Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Track, M.S.

Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the M.S. degree program in computer science will:

• Possess a thorough and in-depth understanding of at least three foundational areas of Computer Science including machine learning, networks, and network security;
• Have the ability to apply theoretical findings by individually implementing several large projects; and
• Demonstrate research skills and problem-solving professional behavior in project development, design, and implementation.

Program Goals

The primary goals for the master’s program are to establish a solid foundation of fundamental computer science principles, a technical competence in the field, a capacity for applying theoretical findings, and a framework for professional behavior. 

Admission

Requirements for admission to the Graduate School, including English proficiency, may be found in the Admission  section of this Bulletin.

In addition applicants to the graduate program in computer science must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution in the United States or a recognized institution in another country. In addition, the following requirements must be met:

• A 3.0 undergraduate GPA and
• An acceptable score on the GRE.

Upon the recommendation of the Graduate Dean, students who fail to meet all the above requirements may be admitted conditionally, pending removal of deficiencies.

Applicants must have a computer science faculty mentor who will assist the student in developing and pursuing a customized study plan that will help the student to attain interdisciplinary career objectives and determine which faculty members/departments will be reviewing the application for admission.

Applications for admission will be reviewed by the Graduate Coordinator as well as by mentors in the individual specialty areas within the department. Faculty members from the relevant colleges, schools, and academic units will also be involved in admission decisions and in assessing the suitability of the course plans and the applicants’ qualifications to pursue the plans.  Students who do not have mentors and approved curricula at the time of admission will not be accepted in the interdisciplinary track, but they may apply for admission to the traditional M.S. program in computer science.

Every student admitted to the interdisciplinary track will have a designated mentor and study plan with non-computer science courses that are approved by the relevant colleges, schools, and academic units.

Curriculum Requirements

The interdisciplinary track requires 30 credit hours of graduate courses distributed as follows:

• Minimum core of 18 hours in computer science
• Maximum of 12 hours outside of computer science
• Maximum of 12 hours of 6000-level courses
• Maximum of 6 hours of independent study coursework
• Other courses may be selected subject to approval of the graduate program advisor.

In addition, students without an undergraduate degree in computer science will work with their faculty mentor to take appropriate leveling courses to augment their interdisciplinary curriculum.

Courses from outside of the Tandy School of Computer Science  will be decided in collaboration with the student’s faculty mentor and appropriate faculty from relevant graduate programs. Any courses in non-computer science academic units will also require the permission of the instructor.

The following courses satisfy requirements as computer science courses for the M.S. in Computer Science:

• CYB 6013 Secure Electronic Commerce
• CYB 7083 Security Audit and Penetration Testing
• CYB 7143 Security Economics
• CYB 7153 Foundations of Cyber Security
• CYB 7163 Cyber Security Practicum
• CYB 7173 Defensive Cyber Security Technologies
• CYB 7183 Information System Security Engineering
• CYB 7223 Network Security Concepts and Applications
• CYB 7373 System Security and Cryptography
• CYB 7443 Information System Assurance
• CYB 7473 Network Security
• CYB 7493 Secure System Administration

Students enrolled in the interdisciplinary track may choose to specialize in one of the two areas: cyber security or software engineering and project management.