Educational Objectives

Master of Science Degree

Computer Science Major

The Master of Science Degree program with a major in computer science is intended to increase the student's understanding of and ability in computer science. It is designed to be responsive to the dynamic requirements of the computer science field and to the needs of the variety of students who are interested in computing. For the Master of Science Degree, three categories of students are served: (1) those who plan to work toward a doctoral degree in computer science; (2) those who plan to pursue a professional computing career in business, industry, government, or education; and (3) those who plan to engage in a computer science or information systems teaching career at the junior college level.

Although students may vary in their knowledge, understanding, and capabilities when they begin the Master of Science Degree program, they are expected to possess at least the following qualifications and attributes upon the successful completion of the program:

1. A solid foundation in each of the following subject areas of computing: algorithms and data structures, programming languages, architecture, software methodology and engineering, operating systems, database and information retrieval systems, human-computer communication, and artificial intelligence and robotics. This objective can be satisfied by the completion of the Master of Science Degree with a computer science major.

2. A strong comprehension of the principles of systems programming, compiler principles and techniques, and operating systems concepts. This objective can be satisfied by completing the required core of CSC 441G (Principles of Systems Programming), CSC 541 (Compiler Principles and Techniques), and CSC 542 (Operating Systems Concepts).

3. Analytical, conceptual, and problem-solving capabilities necessary for making significant individual and team-member contributions in business, industry, government, and education environments. This objective can be met by completing the required core, the elective computer science courses, and one or more of the following: thesis research and writing, working on one or more research projects under the supervision of a graduate faculty member, and the minor course of study. The elective computer science courses are determined by the cooperative effort of the student and the graduate adviser.

4. An ability, in those planning to pursue a doctoral degree, to carry out and report the results of basic or applied research. This objective can be met by completing CSC 589 (Thesis Research) and CSC 590 (Thesis Writing), which are required of students pursuing the thesis option, or by working on one or more research projects under the supervision of a graduate faculty member.

5. The knowledge, in those planning to pursue a professional computing career, of a second field that complements computer science. This objective can be met by completing a minor course of graduate study, which is required of students pursuing the non-thesis option.

6. An ability to adapt to the challenging opportunities of the dynamic field of computer science. This objective is met by the depth of exposure provided by the required core and the breadth of exposure provided in the elective computer science courses along with one or more of the following: thesis research and writing, working on one or more research projects under the supervision of a graduate faculty member, and the minor course of study.

7. An ability to utilize technological innovations in a variety of environments. This objective is met by the continual exposure to a wide variety of computing platforms, software environments, and software tools, and the monitored requirement of the program, which is intrinsic in the collective courses, to become competent in their use.

8. Effective oral and written communications capabilities. This objective may be satisfied by the successful completion of individual and team projects requiring written and/or oral presentations, one or more of which are assigned in every graduate computer science course, and by successfully completing the oral comprehensive examination, which is required of all master of science degree candidates. The meeting of this objective is further accomplished by the completion of one of the following: thesis writing or participating in writing the report for one or more research projects under the supervision of a graduate faculty member.

9. A concern for the social and global issues surrounding computer use, including an awareness of the effects of computers on society and the world, a knowledge of the need for and the role of ethics in computer science, and personal integrity. These important issues are integrated appropriately into all graduate computer science courses. Therefore, this objective can be satisfied by completing the required core and the elective computer science courses.

10. A desire for continuous intellectual growth. Computer science is a demanding, dynamically-changing field. The computer science faculty is engaged in a constant cooperative effort to remain at the cutting edge of computer hardware and software technological developments and in the transfer of new knowledge to computer science students. This transfer, and the enthusiasm accompanying it, purposely occurs in every course and in every research project. Therefore this objective is met by completing the required core, the elective computer science courses, and one of the following: thesis research and writing or working on one or more research projects under the supervision of a graduate faculty member.