Introduction

The Master of Science degree is traditionally seen either as a preparatory or terminal degree. Our program is designed to accommodate students with different goals. The active research programs of our faculty, and our recognition of Computer Science as a scientific enterprise, shall provide graduate students with the intensive research training and course work in primary content areas that are central to preparation for more advanced graduate or professional work. Students who have in mind careers in business, industry, community college teaching and computing services, will benefit from our program’s emphasis on critical thinking, research methods, and advanced course work. Individual career goals will be served by allowing choices in the content of the research work of thesis or project and by providing a curriculum that provides flexibility in content areas.

The Master of Science degree in Computer Science emphasizes both theoretical foundations and practical applications. Many students undertake graduate work in Computer Science in order to pursue careers in computer networking and information communications,algorithms, parallel  processing, artificial intelligence, neural networks, programming languages concepts, and multimedia applications. Graduates of the program will be prepared for a wide range of career opportunities, since the skills and attitudes fostered in the program are in demand in business, industry, government and academia. In particular, graduates will be well prepared for careers in applications programming, systems analysis, and software engineering. The program also prepares students to compete for admission to doctoral programs in Computer Science.