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 Fall 2012
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 grade point average 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 nine semester hours by graduate mathematics or other engineering courses.

Students need to submit an approved Plan of Study to the Department during the first semester of their admission. An academic advisor will consult students to develop a Plan of Study.

Students may choose Plan I (thesis), Plan II (MS project), or Plan III (Course only). Both Plan I and II require successful defense of thesis or project in student’s graduating semester.

• Plan I – Thesis:
  Students take 24 hours of graduate course work, and additionally 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 additionally write and defend a MS project report, which counts for 3 hours of graduate MS project work.
• Plan III – Course Only:
  Students take 30 hours of graduate course work consisting of a minimum of 4 out of 5 Category A courses, and 4 Category B courses. Independent study course will not be counted toward graduation in this course only option. In the final semester, graduating students must submit a final written research report on a subject specified by a CSE Faculty Committee.



Students are allowed a maximum of 3 credit hours of CS Independent Study (except in Plan III, course only option).

Students may only take graduate Engineering or graduate Mathematics courses that are offered towards an MS degree in a degree granting department, while at least 21 hours must be CS. It is advisable that students get prior approval of 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.

The only exception for a student to take a graduate course from any other department is when the course satisfies all of the following conditions:

1. It appears in a graduate program.
2. It is taken instead of 3 hours of CS Independent Study.
3. It is approved by the CS Graduate Committee.



No more than 6 hours may be in the form of on-line courses.

For additional degree requirement information, refer to:
Masters Handbook Fall 2012
Masters Handbook 2011