Computer Science (M.S.)

Program Coordinator/Contact

Siddharth Suryanarayanan, Department Head
Sung Shin, Professor/Graduate Coordinator Computer Science
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Daktronics Engineering Hall 214, Box 2222
605-688-4526

Program Information

The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science offers the Master of Science in Computer Science. The program prepares graduate students for positions in the design and development of computer systems and applications in business and industry and for scientific positions in industrial or academic computing research. Areas of research interest within the department currently include Software Engineering, Medical Image Processing, Parallel Processing, Applied Computing, GIS, Computer Security, Cluster Computing, and Computer Networks.

Program Educational Objectives

The CS graduate program objectives are to equip individuals to:

Discover and disseminate knowledge relevant to the discipline of computer science.
Provide leadership for increasingly complex roles in computer science and industry.
Contribute to the advancement of the science of computer science serving regional and national needs.

Student Learning Outcomes

Conduct research and/or design software projects: Conduct research and/or design software projects that demonstrate ability to model, analyze, design, implement, and manage software development processes and systems.
Understand fundamental principles: Articulate a solid understanding of the fundamental principles in the area of computer science.
Communication skills: Demonstrate an ability to communicate, both orally and in writing, technical information effectively as an ethically and socially responsible computer science professional.

Course Delivery Format

A majority of the courses are taught on campus in smart classrooms. The smart classrooms allow for a variety of methods for student engagement and faculty are able to record and post their lectures on-line.

Facilities and Services

With more than $12 million invested in classrooms and laboratories, graduate students benefit from modern lecture rooms and gain valuable experience using state-of-the-art equipment. The recently dedicated modern Daktronics Engineering Hall is home to the Computer Science program with over 15,000 square feet of dedicated research space.

Available Options for Graduate Degrees

Master of Science	Option A - Thesis	30 Credit Hours
	Option B - Research/Design Paper	32 Credit Hours
	Option C - Coursework Only	36 Credit Hours

Core Requirements

CSC 705 - Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms (COM) Credits: 3
CSC 710 - Structure and Design of Programming Languages (COM) Credits: 3
CSC 720 - Theory of Computation (COM) Credits: 3
CSC 770 - Software Engineering Management Credits: 3

Select one of the following options

Option A - Thesis

CSC 798 - Thesis (COM) Credits: 1-9 (6 credits required)
Electives Credits: 12

Option B - Research/Design Paper

CSC 788 - Master’s Research Problems/Project (COM) Credits: 1-3 (2 credits required)
Electives Credits: 18

Option C - Coursework Only

Electives Credits: 24

Total Required Credits: 30 (Option A), 32 (Option B), 36 (Option C)

Additional Admission Requirements

GRE: Not required
TOEFL: Department requirement of 525 paper-based, 71 Internet-based
IELTS: 6.0
Duolingo: 100

Additional Graduation Requirements

All CS graduate candidates must pass a comprehensive written examination. The comprehensive written examination is offered twice during each academic year. The four graduate core courses are the subjects of the comprehensive written examination.

Comprehensive Written Exam Requirements

All CS graduate candidates must pass a comprehensive written examination. The comprehensive written examination is offered twice during each academic year. It is usually during the third week of both the fall and spring semester. The four graduate core courses (listed below) are the subjects of the comprehensive written examination.

CS graduate students can take the comprehensive exam up to three times as long as they have an average score of 50 or higher in the comprehensive exam and a minimum score of 40 or higher in each of the core course exams. If at any time in the students’ scores fall below the criteria, the student loses the option of retaking the exam.

If a student submits an application to take the comprehensive exam, that application will be counted as one of their three opportunities.

Final Oral Exam Requirements

The final oral exam is required for both option A and option B students. It is scheduled for approximately two hours. The first part of the exam includes the candidate’s thesis or design paper defense, and the second part of the exam comprises the candidate’s course work.

Accelerated Master’s Program

The accelerated Master’s program will be available to eligible SDSU students. Up to 12 credits applied to the undergraduate degree may be used to satisfy graduate credit. Students must follow SDSU Policy 2:22 Use of Graduate Credit for Undergraduate Degree Requirements.

General Requirements

Graduate students should consult with their advisor before registering for graduate coursework.

For additional information refer to the Master’s Degree Requirements .