Graduate Program

The M.S. in Computer Science has been designed to provide a flexible graduate curriculum for students who matriculate through its associated degree program. The main objectives in offering this degree are as follows:

1.       Provide advanced post-baccalaureate study in computer science for students with strong undergraduate preparation in the academic discipline.

2.       Prepare technically superior computer professionals for the workforce.

3.       Provide working computer professionals with advanced educational experiences that support their ability to perform at an advanced level in their work environments.

4.       Prepare students for additional study toward the Ph.D. in Computer Science.

An overall summary of the general requirements for the M.S. in Computer Science follows:

1.       Satisfactory completion of the Qualifying Examination upon completion of courses designated as “core courses” if the Plan A curriculum of study is selected.

2.       Completion of a total of thirty (30) semester credit hours in Computer Science (500 and 600 Level) as described in detail below through Plan A or Plan B with a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or better.

3.       Completion and presentation (through an oral defense) of a thesis to a committee composed of members of the Department of Computer Science and representatives of the Graduate School, if the Plan A curriculum of study is selected.

4.       Completion of a total of six (6) semester credit hours advanced electives (600 level) if the Plan B curriculum of study is selected.

5.       Completion of an application for graduation.

 

Admission to the Program is accomplished in accordance with the requirements for admission to the Graduate School at Texas Southern University.
The entire admission process will be under the direction of the Graduate Committee in the Department of Computer Science and the Graduate Council in the Graduate School at the University.

For unconditional admission, the University requirements, as well as the Program requirements, are as follows:

1.       Graduation with the bachelor’s degree, or its equivalent, from an accredited college or university. An example of the “equivalent,” as indicated may be an international student who has graduated from a college or university that issues a diploma or certificate instead of a degree.

2.       A satisfactory undergraduate sequence of courses in the proposed major.

3.       A grade point average in all undergraduate work of 2.50 (C+) or better or a grade point average of 3.0 for the last 60 semester hours of undergraduate course work.

4.       A score on the aptitude section of the Graduate Record Examination that will be used in conjunction with other admission factors.

5.       A score of at least 550 on the TOEFL, if the applicant has a degree from a non US university

Conditional admission may be given to applicants who do not satisfy all of the requirements for unconditional admission in accordance with existing University procedures. However, final disposition of these cases ultimately rests with the Dean of the Graduate School.

In addition to the general requirements for admission referenced above, applicants for admission to graduate standing in Computer Science are expected to present evidence of having completed the following courses with the minimum number of semester credit hours indicated with grades of “C” or better:

After successfully completing the course requirements, students admitted to the Program must pass a department-administered Qualifying Examination. This examination must be passed after no more than two attempts and prior to embarking upon a thesis, if Plan A is followed.

A student cannot be accepted to “candidacy status” for the M.S. in Computer Science until the Qualifying Examination is successfully completed.

 

Curriculum Summary:

The M.S. in Computer Science requires the completion of thirty (30) semester credit hours to be completed over a two-year period. Students enrolled will have the option of either doing a thesis (Plan A) or not doing one (Plan B). For Plan A, six (6) semester credit hours are devoted to original research, while Plan B requires the completion of six (6) extra elective credits. For Plans A and B, 12 semester credit hours through four courses constitute a core curriculum that must be completed before a student is allowed to attempt the Qualifying Examination for establishing his/her candidacy for the M.S. Degree Plan A. The Examination may not be attempted more than twice for a student to remain in good standing. Once the Qualifying Examination is successfully completed, the student is admitted to candidacy for the M.S. in Computer Science. If the student elects to follow Plan A, he/she is appointed a Thesis Advisor by the Chairperson of the Department of Computer Science in accordance with the regulations of the Graduate School.

 

The four core courses address the first seven content areas of the fourteen total areas approved by the ACM. The remaining content areas are addressed in elective offerings in accordance with the backgrounds and research interests of the faculty members to anchor the overall graduate program. Thus, Plan A curriculum requires completion of 4 core courses for 12 semester credit hours, 4 elective courses for 12 semester credit hours, and 6 semester credit hours of thesis research for a total of 30 semester credit hours. Plan B curriculum requires completion of four core courses for 12 semester credit hours, and 5 elective courses for 15 semester credit hours, and one course of independent study for 3 semester credit hours for a total of thirty (30) semester credit hours. Plan A requires the passing of a departmental Qualifying Examination at the completion of the core requirements.

These overall plans are designed for students to complete at Texas Southern University once admitted. Transfer students will not be recruited. However, in the event that a student wants to transfer credits from an accredited institution of higher learning to the University for use in fulfilling requirements for the M.S. in Computer Science, the Dean of the Graduate School must be contacted directly for review of the request. If the request for transfer credits is approved by the Dean, official notification is provided to the Office of the University Registrar to include these credits on the student’s official transcript.

 

The following two restrictions apply to these transfer credits: no more than six (6) semester credit hours may be transferred at the graduate level, and credits accepted for transfer must have been earned with grades of “B” (3.00) or better.

 

The four core courses are listed below. Reference is made to the ACM content area(s) addressed at the end of each course title.

 

 

The following courses are intended as electives for the degree program with ACM content areas noted: