Computer Science, Master of Science
Overview
The objective of the Master of Science in Computer Science program (MSCS) is to prepare graduate students with the necessary knowledge and skill components in current computing and information systems, as required by business, government, and academia research. Specific current technology fields include courses in:
- cyber security,
- mobile computing,
- big-data systems,
- cloud based systems, and
- enterprise systems.
The program is designed to meet the needs of current working professionals, who want to get a graduate degree to stay abreast of the changing field of computing, as well as those with a recent bachelor’s degree to advance their knowledge and skills for a career in computing and cyber security.
Admission Requirements
All applicants to the Computer Science program will be reviewed by the department admissions committee which is composed of the graduate advisor and department chair with final approval by the Associate Dean for the College of Business to determine eligibility for admission to the program based on the criteria listed below.
An applicant for admission must have the necessary academic preparation to complete graduate level courses in Computer Science.
Students that have completed a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from a regionally accredited college or university with a composite GPA of 3.0/4.0 or better in all prior advanced-level (Junior, Senior, and Graduate work) Math and Computer Science related work will receive unconditional admission to the program. Students that have completed a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from a regionally accredited college or university with a composite GPA below a 3.0/4.0 but above a 2.5/4.0 will be granted conditional admission for the first semester in the MSCS program.
If the student has not completed a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science but has a minimum GPA of a 3.0/4.0 or better in their major, they will be granted conditional admission in the MSCS program.
All students on conditional admission will be required to complete CSCI 5337 Applications Programming at A&M-SA in the first semester of admission and get a grade of “B” or better, in order to be permitted to continue in the MS CS program. For conditionally admitted students who successfully complete CSCI 5337 Applications Programming, it will be used as a required elective and will not increase their graduation hours.
Any student admitted on conditional status that earns a “C” or lower in CSCI 5337 Applications Programming at A&M-SA, will not be permitted to continue in the MS CS program.
In order for a student to be successful in the Computer Science program at the university, a demonstrated proficiency in the use of the English language is required. If a student’s undergraduate degree is not from a regionally accredited university of the United States, then the student must submit TOEFL scores for evaluation.
Students admitted to the Computer Science program may not apply for more than 6 hours of department-approved graduate level coursework to be transferred from another regionally accredited college or university. For conditionally admitted students, CSCI 5337 Applications Programming cannot be transferred in.
Degree Requirements
The M.S. in Computer Science has two routes to degree completion- Thesis or Non-Thesis. The Non-Thesis route consists of 30 hours of graduate level coursework. The Thesis route consists of 30 hours of graduate level coursework which includes 6 hours of thesis work. CSCI 5395 Thesis will be taken once each semester in the last two final semesters of the student’s program before graduation. The student will complete their thesis and defense to demonstrate a Master’s level education in Computer Science.
Curriculum
Non-Thesis
Non-thesis track students are required to take 12 hours of required core courses, 12 hours of prescribed elective courses, and 6 hours of approved elective courses in computer science or information systems for a total of 30 hours. The prescribed electives are in three different tracks: Software Applications track, Cyber Security track, Enterprise Systems track. A student may pick any one of the tracks and complete the courses in that track. For the free approved electives, a student can take any of the courses not in the prescribed track that they have taken, or an approved graduate course in computing or information systems. Prescribed electives in one track may be used as free electives for another track, as long as prerequisites are met. Picking a track is not mandatory –students may elect to complete six elective courses as long as prerequisites are met and four of the six elective courses are CSCI courses.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses (of all students) | 12 | |
| Prescribed Elective Courses | 12 | |
| Free Approved Elective Courses | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Thesis
Thesis track students are required to take 12 hours of required core courses, 12 hours of prescribed elective courses or free approved elective courses in computer science or information systems, and 6 hours of thesis for a total of 30 hours.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses (of all students) | 12 | |
| Select twelve hours from the following: | 12 | |
Prescribed Elective Courses | ||
Free Approved Elective Courses | ||
| Thesis | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Curricula
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses | ||
| CSCI 5304 | Database Systems | 3 |
| CSCI 5306 | Computer Networks | 3 |
| CSCI 5362 | Operating Systems | 3 |
| CSCI 5343 | Algorithms | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select 12 hours of the following prescribed elective courses or free approved elective courses in computer science or information systems: | 12 | |
Prescribed Elective Courses – Software Applications track | ||
| Secure Software Development | ||
| Mobile App Development I | ||
| Software Engineering | ||
| Software Quality Assurance | ||
Prescribed Elective Courses – Cyber Security track | ||
| Info Assurance/Risk Management | ||
| Cryptography/Secure Comm | ||
| Security in Emerging Tech | ||
| Information Security | ||
Prescribed Elective Courses – Enterprise Systems track | ||
| Software Project Management | ||
| Decision Support Systems | ||
| Enterprise Resource Planning | ||
| Bus Intelligence/Data Mining | ||
Free Approved Elective Courses (in addition to the prescribed courses) | ||
| Applications Programming (Required elective for conditionally admitted students) | ||
| Artificial Intelligence | ||
| Mobile App Development II | ||
| Business Process Integration | ||
| Sys Analysis Design & Impl | ||
| Big Data Analytics | ||
| Cloud Computing | ||
| Special Topic-Computer Science | ||
| Graduate Seminar | ||
| Thesis | ||
| CSCI 5395 | Thesis (taken twice - once in each of last two semesters) | 6 |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
These suggested plans of study are intended to be used as a guide in conjunction with official degree requirements outlined in the catalog. This is an example of a degree track for a Computer Science major.
Non-Thesis Option
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Credits | |
| CSCI 5304 | Database Systems | 3 |
| CSCI 5306 | Computer Networks (Prescribed Elective) | 3 |
| Prescribed Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| CSCI 5362 | Operating Systems | 3 |
| CSCI 5343 | Algorithms | 3 |
| Prescribed Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Second Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| Prescribed Elective | 3 | |
| Free Approved Electives | 6 | |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| Prescribed Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Thesis Option
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Credits | |
| CSCI 5304 | Database Systems | 3 |
| CSCI 5306 | Computer Networks | 3 |
| Prescribed Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| CSCI 5362 | Operating Systems | 3 |
| CSCI 5343 | Algorithms | 3 |
| Prescribed Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Second Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| Prescribed or Free Approved Electives | 6 | |
| CSCI 5395 | Thesis | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| CSCI 5395 | Thesis | 3 |
| Credits | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
To be taken during the last semester with the approval of the graduate advisor.