The college offers concentrations in Data Science and Security which meets all of the regular non-thesis master's degree requirements. The requirements for the Concentrations in Data Science and Security emphasize data science and security related courses.
All master's program students are expected to have a solid undergraduate background in computer science. If you are unsure of your background, you should consult master's advisor, Elizabeth Parolski, for course options.
Master's students are required to:
The Master's in Computer Science degree is a non-thesis degree, however, students interested in research are encouraged to participate in independent study research after their first semester of coursework. In addition, we have a Master's Project 6 credit research opportunity.
Our MS degree in Amherst usually takes two years (four semesters) to complete. We recommend the following distribution of courses for the four semesters:
|
Year |
Fall |
Spring |
Summer |
|
1st |
core (3cr) *International students must be registered for 9 credits to fulfill fulltime visa requirements |
core (3cr) |
Internship (optional) *CPT approval requires students to be enrolled in two consecutive semesters before applying; exception is only for field experience concentration |
|
2nd |
core (3 cr)
|
core (3 cr) -not online *International students are permitted one final semester of less than 9 credits |
|
Your background and the available course offerings may cause you to shift from this model. This list is intended only as a guide. We strongly recommend that students take no more than three graduate-level classes in any semester.
International students should consider a Curricular Practical Training during the first summer following the completion of two academic semesters. See the CICS CPT Process.
New for 2020-2021!!! Co-op opportunities for students who want to participate in a full-time internship during their academic semester! See CICS Careers for opportunities for both domestic and international students!
All MS students are eligible to apply for 15-week grader appointments after their first semester. Campus graduate hourly positions are also available.