College of Engineering and Applied Science

If you're interested in the master of science in computer science, you should hold a bachelor's degree from an institution comparable to the University of Colorado. You need to have sufficient programming experience and mathematical maturity to understand advanced courses.

Qualified applicants holding a degree outside computer science, computer engineering or equivalent fields may need to take additional undergraduate courses before starting the graduate program.  Admission decisions are based on prior academic performance, letters of recommendation, English proficiency, if applicable, and your written statement of purpose.

Additional requirements:

10 semester hours of university-level calculus and at least one math course beyond calculus, such as advanced calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, probability, statistics or combinatorial analysis.

Students lacking some of these requirements, whose background is otherwise satisfactory, might be admitted with the understanding that the certain undergraduate courses must be completed after admission.

Grade point average (GPA):

Applicants are expected to have GPA of at least 3.0.

International students:

If your native language is not English, you must take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam, and you must score above 525 (paper), 197 (computer) or 71 (Internet-based) or 6.0 on the IELTS.

You are not required to take the TOEFL test if you have completed a baccalaureate or graduate-level degree program at an English-speaking college or university or have completed at least two semesters at a college or university in the United States as a full-time student and obtained a "B" average (3.0 GPA) or higher.

Admission decision:

Candidates applying for the MS program will be individually evaluated by the department's graduate committee. A letter with a decision will be sent by the CSE chair.

Provisional admission:

Applicants may be accepted as "provisional degree students." This status is indicated in the acceptance letter along with the conditions that must be satisfied by a specified deadline in order for the student to obtain regular status.

For additional information on MS CS degree program, refer to:
Masters Handbook 2011

Master's degree candidates are required to complete a program of study consisting of at least 30 semester hours of graduate-level computer science courses while maintaining a GPA of at least 3.0. According to the Graduate School rules, graduate courses with grades below B- cannot be applied toward the completion of the graduate degree. With prior approval by the graduate committee, a student may substitute up to 9 semester hours with graduate mathematics or other engineering courses.

You must submit an approved plan of study to the Department of Computer Science and Engineering during the first semester of admission. An academic advisor will consult with you to develop a plan of study.

Students may choose either Plan I (thesis) or Plan II (MS project), and both require successful defense.

Plan I – Thesis:

Students take 24 hours of graduate course work and write and defend a thesis, which counts for 6 hours of graduate thesis work.

Plan II – MS Project:

Students take 27 hours of graduate course work and write and defend an MS project report, which counts for 3 hours of graduate MS project work. Students are allowed a maximum of 3 semester hours of computer science independent study.

You only may take graduate engineering or graduate mathematics courses that are counted toward an MS degree in a degree-granting department; at least 21 hours must be from computer science courses. The only exception is when the course satisfies all of the following conditions:

• It appears in a graduate program.
• It is taken instead of 3 hours of CS independent study.
• It is approved by the CS graduate committee.

No more than 6 hours may be in the form of online courses.

It is recommended that you get prior approval from a graduate CS advisor before taking any course that does not have a CSCI prefix. For example, courses offered through Continuing Education are not counted toward an MS degree in computer science.

For additional degree requirement information, refer to:
Masters Handbook 2011