MS in Computer Science

Curriculum Requirements

Introductory Courses

No Introductory Course may be substituted for any other course at any level.

Introductory courses may be waived for any of the following conditions based on faculty review:

  • The student has the appropriate course work to satisfy an Introductory Course.
  • The student has appropriate and verified professional experience to satisfy an Introductory Course.
  • If an exam is available, the student passes a Graduate Assessment Examination (GAE) in the Introductory Course area.
  • CSC 400
  • CSC 401
  • CSC 402
  • CSC 403
  • CSC 406
  • CSC 407

Foundation Courses

  • CSC 421
  • CSC 435
  • CSC 447
  • CSC 453
  • SE 450
    OR SE 456

Major Elective Courses

Twenty-eight credit hours of Major Electives are required. Graduates of the MS in Computer Science program must be proficient in at least one broad area of Computer Science listed below. For this reason students will take the remaining twenty-eight credit hours as follows:

  • Twelve credit hours (typically taken as three 4-credit courses) from one area.
  • SIxteen credit hours (typically taken as four 4-credit courses) from any area, including the option to take the SE Studio Capstone, the 2-course GAM studio sequence, the 1-course CS capstone, the Research Colloquium course, or write an MS Thesis, or develop an MS Research Project.

The courses in each area are listed below. The Independent Study courses (CSC 695) may be taken for up to 8 credits and at most 4 credit hours of CSC 695 can count towards the chosen area.

Areas

Software and Systems Development
  • CSC 436
  • CSC 438
  • CSC 439
  • CSC 443
  • CSC 448
  • CSC 461
  • CSC 463
  • CSC 464
  • CSC 466
  • CSC 471
  • CSC 472
  • CSC 491
  • CSC 492
  • CSC 534
  • CSC 536
  • CSC 540
  • CSC 548
  • CSC 549
  • CSC 551
  • CSC 552
  • CSC 553
  • CSC 562
  • CSC 588
  • CSC 595
  • CSE 451
  • CSE 452
  • CSE 475
  • CSEC 450
  • CSEC 488
  • CSEC 489
  • GAM 690
  • GAM 691
  • SE 441
  • SE 452
  • SE 459
  • SE 488
  • SE 489
  • SE 491 (Capstone)
  • SE 525
  • SE 526
  • SE 554
  • SE 560
  • SE 591 (Capstone)
  • NET 478
  • NET 484
  • NET 568
Theory
  • CSC 431
  • CSC 440
  • CSC 444
  • CSC 489
  • CSC 503
  • CSC 521
  • CSC 525
  • CSC 531
  • CSC 535
  • CSC 547
  • CSC 557
  • CSC 591
  • SE 533
Data Science
  • CSC 468
  • CSC 481
  • CSC 482
  • CSC 555
  • CSC 575
  • CSC 578
  • CSC 594
  • CSC 598
  • DSC 423
  • DSC 424
  • DSC 425
  • DSC 433
  • DSC 441
  • DSC 465
  • DSC 478
  • DSC 480
  • DSC 484
  • DSC 540
  • DSC 672
Database Systems
  • CSC 452
  • CSC 454
  • CSC 543
  • CSC 549
  • CSC 551
  • CSC 553
  • CSC 554
  • CSC 555
  • CSC 575
  • CSC 589
  • DSC 433
  • DSC 478
  • DSC 540
Artificial Intelligence
  • CSC 457
  • CSC 458
  • CSC 480
  • CSC 481
  • CSC 482
  • CSC 484
  • CSC 528
  • CSC 538
  • CSC 575
  • CSC 576
  • CSC 577
  • CSC 578
  • CSC 580
  • CSC 583
  • CSC 587
  • CSC 592
  • CSC 594
  • DSC 441
  • DSC 478
  • DSC 480
  • DSC 484
  • DSC 540
  • GEO 441
  • GEO 442
Software Engineering
  • SE 430
  • SE 433
  • SE 441
  • SE 452
  • SE 453
  • SE 456
  • SE 457
  • SE 459
  • SE 475
  • SE 477
  • SE 480
  • SE 482
  • SE 485
  • SE 491
  • SE 525
  • SE 526
  • SE 529
  • SE 533
  • SE 546
  • SE 549
  • SE 554
  • SE 556
  • SE 560
  • SE 576
  • SE 579
  • SE 581
  • SE 582
  • SE 585
Game and Real-Time Systems
  • CSC 461
  • CSC 486
  • CSC 562
  • CSC 588
  • GAM 425
  • GAM 450
  • GAM 453
  • GAM 470
  • GAM 475
  • GAM 476
  • GAM 486
  • GAM 575
  • GAM 576
  • GAM 690
  • GAM 691
  • GPH 436
  • GPH 469
  • GPH 570
  • GPH 572
  • GPH 580
  • SE 456
Human-Computer Interaction
  • CSC 436
  • CSC 438
  • CSC 471
  • CSC 472
  • CSC 491
  • CSC 492
  • DSC 465
  • HCI 440
  • HCI 430
  • HCI 457

Research and Thesis Options

As part of their electives, students have the option of signing up for the Research Colloquium, or completing a Research Project, or writing a Master Thesis, or participating in a Graduate Internship.

Research Colloquium

The research colloquium consists of weekly talks by a variety of speakers including faculty, students, and guests from the academic and business communities. The lectures feature new creative and scholarly work that encompasses the disciplines and areas of interest of the school of computing. Students interested in attending the colloquium and receiving credit should sign up for the CSC 500 course (NOTE: this course carries only 2 credits; it may be taken twice for credit.) Student evaluation is based on attendance as well as an online journal with reflections on each of the presentations. The educational objectives are to expose students to creative and scholarly research at DePaul and elsewhere, and to engage students in the thought process of identifying and solving challenging research problems.
 

Master's Research

Students interested in a more in-depth study of a particular area can choose to work with a faculty member (not necessarily their academic advisor) on an independent study or research project. The work involved may include system development, empirical studies, or theoretical work. The student will register for up to 4 credit hours of CSC 695. 4 credit hours of CSC 695 replaces one 500 level major elective course in the M.S. in Computer Science program. CSC 695 can be taken multiple times for up to 8 credit hours. Students must successfully complete the Foundation courses prior to their first enrollment in CSC 695. Students interested in the Master's Thesis option will typically take 8 credits of CSC 695.          

Master's Thesis

A student who is working on a research project and has made an original contribution to their area of study may choose to complete a Master's Thesis. Additional information and requirements for School of Computing students pursuing the thesis option can be found on the SoC Master's Thesis Guideline page.          

Graduate Internship

In cooperation with local employers, the graduate program offers students the opportunity to integrate their academic experience with on-the-job training in computer related work areas. Students may take CSC 697 for up to four credits. Admission to the internship program requires consent of the Instructor and a Student Services Advisor. International students may complete curricular practical training (CPT) through this class provided they first obtain CPT authorization from the International Student and Scholar Services (ISS) before beginning the internship.          


Degree Requirements

Students in this degree program must meet the following requirements:

  • Complete a minimum of 48 graduate credit hours in addition to any required introductory courses of the designated degree program.
  • Complete all graduate courses and requirements listed in the designated degree program.
  • Earn a grade of C- or better in all courses of the designated degree program.
  • Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.
  • Students pursuing a second (or more) graduate degree may not double count or retake any course that applied toward the completion of a prior graduate degree. If a required course in the second degree was already completed and applied toward a previous degree, the student must meet with a faculty advisor to discuss a new course to be completed and substituted in the new degree. This rule also applies to cross-listed courses, which are considered to be the same course but offered under different subjects.
  • Students pursuing a second master's degree must complete a minimum of 48 graduate credit hours beyond their first designated degree program in addition to any required introductory courses in their second designated degree program.

Students with a GPA of 3.9 or higher will graduate with distinction.

For DePaul's policy on repeat graduate courses and a complete list of academic policies see the DePaul Graduate Handbook in the Course Catalog.