Master of Science in Computer Science
Master of Science in Computer Science
The Master’s Degree in Computer Science has three concentrations: one for individuals who want to enter careers in industry, one for individuals who want to pursue a Ph.D., and one for high school teachers who want to obtain an endorsement to teach computer science. The program is designed especially for the convenience of the part-time student; courses are scheduled in the evening and on Saturday.
NOTE: CONTACT A DEPARTMENT ADVISOR FOR CURRENT REQUIREMENTS.
Requirements for Admission to the Program:
Students must satisfy all requirements for admission to the Graduate College. Applicants must have a four year degree from an accredited undergraduate college, with an overall undergraduate grade point average of not less than 2.75 (on a 4.0 scale).
Departmental approval is required for full admission to the Computer Science Master’s program, and is based upon an evaluation of the candidate’s ability to study computer science at the graduate level. No previous course work in computer science is necessary to enter the program; however, the student must have knowledge of discrete structures and programming in order to take courses which count towards the degree. If the student does not have this background, it is necessary for the student to take background courses before beginning course work towards the degree.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS, PLEASE CHECK THE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS HERE.
Requirements for the Degree:
The Master’s Degree in Computer Science requires 36 credit hours of course work, 27 of which must be earned at Northeastern Illinois University. The remaining 9 credit hours may represent courses taken at accredited institutions with graduate programs in computer science and in conformance with the rules of the Graduate College, except for CS-400, CS-404, and CS-420, which are the core courses and must be taken at NEIU in order to receive credit for NEIU Master's degree in Computer Science.
The 36 credit hours consist of: 9 credit hours of core coursework, 9 credit hours from three required categories/tracks, and 18 credit hours completed through one of three options: a Master’s project, a Master’s thesis, or a coursework-only option. The choice of option must be approved by both the student and the graduate advisor.
No more than 9 hours of specifically approved 300 level courses may be selected to satisfy course requirements for the Master’s Degree. Courses taken to remove deficiencies will not be counted toward the 36 hours of course work required for the Master’s Degree. Courses taken to satisfy undergraduate degree requirements cannot be used toward the Master’s Degree. All elective course work is to be selected in consultation with and approved by the graduate advisor.
Note: CS-421 and CS-425 are preparation courses and they do not count towards program requirements.
For more information a student should visit the Computer Science website. Consult with your program advisor or the Graduate College for details.
Required Courses:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CS-400 | Discrete Modeling And Analysis | 3 |
| CS-404 | Analysis Of Algorithms | 3 |
| CS-420 | Object-Oriented Design | 3 |
| (1) course Required Category #1 (Security/Networking) | 3 | |
| (1) course Required Category #2 (Project Management) | 3 | |
| (1) Course Required Category #3 (Data/Artificial Intelligence) | 3 | |
| Choose one of the three options: | 18 | |
| 1. Master's Project | ||
| Master's Project | ||
Five elective courses from any category * | ||
| 2. Master's Thesis (Must be taken in two separate semesters) | ||
| Thesis Hours (Semester 1) | ||
| Thesis Hours (Semester 2) | ||
Four elective courses from any category * | ||
| 3. Coursework Only | ||
Six elective courses from any category * | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
* Three of the elective courses in each option must be from the Computer Science Department.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Category #1 Security/Networking | ||
| Computer Networks | ||
| Network Security | ||
| Cryptography | ||
| Topics In Network Design | ||
| Computer Security | ||
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Category #2 Project Management | ||
| Software Engineering | ||
| Professional Computing | ||
| Web Application Development | ||
| IT Project Management | ||
| Enterprise Architecture & IT Strategy | ||
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Category #3 Data/Artificial Intelligence | ||
| Artificial Intelligence | ||
| Design Of Data Base Systems | ||
| AI And Robotics | ||
| Research Topics In Artificial Intelligence | ||
| Informatics | ||
| Data Mining | ||
| Expert Systems | ||
Additional Categories:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-disciplinary | ||
| Computational Methods In Biology | ||
| Advanced Numerical Methods | ||
| Fundamentals Of Business Economics | ||
| Probability And Statistics | ||
| Linear Algebra II | ||
| Simulation Modeling And Analysis | ||
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Compilers/Systems | ||
| Theory Of Computation | ||
| Advanced Operating Systems | ||
| Topics In Compiler Theory | ||
| Advanced Computer Architecture | ||
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Graphics | ||
| Video Game Programming | ||
| Computer Graphics | ||