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Graduate Program - Master of Science

The Master of Science (MS) in Computer Science is a research-oriented degree. The MS with thesis degree has two components: completion of a designated curriculum, and completion and defense of a thesis that describes original research.

A MS non-thesis degree is also available to select students who plan to proceed directly into PhD studies in the Department. This option is described at the end of this page.

Curriculum

A summary of the curriculum requirements for the Master of Science with thesis is below:

Requirement Credit Hours
Core courses 6
Orientation Course (CSC600) 1
Computer Science graduate electives 9
Thesis research ( CSC695 ) 6
Minor courses, Computer Science graduate electives, or “restricted” electives 9
Total 31

Completion of the curriculum requires 31 graduate credits. All incoming MS students must register for an orientation course: CSC600 (Computer Science Graduate Orientation).

At least two courses must be taken from the following list of core courses, one from each category:

Advanced or specialized versions of core courses may be used as substitutes (e.g., CSC720 (AI II) may substitute for CSC520 (AI), and CSC573 (Internet Protocols) may substitute for CSC570 (Computer Networks)). Special topics courses (CSC 59x or 79x) may not be used to satisfy core course requirements.

Additionally:

  1. At least 12 hours must be in graduate 500- and 700-level Computer Science courses. (note: the Graduate School does not allow 500- and 700-level courses to be taken pass-fail.
  2. “Restricted” electives consist of any graduate course within the College of Engineering (including Computer Science), or within the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences.
  3. All Computer Science credits must be at or above the 500 level. At most 3 credits outside of Computer Science may be at the 400 level.
  4. To graduate, a student must have a minimum 3.00 grade point average (GPA) for all graduate course work as well as all courses on his or her Plan of Graduate Work.
  5. A minor, consisting of three courses, is optional.
  6. At most 6 graduate credits are allowed for thesis research (CSC695), and no more than 3 additional credits in 600-level coursework are allowed.

To register for thesis credit, (a) send mail to the Graduate Secretary with your name, student ID #, advisor name, the course you wish to be registered in (csc695), and the number of credits you desire; (b) cc: your advisor on this mail; (c) the advisor "Replies All" to this mail and indicates approval; (d) we register you. You may register for the 6 credits any way you wish: 6 credits in one semester, 3 credits in one semester and 3 credits in another semester, etc.

Advisory Committee and Plan of Graduate Work

All students in the MS with thesis program must have a graduate advisor who is an Associate or Full member of the Graduate Faculty in Computer Science. The graduate advisor serves as chair or co-chair of the Advisory Committee, which must have 3 members. At least 2 of the committee members must have Computer Science as their “home” department. The advisor supervises the student's research, and the advisory committee assists the student in constructing the plan of work.

Upon selecting a committee, you should file the Graduate Plan of Work electronically using the MyPack Portal (under "Student Information Systems"). The plan will be routed electronically for review and approval. The plan should be filed no later than the beginning of the final semester of enrollment. Note that it is not necessary to know the precise defense date in order to submit your plan of work.

Thesis and Defense

The thesis represents an original piece of research under the guidance of the thesis advisor. Most master's theses result in one or more publications. Guidelines for theses are available from the Graduate School. The MS thesis must be defended in a final oral examination, conducted by the Advisory Committee, and open to all members of the Department. The thesis must be approved by each member of the advisory committee and then submitted to the Graduate School's Thesis Editor. We strongly recommend that students attend an Electronic Thesis and Dissertation workshop, conducted by the Graduate School Thesis Editor, before writing the thesis.

MS students must file with the Graduate Secretary the Request to Schedule the Final Exam, no later than three weeks in advance of the defense. It is not necessary to know the precise defense date in order to submit this request. Graduate school deadlines for theses and defenses may be found here.

Continuous Enrollment and Time Limits

The Graduate School has a continuous enrollment policy. While pursuing a graduate degree, the student must be registered every Fall and Spring semester until completion. Otherwise, a student must request an official leave of absence from the Graduate School.

Additionally, the PhD student must be registered for at least one credit in any semester, including the summer, that he or she plans to defend the dissertation.

All masters students must complete their degree requirements within six (6) calendar years of starting their program.

Colloquium Attendance

Many times each semester, researchers from inside and outside the University make hour-long public presentations on their work. Each MS student must attend eight such presentations during the course of their degree and complete and submit to the Graduate Secretary a Colloquium Attendance Form for each. A schedule of seminars and colloquia in Computer Science may be found here.

Patent Agreement

Graduate students must sign a statement agreeing to abide by the University's patent policies. This statement is now part of the Graduate Plan of Work. Patent and copyright procedures of NC State are available here. Students wishing to be exempted due to policies of their companies should contact the university's Office of Technology Transfer at 919-515-7199.

The Accelerated Bachelors-Masters (ABM) Degree

The ABM degree program combines bachelors and masters degrees, and is intended for high-achieving undergraduates (completion of at least 75 credit hours, with GPA of at least 3.5) in the Department of Computer Science . Four graduate courses taken while still in the undergraduate program may be “double-counted” for both degrees, allowing the masters degree to be earned in two semesters beyond the bachelors. Prospective students must be reviewed and recommended by the Computer Science Undergraduate Advisor, and then apply to the Graduate School for admission into graduate study, to follow immediately upon completion of their Bachelors degree. Please see the Computer Science Undergraduate Advisor to start this process. If approved, the student must prepare a Plan of Work form that shows what courses will be double-counted, and what courses are proposed for completion of the degree in three semesters (MS with thesis). More information about the program and the requirements is available in the Graduate School handbook.

Minors

No minor is required. If you choose to pursue one, the minor department must be represented on your Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee may also approve courses outside of Computer Science in the absence of an official minor.

Pursuing PhD Studies

Thesis students who intend to pursue the PhD in Computer Science may petition their Advisory Committee for a recommendation to continue. Given a strong recommendation, they may transfer to the PhD program, with no need to reapply to the Graduate School. If however there has been a break in enrollment, a new application will be necessary. Contact the Graduate Office Admissions Specialist for details.