Graduate Programs
The Computer Science Department offers four master’s degrees, several graduate certificates, an engineer degree, and a doctoral degree.
Master of Science in Computer Science: The MS/CS is the flagship graduate program. It is designed to be flexible in allowing students to combine several areas of concentration, such as software engineering, cybersecurity, databases, and service-oriented architecture. Ph.D. students who do not already have a M.S. degree should consider pursuing a M.S. in Computer Science to develop breadth before their Ph.D. studies.
Master of Science in Cybersecurity: The MS/CyS is a rigorous program in the art and practice of cybersecurity, including fundamentals of cryptography, and threats and defenses for secure systems. The emphasis in this program is on deep technical skills that may be complemented with courses in security management, in addition to the security courses suggested for the MS/CS which emphasize broad principles and security administration.
Master of Engineering in Media and Broadcast Engineering: Media and broadcast engineering lies at the intersection of audio/video processing, networking, software design, and complex system integration. The Master of Science in Media and Broadcast Engineering provides students with a comprehensive foundation in all aspects of media production, delivery, and management, and prepares them for relevant careers as media and broadcast engineers, network managers and developers, streaming media developers, and project managers for broadcast networks. It provides similar education and opportunities to professionals in the field who wish to enhance their skillsets. It also covers media engineering in emerging media publishing channels such as through the Internet and mobile applications.
Master of Science in Machine Learning: The MS/ML aims to provide theoretical and practical foundations that enable its graduates to be at the forefront of progress in machine learning and related disciplines. Machine learning is a rapidly expanding field with many applications in diverse areas, such as intelligent systems, perception, robotics, finance, information retrieval, bioinformatics, healthcare, weather prediction among others. In addition to established employers in these industries, a large number of startups have also entered the market seeking to hire machine learning scientists. Besides careers in industry, this program will prepare students for the pursuit of doctoral degrees and careers in research.
Graduate Certificate: A graduate certificate typically consists of four graduate courses in a targeted area of study. The courses for a graduate certificate also may be used toward another graduate degree, such as a master’s degree.
Ph.D. in Computer Science: The doctoral degree is a program of full time on-campus study only, aimed at preparing the student for a career in computer science research.
Engineer Degree in Computer Science: The Engineer Degree in Computer Science is for students who already have a Master’s degree in computer science or a closely related field and who wish to continue to study computer science deeply at an advanced level, but who do not wish to or cannot make the time commitment necessary for the Ph.D. degree. The degree requires 30 credits of computer science beyond the M.S. degree. Nine to twelve of these credits must be for a single long-term project on an advanced computer science topic (course CS 950).