2018-2019 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Computer Science MS
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Program Description
The Master of Science in Computer Science program produces graduates with a high level of competency in understanding, applying, and enunciating the modern concepts, principles, methods, and theories necessary for the design and implementation of computing systems.
The program provides students with an in-depth education geared toward meeting the needs of business and industry in Florida and throughout the United States. The program’s goal is to produce graduates with a high level of competency in understanding, applying, and enunciating the modern concepts, principles, methods, and theories necessary for the design and implementation of computing systems.
Students in the program receive a broad background in the areas of programming systems and languages, computer architecture, and computer science theory while specializing in a research area. Research interests of the computer science faculty include affective computing, applied perception, bioinformatics, computational biology, computational geometry, computer and network security, computer architecture, computer forensics, computer graphics, computer networks, image processing, computer vision, cryptography, data compression, database management systems, data mining, design and analysis of algorithms, evolutionary computation, genetic algorithms, graph theory, hardware/software co-design, machine learning, mixed and virtual reality, mobile computing, modeling and simulation, multimedia systems, natural language processing, neural networks, parallel and distributed processing, performance evaluation, programming languages, quantum computing, semantic web, software agents, software engineering, and VLSI systems. The program has a long and respected history, having conferred MS degrees since 1968.
Students successfully completing this program will have exhibited breadth as well as depth of capability involving both theoretical aspects of computer science and practical considerations of computing.
Curriculum
The Computer Science MS program offers both a thesis and nonthesis option with each option requiring a minimum of 30 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree. At least half of these hours must be at the 6000 level. Both options require 12 credit hours of required core courses and thesis students must take 12 credit hours of electives and a minimum of 6 credit hours of thesis. Nonthesis students must take 18 credit hours of electives and complete a culminating experience as determined by the program’s graduate committee. Students must receive a 3.0 GPA or higher in all courses.
Total Credit Hours Required: 30 Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Bachelor’s Degree
Prerequisites
An undergraduate degree in Computer Science is desirable but not required. Applicants without a strong undergraduate background in Computer Science must demonstrate an understanding of the material covered in the following upper-division undergraduate courses:
- EEL 4768C Computer Architecture
- COP 4020 Programming Languages I
- COP 4600 Operating Systems
- COT 4210 Discrete Computational Structures
Required Courses: 12 Credit Hours
Elective Courses: 12 Credit Hours
All students, both thesis and nonthesis, are required to complete 12 credit hours of electives that are selected after consultation with the student’s adviser.
At least half of the credit hours of both thesis and nonthesis students must be at the 6000 level. Furthermore, at least two 6000-level Computer Science formal courses (6 credit hours) must be taught by EECS faculty, exclusive of independent study and directed research and a total of 24 credit hours of formal courses must be earned exclusive of thesis. Approval may be granted for no more than 6 credit hours of electives to be taken outside of Computer Science, and such approval must occur prior to taking these outside courses.
- Electives 12 Credit Hours
Thesis Option: 6 Credit Hours
Six credits of thesis are required with the professor who directs the student’s thesis. The thesis experience is expected to span two semesters. Thesis students who are full-time must continue to enroll in 3 credit hours of thesis course work until the thesis requirement is satisfied, even if it goes beyond the minimum of 6 credit hours of thesis. Students are required to prepare and defend a formal thesis in accordance with university requirements.
- XXX 6971 Thesis (6 Credit Hours; prefix determined by disciplinary area of your thesis adviser, e.g., CAP, CDA, CEN, COP or COT 6971)
Nonthesis Option: 6 Credit Hours
The nonthesis option requires at least 6 additional credit hours of electives beyond the 12 credit hours of electives described above.
In addition, nonthesis students are required to engage in a culminating experience as determined by the program’s graduate committee. Students in the nonthesis option may not take more than 6 credit hours of independent study (6908) and/or directed research (XXX 6918).
Equipment Fee
Students in the Computer Science MS program pay a $34 equipment fee each semester that they are enrolled. Part-time students pay $17 per semester.
Independent Learning
The Independent Learning Requirement is met by successful completion of a master’s thesis or an approved set of research-based classes for nonthesis students.
Application Requirements
For information on general UCF graduate admissions requirements that apply to all prospective students, please visit the Admissions section of the Graduate Catalog. Applicants must apply online. All requested materials must be submitted by the established deadline.
The College of Engineering and Computer Science strongly encourages prospective applicants to request a free pre-screening (www.cecs.ucf.edu/prescreen) of their qualifications prior to submitting an online application for graduate admission. However, a pre-screening is not required; rather, it is offered as a courtesy to all prospective applicants before they commit to submitting a complete online application and paying an application processing fee.
Admissions decisions are made on the basis of a complete online application only, and not on the basis of any pre-screening. Prospective applicants who are encouraged to apply to their intended graduate program based on the information provided for their pre-screening are not assured of admission or financial assistance when they submit a complete online application. Although it is possible, it is not likely, that prospective applicants who are discouraged from formally applying to a graduate program at the pre-screening stage will be admitted if they elect to submit a complete online application anyway.
In addition to the general UCF graduate application requirement , applicants to this program must provide:
- One official transcript (in a sealed envelope) from each college/university attended.
- Official, competitive GRE score taken within the last five years.
- Resume
- Letters of recommendation (encouraged but not required)
Faculty members may choose to conduct face-to-face or telephone interviews before accepting an applicant into their research program.
Application Deadlines
All application materials must be submitted by the appropriate deadline listed below.
| Computer Science MS |
*Fall Priority |
Fall |
Spring |
Summer |
| Domestic Applicants |
Jan 15 |
Jul 1 |
Dec 1 |
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| International Applicants |
Jan 15 |
Jan 15 |
Jul 1 |
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| *Applicants who plan to enroll full time in a degree program and who wish to be considered for university fellowships or assistantships should apply by the Fall Priority date. |
Financials
Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see the College of Graduate Studies Funding website, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.
Fellowships
Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student’s graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see UCF Graduate Fellowships, which includes descriptions of university fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.
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