Graduate
Master of Science in Computer Science
The Master of Science in Computer Science program is offered at the University of the District of Columbia's Van Ness (main) campus. The program is tailored to meet the needs of traditional domestic and international students as well as working professionals in the greater Washington DC area. The program emphasizes a practitioner-oriented curriculum which includes advanced algorithms, network security, artificial intelligence, computer graphics, image processing, software systems, and database. For the MSCS degree program, it offers a thesis option and a non-thesis option. The doctoral program only provides a thesis option.
MS in Computer Science - Student Outcomes
The program enables students to achieve, by the time of graduation:
- Analyze the properties of algorithms, software, and/or computing systems using the theoretical underpinnings of Computer Science
- Design a computing-based solution and software that contributes to large, multi-layered/multi-machine systems
- Analyze and design software to solve complex and/or open-ended real-world problems by employing intelligence and learning
- Develop viable solutions to solve current and emerging problems in multiple fields of Computer Science
Graduate
Program of Study
The program offers a thesis option and a non-thesis option. Students in both options must take four graduate computer science (CS) core courses. Students who wish to write a thesis take four graduate CS electives and sign up for 6 thesis credits (counts as two graduate electives) whereas students in the non-thesis option must take six graduate CS electives. One of these six electives can be CSCI 599 Master's Project.
Students in the thesis option must find a thesis advisor in the department based on their interests in order to comply with the thesis submission requirements of the UDC Graduate School [see guideline]. Students in the non-thesis option also need to find a faculty member (project advisor) to do a special project and submit a final MS project report to the project advisor at the end.
The course of study is as follows:
30 credit hours are required for graduation - four required CSCI core courses and six electives. In addition, students who are inadequately prepared in computer science but who have been admitted into the graduate program will also need to take up to 4 background courses in computer science. For taking background courses, students need to have a consulation with the MS program director.
[Thesis Option] Students enrolled in the thesis option will need to do a thesis defense. For preparing the thesis, students must follow the requirements of the Graduate School. Thesis defense needs to be announced to public at least a week prior to the thesis defense date.
[Non-Thesis Option] Students who elect to do a project must consult with their project advisor on project submission requirements.
IMPORTANT POLICY
POLICY ON GRADUATE ACADEMIC GOOD STANDING- A graduate student with a cumulative GPA below 3.00 will be placed on academic probation.
- Notwithstanding the cumulative GPA requirement, a graduate student who has earned two grades of C cumulatively will be placed on academic probation.
- A graduate student on academic probation, who earns a term GPA below 3.00, will be dismissed. Notwithstanding the cumulative GPA requirement, a graduate student who earns a third C or a grade of F in any course will be dismissed.
- Undergraduate courses taken by graduate students are not included in the computation of graduate GPA, nor are they counted toward degree progress. However, a graduate student, who earns a grade below C in an undergraduate course, will be placed on academic probation.
Graduate Course Load Limitations
- Graduate students can take the maximum course load of 12 credit hours per term. Students on academic probation are limited to 9 semester hours or less. In applying the course load limitations, the University counts audited courses as a part of the student’s course load; however, for regulations that require full-time status, audited courses are not counted as part of the course load.
Reputation
Our program reputation in Public
Courses
Required Major Courses
| Program Requirements |
| CSCI 504, Design and Analysis of Algorithms, 3 credits |
| CSCI 505, Foundations of Computer Architecture, 3 credits |
| CSCI 506, Principles of Operating Systems, 3 credits |
| CSCI 507, Principles of Database Systems, 3 credits |
| CSCI 508, Principles of Data Communications Networks, 3 credits |
| CSCI 509, Foundations of Software Engineering, 3 credits |
| CSCI 510, Principles of Artificial Intelligence, 3 credits |
| All students in the MSCS program must take four of the seven courses. |
| Program Elective Requirements |
| CSCI 501A*, Introduction to Java Programming, 3 credits |
| CSCI 501B*, Object-Oriented Programming with C++, 4 credits |
| CSCI 502*, Introduction to Systems Software, 3 credits |
| CSCI 503*, Data Structures, 3 credits |
| CSCI 504, Design and Analysis of Algorithms, 3 credits |
| CSCI 505, Foundations of Computer Architecture, 3 credits |
| CSCI 506, Principles of Operating Systems, 3 credits |
| CSCI 507, Principles of Database Systems, 3 credits |
| CSCI 508, Principles of Data Communications Networks, 3 credits |
| CSCI 509, Foundations of Software Engineering, 3 credits |
| CSCI 510, Principles of Artificial Intelligence, 3 credits |
| CSCI 511, Automata Theory and Formal Languages, 3 credits |
| CSCI 512, Computational Complexity, 3 credits |
| CSCI 513, Parallel Algorithms, 3 credits |
| CSCI 518, Topics in Theoretical Computer Science, 3 credits |
| CSCI 521, Advanced Computer Architectures, 3 credits |
| CSCI 522, Advanced Operating Systems, 3 credits |
| CSCI 523, Advanced Database Systems, 3 credits |
| CSCI 524, Human-Computer Interfaces, 3 credits |
| CSCI 525, Compiler Design, 3 credits |
| CSCI 531, Principles of Computer Graphics, 3 credits |
| CSCI 532, Image Processing, 3 credits |
| CSCI 533, Computational Geometry, 3 credits |
| CSCI 534, Bioinformatics, 3 credits |
| CSCI 538, Topics in Specialized Applications, 3 credits |
| CSCI 551, Computer Network Architectures and Protocols, 3 credits |
| CSCI 552, Network Programming, 3 credits |
| CSCI 553, Network Security, 3 credits |
| CSCI 554, Wireless and Mobile Computing, 3 credits |
| CSCI 558, Special Topics in Network Security, 3 credits |
| CSCI 571, Logic Programming, 3 credits |
| CSCI 572, Evolutionary Computation, 3 credits |
| CSCI 573, Neural Networks, 3 credits |
| CSCI 574, Natural Language Processing, 3 credits |
| CSCI 575, Speech-based Computing, 3 credits |
| CSCI 578, Special Topics in Intelligent Systems, 3 credits |
| CSCI 598, Master's Project, 3 credits |
| CSCI 600, Master's Thesis, 3 credits |
|
Graduation
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
The MS in Computer Science program requires completing a total of 30 credit hours of college-level courses in order to graduate. Students must obtain a grade of B or better and must have an overall grade point average of at least 3.0.
*This graduation requirement will be determined depending on when you begin studying the degree program at UDC. For further detail about the graduation requirement, students should contact their academic advisors or the graduate program director.