Computer Science

Mission Statement
Graduate Admissions and Requirements
Good Standing

Admission to Candidacy
Accelerated Bachelor of Science/Master of Science with a major in Computer Science
Programs and Courses

Catherine Stringfellow
Chair, Computer Science Department

Nelson Passos
Graduate Coordinator

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

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.

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.
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

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;
a cumulative grade point average of no less than 3.0 on all computer science courses taken; and
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.

Accelerated Bachelor of Science/Master of Science with a major in Computer Science

The accelerated Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degree with a major in Computer Science is designed to accelerate a student’s education so that both BS and MS degrees can be earned in approximately five years of full-time study. The accelerated program enables well-qualified undergraduate students in their senior year to take approved graduate level courses and to earn credit by examination for advanced undergraduate courses in their undergraduate degree plan. Students apply for the accelerated program and the graduate program before their senior year upon the recommendation of the Graduate Coordinator. Qualified students may earn up to 9 graduate semester credit hours their senior year that satisfy requirements for the master’s degree. Students in the program will sign up to earn Credit by Examination for up to 9 undergraduate semester credit hours in approved courses. (Note: Credit by examination may not be used to satisfy the minimum residence requirements for degrees or for honors awarded at graduation.) Students must maintain grades of B or better in the graduate courses they take in their senior year to remain in the accelerated program. So, for example, an undergraduate in the accelerated program who passed 9 semester credit hours of approved graduate coursework with grades of B or better would have only 21-24 semester credit hours of graduate coursework still needed to complete the MS degree.
The qualifications necessary to enter the program, the requirements to complete the program, and the procedures to be followed by students in the accelerated program are described below.

Admission Requirements

An undergraduate BS student with a major in Computer Science qualifies for admission to the Accelerated BS/MS program with a major in computer science, if he or she meets all of the following qualifications:

Has completed at least 15 semester credit hours at Midwestern State University.
Has repeated no more than 3 courses at Midwestern State University and has repeated no course more than once.
Has an overall GPA for all college courses (including transfer courses) of at least 3.0. *
Has completed at least six of the following benchmark courses corresponding to the student’s major (including CMPS 3013), with an average six course GPA of at least 3.33. The combined GPA in all CMPS courses must be at least 3.0. GPAs will be computed by the Computer Science Department.

CMPS 2433 Discrete Structures and Analysis
CMPS 3013 Advanced Structures and Algorithms (must be included)
CMPS 3023 Logic Design
CMPS 3233 Theory of Computation
CMPS 4143 Topics in Contemporary Programming Languages
CMPS 4433 Computer Communications and Networks
CMPS 4443 Topics in Platform-Based Development
CMPS 4453 Computer Architecture
CMPS 4663 Topics in Computer and Networking Security

Application to the Accelerated Program

In order to ensure that all requirements are met, admission to the accelerated program is facilitated by the Department of Computer Science. Students are to obtain the accelerated program application from the graduate coordinator and a recommendation letter from their undergraduate advisor by the posted deadline. After the deadline, applications will be circulated for review by a department committee and the Graduate Coordinator of Computer Science. After the reviews are complete, students will receive notification indicating the decision. Students accepted to the accelerated program then file a graduate school application. Students who are denied admission to the accelerated program may apply to the graduate program through the normal admission process. All necessary fees, test requirements, and any other admission criteria will apply.

Accelerated Program Application Deadlines:

Summer and Fall Terms - May 15 (before Senior Year)
Spring Term - December 15 (fall before Senior Year)

Prior to registration in graduate level courses in their senior year, all newly admitted accelerated students must attend a New Accelerated Student Orientation session organized by the Computer Science graduate program. Notice of the orientation dates will be emailed to newly admitted students by the graduate coordinator upon admission to the accelerated program.

Students who are admitted to the accelerated BS and MS degree program with a major in Computer Science may opt out in their fourth year and receive the BS degree provided that all requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Computer Science have been satisfactorily completed, with the allowed credit by examinations.

Remaining in the Accelerated Program

In order to remain in good standing, an accelerated student must fulfill the following requirements.

Must maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 overall and at least 3.0 for graduate courses taken as an undergraduate accelerated student.
Must earn a grade of B or better in all graduate courses taken during their final undergraduate year.
Must not repeat more than three courses, and must not repeat any course more than once.

If, at any time these requirements are not fulfilled, the student will be dropped from the accelerated program.

Matriculating to the Master’s Degree

Upon successful completion of the BS degree with a major in computer science, an accelerated student will continue with the MS degree with a major in computer science, if they are in good standing.

Taking a Break between the Two Degrees

The rules for re-admission apply to students that wish to take a break between the completion of the BS degree and continuation of their graduate studies. Students that take off one long semester need to reapply for admission to the graduate program.