General Program Requirements for the Master of Science in Computer Science
General:
To receive the Master of Science Degree, the applicant must be
admitted as a graduate student /without provisions /and complete
30 semester-credit hours of study in CSCI courses numbered 500
or above, at least six hours of which must be from the following
Core Courses: CSC1 503, Operating Systems; CSCI 504, Concepts
in Computer Organization; CSCI 565, Programming Languages;
CSCI 580, Algorithm Design, Analysis and Implementation.
Programs:
The department offers two options for study in the Master of Science Program.
Details on both options are below. Both options are administered according
to the policies established by the department and Purdue University. For
details on procedures, see Purdue University's Policies and Procedures
Manual
for Administering Graduate Student Programs.
Research Program:
The objective of the Research Program is to develop a general knowledge
of computer science, deep in a specific area, and an ability to do
independent research. The student learns research techniques by
working in close cooperation with a faculty member while doing
the thesis research. This program requires 6-9 credit hours of
thesis work and at least 21 hours of graduate level course work.
Curriculum of the Research Program
The Graduate Program offers a wide selection of courses from which the
individual chooses, in consultation with the graduate advisor, in order
to acquire the background necessary for doing the thesis research.
The individual includes a sufficient number of courses to complete
the remainder of his or her 30-credit program beyond the two core
courses and the six to nine credit hours of thesis. These are
identified on the formal Plan of Study, which the Graduate Program
Committee must approve.
Applied Program
The objective of the Applied Program is to develop in the
student skills and knowledge of the computer science fundamentals
and an ability to apply these to practical problems. The student
has two options in the applied program, the project option and
the course option. For project students, a project is completed,
usually from her or his work environment or internship, or a faculty
member' s work. Its objective is to provide an integrative experience
by applying to a complex problem of a practical nature the theory
and skills learned in the course work. The objective of the course
work is to provide breadth of knowledge to the professional as well
as specialized knowledge in the areas that the project will require.
The graduate of this program is prepared to adapt and respond quickly
to the employer' s specialized requirements. The Applied Program,
project option, requires three - six credits of work in a Project
Course and at least 24 hours of additional graduate course credit.
The Project normally involves at least two semesters of intensive work.
The student carries out the project under the supervision of a faculty
member. It is highly recommended that there also be a mentor from the
sponsoring organization in cases that the project has a non academic sponsor.
The course only option requires no thesis or project,
and is comprised of thirty (30) credit hours of course
work successfully completed, including at least two core course.
