Students interested in an independent study are required to discuss their proposed independent study with a computer science faculty member prior to applying for an independent study with that faculty member. An outside faculty member may only be added as a secondary evaluator. Once approved to engage in the independent study with your faculty member, complete the Graduate Independent Study Form which can be found here: online form.
We recommend you submit your independent study application 3 business days before the add/drop deadline.
Please Note: If the independent study form is submitted after the add/drop deadline it may take up to 10 days to be enrolled.
Check out the Independent Study FAQ created for MS students by PhD Students with help and input from MS Advising and the graduate programs office.
The deadlines to add/drop a course, including late drop, can be found here: https://www.umass.edu/registrar/calendars/academic-calendar#spring2020 The add/drop form can be found here: https://www.umass.edu/graduate/form/adddrop-form
Students will need to fill out and obtain a faculty instructor signature on this form. Email the form to the Graduate School at gradrec@grad.umass.edu. If you have any questions please contact the Graduate Programs Assistant Kyle Skemer at kskemer@cs.umass.edu.
Students who have taken courses that are nearly identical to those used to satisfy core requirements may request waivers of those core requirements using this form. The minimum grade required for a core waiver is a B in the course previously taken. Download and complete the pdf form below. Complete a form for each waiver request. Also, if you are making multiple requests at the same time, the form must reflect the other requests. Once all sections of this form have been completed by the student, then present it to a faculty member who typically teaches the course corresponding to the core(s)you wish to have waived.
Waiver of Core Requirements Form
For a stand alone Masters Project, or a stand alone Synthesis Proposal, or a combined Masters Project and Synthesis Proposal please submit this on-line form. Within the form choose the appropriate options.
If you are submitting your portfolio, you may find this skeleton helpful. [Word template]
This form is for students who completed a MS degree elsewhere and have completed at least 1 semester of courses at UMass.
Decisions are sent to the student, the grant administrator for the student's faculty advisor and the CICS Accountant via email with instructions on how to receive the award. Requests will not be processed for doctoral students without confirmation from the student's research advisor that they are aware and otherwise unable to support the travel. It is normally expected that grant funded research has travel paid from the grant. Requests from master's students will be reviewed by the MPD only.
Completed applications are to be submitted to the graduate programs assistant, Kyle Skemer, at kskemer@cs.umass.edu before travel. Forms can be submitted electronically and must include an employee ID number (if you have one).
If a travel grant is approved, the student must also receive travel authorization for any travel outside of the state or overnight. This is done by the grants administrator of the student's faculty advisor or by the college accountant for master's students.
Students arrange travel themselves and save all receipts and boarding passes for reimbursement. Students may also need a visa to travel outside the US. Please allow extra time for visa processing. All receipts should be submitted to the research advisor's Grant Administrator for reimbursement. Once reimbursements are processed, the funds are added to a paycheck and deposited into a bank account on file.
Submit the transfer of credit form to the Graduate Programs Assistant, Kyle Skemer, at kskemer@cs.umass.edu at any time after the start of a graduate program but not less than 60 days prior to submitting an eligibility form to graduate.
1. Please select the form that is appropriate for the transfer. If the student is transferring course credit from outside the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the form must be signed off by the Registrar at the appropriate institution prior to submitting to CICS.
2. If the student is transferring courses from the Computer Science program or other UMass Amherst program they need to contact their undergraduate program manager to save the courses PRIOR to graduation.
2. Fill in the course(s) on the form and email the completed form to Graduate Programs Assistant, Kyle Skemer, at kskemer@cs.umass.edufor CICS to obtain approvals.
3. Please allow up to three weeks for the form to be circulated for signatures and sent to the University Registrar.
UMass Amherst undergraduates may transfer a graduate course into the master's program if it was not applied to the undergraduate degree. Undergraduates must contact the Undergraduate Program Manager prior to the end of the last semester in order to request the course(s) be set aside for transfer. A UMass Amherst undergraduate may transfer such a graduate course assigned a "Pass" if the underlying grade is a C or better or with any letter grade of a C or better.