Degree Title and Name:  Master of Science in Computer Science

Program Name and Number:  Computer Science – MS7260

Department/Unit:  Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Delivery Mode:  Athens Campus

Term(s) of Entry: Fall, Spring, Summer

Program Overview:  Our mission is to educate computer science professionals to become leaders in industry, government, and university positions, who are committed to the highest standards of professional ethics, lifelong learning, and improving the human condition.

The program leads to a Master of Science degree in computer science. Students take graduate level work in computer science that builds a foundation for the discipline—the theory of computation, algorithm design, and operating systems. Students then take coursework that builds a depth of understanding of computer science. Students select from graduate courses in artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, computer graphics, computer networking, computational complexity, medical imaging, real-time systems, parallel computing, and software engineering. Students either complete 9 hours of research resulting in a master’s thesis or 3 hours of research resulting in a project report.

This is a full time program. Normative time to completion is 2 years.

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Students will achieve mastery of graduate level concepts in mathematics and analysis related to Computer Science.
• Students will demonstrate a mastery of graduate level technical writing.
• Students will demonstrate an ability to complete significant and advanced Computer Science projects.

Opportunities for Graduates: Students who complete the master’s degree in Computer Science take positions in industries that employ computer scientists: the internet industry (Google, Facebook, Amazon.com, etc.), the telecommunications industry (Verizon, Nortel), aerospace industry, and may other industries. Students with a master’s degree may choose to pursue a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science or a related discipline.

Link to Program: https://www.ohio.edu/engineering/eecs/academics/graduate.cfm

Link to Program Handbook: https://www.ohio.edu/engineering/eecs/gradtools.cfm

Graduation Requirements:  

Thesis option: 30 total hours required. All students take the following required courses. Students complete 6 hours of foundational work in computer science (CS 5060 and CS 6040), one hour of technical writing (ET 6020), and two hours of graduate seminar (CS 6980 or EE 6981).   Students take 4 additional courses (12 hours) to develop a depth of knowledge in computer science.  Students select four courses from the following list (BME 5170, CS 5120, CS 5160, CS 5180, CS 5440, CS 5620, CS 5750, CS 5800, CS 6050, CS 6060, CS 6120, CS 6150, CS 6250, CS 6410, CS 6420, CS 6440, CS 6571, CS 6572, CS 6573, CS 6800, CS 6820, CS 6830, CS 6840, CS 6850,CS 6860, CS 6890, EE 6153, EE 6633, EE 6663, EE 6673, EE 6743). All four of the courses taken from the list above must be at the 6000-level. Other Electrical Engineering courses related to computing may be used to fulfill this requirement as well. Students complete 9 hours of thesis research (CS 6950) resulting in a master’s thesis. Students must complete an oral presentation of their work to their thesis committee for final approval.

Project Option: 30 total hours required. All students take the following required courses. Students complete 6 hours of foundational work in computer science (CS 5060 and CS 6040), one hour of technical writing (ET 6020), and two hours of graduate seminar (CS 6980 or EE 6981).   Students take 6 additional courses (18 hours) to develop a depth of knowledge in computer science.  Students select five courses from the following list (BME 5170,CS 5120,CS 5160,CS 5180, CS 5440, CS 5620, CS 5750, CS 5800, CS 6050, CS 6060 ,CS 6120,CS 6150,CS 6250, CS 6410, CS 6420, CS 6440, CS 6571, CS 6572, CS 6573, CS 6800, CS 6820, CS 6830, CS 6840, CS 6850,CS 6860, CS 6890, EE 6153, EE 6633, EE 6663, EE 6673, EE 6743). At least four of the courses selected from the list above must be at the 6000-level. Other Electrical Engineering courses related to computing may be used to fulfill this requirement as well.  Students complete 3 hours of thesis research (CS 6940) resulting in a project report.   The project report is approved by the students’ graduate committee.

Culminating Experience:  Students either complete 9 hours of research resulting in a master’s thesis or 3 hours of research resulting in a project report.

Admission Requirements:  Students seeking admission should hold a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a closely related field (mathematics, software engineering, computer engineering) and should submit scores from the Graduate Records Exam (GRE) general test. (However, students who graduate from ABET accredited programs in engineering or computing programs are not required to submit GRE scores.)  Students must also provide three letters of recommendation. Students whose native language is not English must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Admission and support (tuition scholarships, research and teaching assistantships) are competitive. Letters of recommendation, undergraduate transcripts, grade point average (GPA), GRE, and TOEFL scores are all considered when determining admission and financial support.

International Students:  This program permits full-time enrollment in residence at Ohio University, and an I-20 may be issued based on admission to this program.