Program: Computer Science - MS - Utah State University

Apr 03, 2025

2024-2025 General Catalog

College of Science

Department of Computer Science

MS/CS students may pursue the Plan A or Plan B option (see School of Graduate Studies general requirements). Regardless of the plan, an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher and individual course grades of B- or better (in all degree-program coursework) are required. Students with an overall GPA below 3.0 at the completion of fall and spring semesters will be issued an academic warning. If a student’s institution or Program of Study GPA remains below 3.0 for two consecutive semesters, they will be dismissed from the program. Requirements for each plan are listed below.

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university or a similarly recognized international university is required for admission to and completion of a graduate program.

A master’s degree must be completed within six years of entering the degree program. Additional time may be requested by the student’s committee and submitted to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies for review. Coursework over eight years old at the time of degree completion may not be used for a graduate degree unless it is revalidated.

At least 24-semester credits for a master’s degree must be from a committee-approved and a School of Graduate Studies-approved Program of Study from Utah State University.

Students must submit and obtain approval of academic forms required for master’s students by the School of Graduate Studies.

MS/CS Plan A (30 credits)

Required Courses (7 credits)

1 credit of CS 6900 - Seminar 1 credit(s) (Typically taken the first Fall semester)
6 credits of CS 6970 - Thesis and Research 1-9 credit(s) (Typically taken the last 1–2 semesters)

Elective Courses (at least 23 credits)

A minimum of 14 credits of 6000-level courses taught within the department are required for graduation (CS 6XXX/7XXX courses) excluding CS 6250 .

An additional 9 credits of graduate coursework at the 5000-level or above are also required.

The following restrictions apply to the credits of elective coursework:

A maximum of 3 credits of CS 6250 are allowed.
A maximum of one course is allowed from the following list: CS 5950 , CS 6950 , or CS 7950 .
Additional credits of CS 6970 may not apply to the elective course requirements.
CS 6990 , CS 7970 , and CS 7990 are not allowed.
CS 5250 and CS 5260 must be taken together in the same semester to be allowed.
A maximum of 6 credits are allowed from outside the Computer Science department. Outside credits must be from ECE, MATH, STAT, PSC 6150 or SOC 6150 and may not be from independent study, research, or continuing graduate advisement courses.

Research Requirements

Form a supervisory committee.
Complete a graduate thesis proposal.
Prepare a graduate thesis based on original work.
Successfully defend and submit the thesis to the library.

MS/CS Plan B (33–34 credits)

Required Courses (3–4 credits)

1 credit of CS 6900 - Seminar 1 credit(s) (Typically taken the first Fall semester)
2–3 credits of CS 6970 - Thesis and Research 1-9 credit(s) (Typically taken the last 1–2 semesters)

Elective Courses (at least 30 credits)

A minimum of 18 credits of 6000-level courses taught within the department are required for graduation (CS 6XXX/7XXX courses) excluding CS 6250 .

An additional 12 credits of graduate coursework at the 5000-level or above are also required.

The following restrictions apply to the credits of elective coursework:

A maximum of 3 credits of CS 6250 are allowed.
A maximum of one course is allowed from the following list: CS 5950 , CS 6950 , or CS 7950 .
Additional credits of CS 6970 are not allowed.
CS 6990 , CS 7970 , and CS 7990 are not allowed.
CS 5250 and CS 5260 must be taken together in the same semester to be allowed.
A maximum of 6 credits are allowed from outside the Computer Science department. Outside credits must be from ECE, MATH, STAT, PSC 6150 , or SOC 6150 and may not be from independent study, research, or continuing graduate advisement courses.

Research Requirements

Form a supervisory committee.
Complete a graduate paper/project proposal.
Prepare a graduate paper or project.
Successfully defend and submit the paper/project to the library.