Mar 29, 2024  
2020-2021 Graduate Catalog 
    
2020-2021 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Computer Science


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Catherine Stringfellow
Chair, Computer Science Department

Nelson Passos
Graduate Coordinator

Graduate Faculty: Colmenares, Griffin, Johnson, Passos, Stringfellow
Emeriti Faculty: Carpenter, Donovan

A Master of Science with a major in computer science is offered by the McCoy College of Science, Mathematics and Engineering.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Master of Science degree in Computer Science is to provide a source of knowledge to experienced professionals, an advancement of knowledge to recent graduates of computer science programs, and the opportunity for career change to those with undergraduate preparation in fields other than computing. The degree provides classroom, laboratory, and discovery experiences which emphasize the theory, application, and contemporary research in the computing sciences.

Graduate Admissions and Requirements

An application for admission to the Midwestern State University graduate program is available on the web site at http://www.msutexas.edu. All applicants for admission to the computer science graduate program must submit scores of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test. An applicant who is a graduate from Midwestern State University or who has earned a master’s or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education may request a waiver of the GRE requirement.

  1. Unconditional Admission. An applicant to the Master of Science degree program in Computer Science must satisfy the requirements of the University’s graduate admissions policy for unconditional admission found under Admission to the Graduate School .

    Additionally, the applicant must possess an undergraduate background judged by the faculty of the Computer Science graduate program to be adequate for success in the discipline, to include at least 18 credit hours in computer science and mathematics preparation through Calculus I. The computer science preparation must include C++ programming, data structures, algorithms, computer architecture, operating systems, and discrete structures and analysis.

    The applicant scores on the Graduate Record Examination, when required, must place him/her at or above the 30th percentile on the verbal examination, at or above the 10th percentile on the analytical writing examination, and at or above the 50th percentile on the quantitative examination.
     
  2. Conditional Admission. An applicant who is not accepted unconditionally will be evaluated for conditional admission in accordance with the University’s graduate admissions policy for conditional admission found under Admission to the Graduate School .

    An applicant accepted conditionally whose background is deemed deficient in computer science and/or mathematics will be required to complete additional undergraduate courses as specified by the graduate faculty to remove the deficiency.

    An applicant who is denied conditional admission may appeal the admission decision in accordance with the University’s graduate admissions policy found under Admission to the Graduate School .

Good Standing

A student who is enrolled in leveling courses is in good standing if he/she has

  1. a grade point average of no less than 2.5 for all computer science courses taken in a semester, with no grade lower than C on any leveling course completed;
  2. a cumulative grade point average of no less than 3.0 on all computer science courses taken; and
  3. a cumulative grade point average of no less than 2.75 on all leveling courses completed.

A student enrolled in at least one graduate course is in good standing if he/she maintains at least a B (3.0) cumulative graduate grade point average since that standard is required for graduation.

Additional standards:

C/D Rule: Any student upon receiving a third grade of C or a grade of D will be subject to a review by the graduate faculty of the program.  The faculty may recommend a dismissal or may allow the student to remain in a probationary status.  The probationary status may be deferred if the student is still in good standing.  While on probation, a student can take no more than 9 credit hours per semester and is not eligible for graduate merit scholarships.

F Rule: A student receiving a grade of F in a graduate course will be subject to a review by the graduate faculty of the program.  The faculty may recommend a dismissal or may allow the student to remain in a probationary status under a specific plan for improving performance, which may, among other conditions, limit the number of credits to be taken in a semester, require the student to re-take one or more classes, and/or enroll in leveling classes that were not initially required.  A student on probation due to an F grade will not have the probation status deferred and will not be eligible for scholarships and assistantships.

Application for Re-Admittance:

Students dismissed from the program may apply for re-admission after completing steps to demonstrate their ability to perform satisfactory academic work. Those steps will consist of completion of work at undergraduate level that improves their academic skills in such disciplines as Mathematics, Computer Science, and English. The Graduate Coordinator, in consultation with the faculty, will decide in each individual case if the student will be allowed to re-apply and which requirements will need to be fulfilled before the application can be evaluated. The student will be informed of those conditions upon removal from the program. Approval of a re-admission request will result in conditional status admission with additional graduate program requirements.

Admission to Candidacy

A student is admitted to candidacy in the M.S. program in Computer Science upon completion of 18 hours of graduate credit in Computer Science.

Programs and Courses

Programs

    Major

    Courses

      Computer Science

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