Master of Science in Computer Science
Program Overview
Computer Science, M.S.
The Master of Science in Computer Science is a broad-based degree offering students strong problem-solving, communication, and team skills to design, implement, and document computer software systems.
Program Overview
MTSU's master's in Computer Science program sends well-prepared students into a lucrative job market. Employers ranging from tech titans such as Google, Microsoft, Meta, to big companies like HCA, Schneider Electric, Deloitte, and Caterpillar, value MTSU graduates. Employment in the field is projected to grow at a rate of 25% percent between 2021 and 2031 with a median annual pay of $109,020 at 2021 based on the report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Careers
Computer science graduates with an advanced degree should enjoy excellent job prospects, with businesses reporting difficulty in finding highly skilled employees in the field. Possible positions with this degree include:
- Computer programmer
- Applications or systems software developer
- Database administrator
- Web developer
- Computer systems analyst
- Information security analyst
- Computer systems administrator
- Computer and information research scientist
Employers of MTSU Master's in Computer Science Alumni
Employers of MTSU master's in computer science alumni include:
- Arnold Engineering Development Center
- Asurion
- Blackbaud
- Bondware
- Buzz Wireless
- Caterpillar Financial
- Decision Source
- Dell
- Disney
- Ebay
- Edgenet
- Gibson Guitar
- Harris Corporation
- HCA
- Ingram Digital Group
- Intel
- Japanese American National Museum
- Mercury Intermedia
- Microsoft
- Northrop Grumman
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- Passport Health
- Riptide Software
- Schneider Electric
- State of Tennessee
- Vanderbilt University
Admission Requirements
Students with or without computer science background are welcomed to apply. Applicants must provide evidence to demonstrate that they have potential to be successful in our graduate program. Applicants must complete the following undergraduate courses before or during the study in our graduate program:
- CSCI 1170, 2170, 3080, 3110, 3130, and 3240 or equivalent of each course;
- MATH 1910 and 2050 or equivalent of each course
Application Procedures
Applicant must:
- submit an application with the appropriate application fee;
- submit official transcripts showing an acceptable GPA in previous academic work.
- The GRE is waived for all applicants to the Master's program; however, applicants with either a weak computer science background or an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or lower are encouraged to submit GRE scores.
- International applicants should check with the Office of International Affairs for the requirement of proof of English proficiency.
Degree Requirements
The Master of Science in Computer Science requires completion of 30-36 semester hours (thesis option) or 36 hours (non-thesis option). Students pursuing either option must complete CSCI 6620 as part of the required 30-36 hours (thesis option) or 36 hours (non-thesis option).
Curriculum: Computer Science
The following illustrates the coursework requirements. In addition, a maximum of 9 hours of thesis research may be required to fulfill degree requirements. Candidate must complete 30-36 (thesis option) or 36 (non-thesis option) hours in the following curriculum. Prior approval from the graduate advisor is required if a candidate wants to pursue more than minimum hours.
Thesis Option (30-36 hours)
The Master of Science in Computer Science requires completion of 30-36 hours of graduate coursework in the thesis option. A minimum of 27 hours of coursework (excluding CSCI 6640) is required. A minimum of 3 hours, but not more than 9 hours of CSCI 6640 must be taken for this option. Students must present an oral defense of the thesis. A minimum of 21 hours (including CSCI 6640) must be at the 6000 or 7000 level.
Non-thesis Option (36 hours)
The Master of Science in Computer Science requires completion of 36 hours of graduate coursework in the non-thesis option. Candidates must successfully complete a comprehensive examination. Credit for CSCI 6640 may not be included in the 36 hours. A minimum of 27 hours must be at the 6000 or 7000 level.
Faculty
The faculty members of the Department of Computer Science include:
- Dr. Medha Shukla Sarkar, Chair
- Dr. Rafet Al-Tobasei, Associate Professor
- Dr. Sal Barbosa, Associate Professor
- Dr. Zhijiang Dong, Professor
- Dr. Yi Gu, Associate Professor
- Dr. Devin Jean, Assistant Professor
- Dr. Cen Li, Professor
- Dr. Joshua L. Phillips, Professor
- Dr. Khem Poudel, Assistant Professor
- Dr. Jaishree Ranganathan, Assistant Professor
- Dr. Arpan Man Sainju, Internship Coordinator | Assistant Professor
- Mr. Robert W. Smith, Lecturer
- Dr. Kritagya Upadhyay, Assistant Professor
- Dr. Arthur Williams, Lecturer
- Dr. Xin Yang, Assistant Professor
- Dr. Letian Zhang, Assistant Professor
Program Notes
Candidate must:
- complete at least 24 semester hours of graduate computer science courses at MTSU;
- take all courses in the Computer Science Department with the following possible exceptions:
- with the prior approval of the Computer Science graduate faculty, a maximum of 6 hours of cognate courses may come from departments other than Computer Science;
- with the approval of the candidate's graduate advisor, a single minor up to 12 semester hours may be included. Such a minor must also be approved by the department offering the minor.