Department of Computer Science

Master of Science in Computer Science

Admission Requirements

  1. A student must have earned a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited four year college or university.
  2. A student must meet the grade point average and test score requirements as follows:
    1. A minimum overall undergraduate grade point average of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) or a 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) for the last 27 semester hours (45 quarter hours).
    2. A minimum composite score of 1000 on the verbal and quantitative portions of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
  3. A working knowledge of discrete mathematics. This requires completion of CS 3312 or its equivalent.

Conditional admission may be granted under certain circumstances to applicants who cannot satisfy all unconditional admission requirements. Individuals admitted on a conditional basis may satisfy the requirements for unconditional admission as follows:

  1. A student with a bachelor's degree outside the field of Computer Science may satisfy the bachelor's degree requirement by completing all or some of the following (see advisor for specifics):
    • CS 3323 Data Structures
    • CS 3327 Principles of Computer Design
    • CS 3355 Operations Research
    • CS 4445 Data Communications
    • CS 4447 Systems Analysis and Design
    • CS 4448 Operating Systems or their equivalent
  2. Although the GRE must in all cases be taken, students failing to achieve the minimum composite score of 800 may satisfy the test requirement by successfully completing 12 semester hours of graduate CS courses with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).
  3. The undergraduate grade point average may be satisfied by successful completion of 12 semester hours of graduate CS courses with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).

Degree Options

There are two degree options: thesis and non-thesis. In the thesis option, the student must successfully complete and defend a thesis, as well as, completing other requirements stated below. In the non-thesis option, the student must pass a comprehensive exam and must successfully complete a research project and write a paper about that project.

Admission to Candidacy

Admission to the program for the M.S. in Computer Science does not constitute official admission to candidacy. The student must be admitted to candidacy for the degree at lest one term prior to the anticipated term of graduation. To be eligible for admission to candidacy, students must meet the following requirements:

Candidacy Requirements

Thesis
  1. Achieve unconditional admission to the program
  2. Complete at least 15 Semester Hours of course work at TROY-Montgomery
  3. Maintain a minimum overall Grade Point Average
  4. Complete an approved thesis proposal
Non-Thesis
  1. Achieve unconditional admission to the program
  2. Complete at least 15 Semester Hours of course work at TROY-Montgomery
  3. Maintain a minimum overall Grade Point Average
  4. Pass the comprehensive examination

Degree Requirements

Thesis
  1. Admitted to the candidacy
  2. Complete and successful defend a thesis
  3. Maintain a minimum overall 3.0 GPA
  4. Complete (altogether) 30 Semester Hours graduate-level courses to include 6 Semester Hours of thesis course CS 6699
Non-Thesis
  1. Admitted to the candidacy
  2. Complete an approved research project proposal
  3. Maintain a minimum overall 3.0 GPA
  4. Complete altogether 31 Semester Hours of graduate-level courses to 1 Semester Hour of course CS 6699
  5. Complete an approval candidacy project or paper

Approval Process

Thesis Option

The Thesis Proposal and the thesis itself must be approved by a three member department committee-one of whom may be outside of the CS department, CS department chair, Dean of Division of Business and the Graduate Dean.

Non-Thesis Option

The Research Proposal must be approved by the research supervisor. The research project and related paper must be approved by a three member department committee-one of whom may be outside of the CS department, CS department chair, Dean of Division of Business and the Graduate Dean.

In both cases, the research paper or thesis must be submitted to the department two months prior to graduation and must be submitted to the dean of the graduate division office at least two weeks prior to the end of the term.

In the thesis option, three approved copies are necessary. In the non-thesis option, two approved copies are necessary, one of which will be kept by the CS department.

Core Courses

Elective Courses

Options

Thesis Option
Non-Thesis Option

Total 30 Semester Hours

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