
91.531 Design of Programming Languages

Project Area
6 credits (2 courses with programming assignments from the course pairs list)

General Area
6 credits (2 courses, not necessarily project-related, from the course pairs list)

Electives
3 elective courses
Total: 30 credits

At most one core course can be used to form either a project pair or a general pair of related courses.

See the graduate catalog for course descriptions.

Master's Thesis
An optional master's thesis can be substituted for at most six credits, and can be used to substitute for one pair of Project- or General-area courses. Students who wish to do a thesis must file a Proposed Thesis Committee form with the Graduate Coordinator prior to beginning work on the thesis.

Entrepreneurship Option
This is a Master’s Degree Option within the Computer Science Graduate Program. It is directed to people with a strong undergraduate background in Computer Science who are interested in both deepening their technical knowledge and in understanding the tools required for developing a company directed towards software services and products.

Admission Requirements: as specified in the Catalog for admission to the MS program in Computer Science.

Non-thesis track within the Entrepreneurship Option:

• 7 courses (21 credits) from Computer Science, satisfying the MS core and distribution
  requirements.
• 3 College of Management courses (9 credits) chosen from the following: 64.650: Innovation and Emerging Technologies (3 credit)
  62.630: Market Research for Entrepreneurs (3 credit)
  61.640: Financing Innovation and Technology Ventures (3 credit)
  66.630: New Product Development (3 credit)
  and taken within the first two semesters of full-time study (first six graduate
  courses). PLUS
  • 1 course (3 credits) from either Computer Science or Management, as deemed appropriate in consultation with the faculty advisor(s).
  Total Credits: 33
  

Thesis track within the Entrepreneurship Option:

• 6 courses (18 credits) from Computer Science, satisfying the MS core and distribution requirements.
• 3 College of Management courses (9 credits) chosen from the following list
  o 64.650: Innovation and Emerging Technologies (3 credit)
  o 62.630: Market Research for Entrepreneurs (3 credit)
  o 61.640: Financing Innovation and Technology Ventures (3 credit)
  o 66.630: New Product Development (3 credit)
  and taken within the first two semesters of full-time study (first six graduate
  courses).
• 6 credits of Master’s Thesis. The primary advisor shall be from CS, with a
  member of the thesis committee from the College of Management. The thesis will articulate the results of appropriate market research, a detailed business plan, and will deliver a prototype of a product.
• A course taken from either CS or Management could substitute for 3 thesis credits, if approved by both advisors as being critical for the thesis.
  Total Credits: 33