Computer Science
MS

Master's degree in computer science

The Computer Science MS program gives graduates a broad and deep knowledge of computer science by offering a strong core program with a wide selection of elective courses.

The program maintains a balance between theory, systems, and applications—with an emphasis on software development.

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Discover why UMass Dartmouth is the right place to earn an advanced degree or certificate.

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You'll gain the ability and confidence to use your knowledge by working on realistic-scale, graduate-level projects. Your experience will include:

working as a member of a team
situations where you will be responsible for the entire project, from problem specification to solution
independent research
presentation of research results in oral and written forms

You will graduate with the knowledge and skills required to develop and design high-quality computer systems and application software—and the ability to follow the rapid changes in the field of computer science.

As a highly-qualified professional, you will be ready to compete for responsible positions in the computer industry, research institutions, government, or to continue your education in a PhD program.

Student success

Average starting salary for computer science MS graduates

UMass Dartmouth NACE AY 2024 Data Collection of Graduate Alumni

UMass Dartmouth alumnus Aditya Sahu, AI engineer at Amazon

Student spotlight

Aditya Sahu MS '25

Less than 6 months after graduating with his MS in computer science from UMassD, Aditya Sahu landed a job as a software development engineer in artificial intelligence at Amazon in New York City.

In his current role, Sahu says he frequently applies the concepts he learned as a student at UMassD: "Challenging courses taught by distinguished faculty helped me gain a deeper understanding of computer science topics and eventually solve technical problems. I still get to apply them even today at my workplace."

The MS in Computer Science prepares graduates to:

succeed as leaders at project and enterprise levels
pursue PhD studies
contribute to the development of computer industry
use computer science knowledge to contribute to the advancement of other industries

Learn more: program goals & outcomes

You will arrange an individual graduate program with your advisor during the first semester, subject to approval by your Graduate Committee.

All students complete 3 required computer science courses and a master’s project or thesis course. Combined thesis and project credits cannot exceed 6. Elective courses round out the student’s program.

Learn more: degree requirements

A number of graduate teaching and research assistantships are awarded to qualified students who have been accepted for admission to a degree program and have requested financial assistance.

The research interests of faculty in the Computer & Information Science (CIS) Department are wide-ranging, and include:

artificial intelligence
autonomous systems
bioinformatics
computational biology
decision support systems
distributed computing
human-computer interaction
internet security
mobile robotics
machine learning

Learn more: faculty areas of interest

Graduate admissions requirements

Admissions requirements

To apply please create an account in our Applicant Portal. You will need to submit:

Application form
$60 application fee (non-refundable)
Statement of Purpose (minimum 300 words)
Resume
Transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended (regardless of whether a credential is earned or not)
English Proficiency test scores:TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, or PTE Academic (if applicable)
Letter(s) of Recommendation (see program requirements for more information)
GRE/GMAT (not required for most programs, see program requirements for more information)

Unofficial transcripts and test scores are accepted for application review but official documents are required for enrollment, please have documents (ie. test scores) sent prior to the expiration.

Program-specific requirements

Candidates must submit the required application materials, university requirements and program-specific requirements, for consideration.

Students must demonstrate

ability to write programs in a high-level programming language (such as C, C++, Java)
knowledge of computer architecture and operating systems
knowledge of software engineering
knowledge of mathematical analysis and elements of theoretical foundations of computer science and analysis of algorithms

Requirements

GRE is strongly recommended.
2 letters of recommendation: from a person in the field of your academic major at the institution most recently attended or from a supervisor familiar with your recent job performance. Applicants will be required to provide the recommenders name and email address so we can contact the recommender for the letter of recommendation.

Application dates

International (F-1) students who receive science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees may be eligible to apply for a 24-month extension of their post-completion optional practical training (OPT). To learn about the eligibility criteria and detailed steps to apply, please review the International Student & Scholar Center (ISSC) OPT page and USCIS resources. F-1 students must consult with the ISSC to apply for STEM OPT.