Students who feel they are prepared for the MCS, perhaps through work experience, but fail to meet all the requirements should address this issue in their statement of purpose.

The most desirable background for an MCS student is an undergraduate degree in a computer-related field, such as computer science, computer engineering, software engineering, or a closely related field. You will need a minimum overall grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and have completed the following prerequisite courses:

If you are interested in the MCS and do not have a related bachelor's degree or industry experience, please contact Julie Marr for information about prerequisites and whether this program is a good fit. In such cases, a student can be conditionally admitted while they complete an individualized leveling plan designed to bring their skills up to the required level to enter the MCS.

Email Julie Marr

To graduate, each MCS student will be required to complete a two-semester graduate project/paper/thesis. Please contact Julie Marr for more information.

Email Julie Marr

The MCS has been designed around three key elements: 1) to be rigorous, 2) to be relevant, and 3) to be practical. Additionally, all graduate students are expected to achieve four key outcomes before graduating from the MCS: 1) students will design large-scale systems, 2) students will implement large-scale systems, 3) students will exhibit professional maturity, and 4) students will develop a broad base of competency.

What does this mean to you as an MCS student?

• You should expect courses that require three or more hours of work outside of class for every one hour of lecture.
• You should expect multiple hands-on assignments in every course that escalate in both depth and complexity as the course progresses.
• You should expect to gain the fundamental skill set needed to evaluate and/or apply the techniques/technologies taught in class in a real-world setting.
• You should expect to work on projects where the lines of code measure in the thousands rather than the hundreds.
• You should expect to work with a faculty mentor/advisor who will help guide you through the process of completing your graduate project.
• You should expect to develop a greater level of confidence for tackling larger and more complex systems.
• You should expect that as alumni of the MCS, your views and opinions will be valued by the Department of Computer Science.

Choosing the right faculty mentor is vital to your success in the MCS program. Your mentor should be a faculty member who can best guide you in achieving your goals.

The MCS program is unable to admit international students at this time. This policy may change in the near future, so check back with us often.