Program Overview

Graduate Program

The Princeton University Graduate Program in Computer Science offers a comprehensive and rigorous education in the field. The program is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in computer science, as well as the opportunity to specialize in a particular area of interest.

M.S.E. Track

The M.S.E. program is a two-year, full-time program of coursework plus submission of an original thesis. Candidates choose a subarea of computer science on which to focus by taking appropriate courses and writing a thesis under the direction of an advisor.

Thesis Requirement

• Candidates must have a confirmed thesis advisor and preliminary thesis proposal by the end of the first year.
• Students remaining in the MSE program should identify a thesis advisor and submit a 350-500 word thesis proposal abstract (approved by the thesis advisor) by the re-enrollment deadline.
• The written thesis should be a research paper of "scholarly quality" -- making a novel contribution to scholarship in the field.
• The thesis should motivate the chosen research problem, evaluate the proposed solution, and compare the approach to the related work in the field.
• While there is no specific length requirement, a reasonable target is a typical conference paper (e.g., 10-15 pages in two-column format or 20-40 pages in single-column, double-spaced format).

Course Requirements

• MSE course requirements are fulfilled by completion of six courses: three Core courses and three Elective courses.
• Candidates must maintain a B average, with no more than one C allowed.
• All courses must receive an A-F letter grade from the University Registrar.

Core Courses

• Three COS courses from the following list:
  • COS 475 (ELE 475), 510, 511, 513, 514, 516, 518, 521, 522, 524, 525, 526, 527, 528, 529, 533, 534, 551 (MOL 551), 557 (MOL 557), 561, 563, 568, 583, 584, 585

Elective Courses

• Three elective courses, each of which must satisfy one of the following criteria:
  • COS 318, 320, 324, 326, 343, 352, 375, 597, 598
  • Any 400-level COS course
  • An additional course that satisfies the Core Course criteria.
  • A non-COS elective from the list.
  • Relevant non-COS courses not on this list may be added after discussing with your academic advisor, with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies.

Thesis Deadline Dates

• Prior to April 27, 2026: Present the public seminar on your research.
• April 27, 2026: Thesis due date to Adviser, Reader, and Department.
• May 5, 2026 (Dean's Date): Students can re-submit thesis to Adviser, Readers, and Department with revisions for final archiving.
• May 6, 2026: Thesis grades (Pass/Fail) due to Department from Adviser.

Graduate Program Details

• Admissions Requirements
• Advisers & Contacts
• Doctoral Program Requirements
  • Breadth Requirements
  • General Examination
  • Pre-FPO Checklist
  • FPO Checklist
• Master's Degree
  • M.S.E. Track
  • M.Eng. Track
  • Departmental Internship Policy (for Master's students)
• Funding
• Grad Student Resources
  • Fellowship Opportunities
  • Travel Reimbursement
  • Communication Skills
  • Graduate Student Visit Days
• Frequently Asked Questions