M.S. in Computer Science

The graduate program in computer science prepares students for the direct pursuit of productive careers in industry and for continued graduate study. The program's orientation is toward educating professionals to become leaders in various areas of computer science ranging from software engineering to computer design, and from systems analysis to the management of information systems.

All students have the opportunity to participate in projects and competitions relevant to their major. For more information, please visit GHSCSE Student Projects and Competitions website.

Admission Requirements

  • Graduation from an accredited college or university with a satisfactory academic record.
  • Submission of an official score report for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test taken within the last five years. The GRE may be waived if the applicant enrolls initially as a non-matriculating student and completes 9 graduate credits in computer science with a minimum Grade Point Ratio (GPR) of 3.00 and no grade below C, or is a Fairleigh Dickinson University computer science graduate and has an undergraduate GPR of 3.00 or is a non-Fairleigh Dickinson University computer science graduate and has an undergraduate GPR of 3.50. The GRE requirement also is waived for applicants who have completed a master's degree.
  • The policy regarding GRE waivers is only applicable to applicants who graduate from nationally accredited colleges or universities of the United States of America.
  • Three letters of recommendation.

Applicants who have not completed all requirements for admission to the degree program may be permitted to enroll in classes for credit on a non-matriculated or non-degree basis.

Requirements for the Master of Science Degree

  1. Students must complete 48 credits in approved graduate courses. The 48 credits are distributed as follows: 15 credits of prerequisite courses, 15 credits of core requirements and 18 credits of electives. Students with backgrounds in the field may reduce the number of required credits by having some, or all, of the prerequisite courses waived. In any event, a minimum of 33 credits will be required for the degree. Requests for waivers must be made in writing to the department prior to the student's first semester. Students with outstanding and relevant undergraduate records may have the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) requirement waived upon review and upon recommendation by the department.

  2. Students must earn a cumulative grade point ratio of at least 3.00 for the prerequisite courses or be subject to dismissal from the program. Students may take no more than 6 credits of core or elective courses before completing all of the prerequisites.

  3. Students must earn a cumulative grade point ratio of at least 3.00 for the 33 credits beyond the prerequisite courses.

Prerequisite Courses

The prerequisite courses for the M.S. in computer science are:

CSCI5505 Introduction to Computer Programming 3
CSCI5525 Introduction to Computer Science 3
CSCI5551 Mathematics for Computer Science and MIS3
CSCI5555 Data Structures3
CSCI5565 Assembly Language3

 

Core Requirements

The required core courses for the M.S. in computer science are:

CSCI6603 Computer Architecture3
CSCI6620 Software Engineering3
CSCI6623 Database Systems3
CSCI6638 Operating Systems3
CSCI7645 Systems Programming3

 

Elective Courses

Elective courses in computer science are listed with course numbers in the range from

CSCI6700 to CSCI7799.

In addition, there generally will be at least one special topics course scheduled each semester.

Students may take up to 6 credits in non-CSCI prefixed courses or transferred graduate courses from other universities with the permission of their adviser. An additional 3 to 6 credits of non-CSCI prefixed courses may be taken in electrical engineering with the permission of an adviser.