Computer Science MS Program

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.

Application Deadlines

Fall: June 15
Spring: Jan. 17
Summer: June 15

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Contact

Shelley Zhang

Professor
Computer & Information Science

cis-grads@umassd.edu

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

work 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.

Josue Rivera '19 in front of the library

Student success

Josue N Rivera '21: The value of faculty mentorship

Josue discusses how faculty mentorship and novel research opportunities inspired his academic path.

Starting salary range:

$98,730 - $124,282

National Association of Colleges and Employers) Summer 2021 Salary Survey

Program objectives

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

Degree requirements

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

Assistantships

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.

Research areas

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

UMass Dartmouth: Best Colleges for Computer Science - US News

Optional Practical Training Extension for STEM Students (STEM OPT)

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.

Graduate admissions requirements

University requirements for graduate admissions

Submit an application via the online portal. Be sure to provide your full legal name and to capitalize the first letter of all proper nouns.
Pay non-refundable $60 application fee (American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa) via the online portal. For Nursing applicants, the non-refundable application fee is $75.
Statement of Purpose, minimum 300 words. Unless otherwise indicated in the program requirement details, indicate your graduate study objectives, research interests and experience, and business or industry experience if applicable. If you are applying for a teaching or research assistantship, include any special skills or experience that would assist us in making assistantship decisions.
Resume
Transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended (regardless of whether a credential is earned or not). Unofficial transcripts are accepted for admissions application review, once enrolled a final official transcript is required. International students applying for Data Science must submit semester-by-semester transcripts as well as consolidated transcripts.
Many programs have specific recommendations/requirements, please see the additional program-specific requirements for more information.
International students: official TOEFL, IELTS, Pearson PTE or Duolingo (if accepted by program) score. Unofficial scores are accepted for admissions application review, once enrolled official scores are required and must be sent by the testing agency (copies/scans not accepted). This is required of any applicant who did not earn a bachelor’s degree or higher degree from an accredited academic institution in the U.S. or accepted English-speaking country, see exemptions for more details. The Duolingo test is not accepted for the following programs: Art Education, Biology/Marine Biology, Luso-Afro-Brazilian Studies & Theory, Marine Science and Technology (MS, PSM, PhD), Nursing (MS, DNP, PhD), Portuguese Studies, Professional Writing and Communication, Psychology (ABA, Clinical, Research), and Public Policy.

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.

Program deadlines