The M.S. degree in Computer Science emphasizes practical aspects of
the field and is appropriate for students pursuing careers in Computer
Science. Students may enroll in any of these graduate programs on a part-time
basis.
Important Links
Admission Information
Assistantship Information
Complete List of Courses (5000+ are Graduate)
Entry Requirements
Applicants must meet the general graduate
admission requirements of the Graduate
School, described in the UMSL catalog
. Students are considered for admission to the graduate program in Computer
Science only after they have formally applied for admission through the
Graduate
School. Applications may be completed on-line
or submitted by traditional means. Additional Requirements are listed below.
Applicants must have at least a bachelor's degree, preferably in computer
science or in a related area. Applicants with bachelor's degrees outside
of computer science must demonstrate significant proficiency in computer
science, either by taking the GRE subject area examination or by explicitly
showing competence in the following areas. Any area requirement can be
satisfied through suitable experience or completed coursework, if approved
by the Graduate Director:
- C programming. (CS 1250
and CS 2250)
- An object oriented programming language (C++ or Java) (CS 2260)
- A course in data structures. (CS 2250)
- A course in assembly language programming, computer architecture, or computer organization. (CS 2700)
- A course in design and analysis of algorithms. (CS 3130)
- Programming with UNIX, including shell scripts and tools. (CS 2750)
Students must also have completed mathematics courses equivalent to the
following U.M.-St. Louis courses:
A student missing some of the above requirements may be admitted on restricted
status if there is a strong supportive evidence in other areas. The student
will have to take the missing courses, or demonstrate proficiency to the
satisfaction of the Graduate Director. Special regulations of the Graduate
School applying to students while they are on restricted status are described
in the UM-St. Louis Bulletin.
Candidates for the M.S. degree in Computer Science must complete 30 hours of
course work, subject to the Graduate School regulations. Of these, at least
18 hours must be numbered 5000 or above, with at least one course numbered
6000 or above, chosen with the prior approval of the Graduate Director.
All courses numbered below 5000 must be completed with grades of at least B-.
Outside computer science, up to 6 hours of related course work is allowed
upon permission of the Graduate Director.
Students must receive credit in all areas of the following core requirements.
1) Operating Systems: CS 4760
2) Programming Languages: CS 4250
3) Computer Systems: CS 5700
4) Software Development: CS 5500
5) Advanced Data Structures and Algorithms: CS 5130
Waiving or substituting for a specific requirement can be done on the basis
of prior coursework but it will not reduce the total hours required for
the degree.
Additionally, students must attend at least five different seminars or
colloquium presentations in the department.
Thesis Option: Students may choose to write an M.S. thesis written under
the direction of a faculty member in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. A thesis is not, however, required for this degree. A student who
wishes to write a thesis should enroll in 6 hours of CS 6900, Thesis (Note:
at most 6 hours can be accumulated for CS 5880 and CS 6900). Students writing
an M.S. thesis must defend their thesis in an oral exam administered by a
committee of three department members which includes the thesis director.
For further information about our Graduate Degrees in Mathematics and Computer Science, financial aid, and the regulations of the Graduate
School, see our page
on advanced degrees.