Graduate Catalog Front Cover

Graduate Catalog

Computer Science, M.S.

College of Science & Engineering

College of Science & Engineering

Computer Science, M.S.

The Master of Science with a major in Computer Science is designed to prepare graduate professionals who can apply the necessary knowledge of computing to information requirements of organizations in business, government, industry and education. The program provides for the education of individuals who will develop, maintain, or manage complex computer-based information systems.

The program provides the experienced professional with up-to-date specialized knowledge while developing those analytical skills necessary to stay abreast of the changing field of computing. The program also provides the recent baccalaureate graduate with additional applied and advanced knowledge, thus facilitating a more useful contribution to his/her career path.

Application Deadlines

Domestic Students:

Final deadline for receipt of complete applications:

Fall               Spring                 Summer I           Summer II       
July 15 December 10 Not Offered Not Offered

International Students:


Final deadline for receipt of complete applications:

Fall         Spring         Summer I  Summer II 
June 15 December 8 Not Offered Not Offered

*Complete application should be received for full admissions and funding consideration 

Application Requirements

Application requirements

Complete Application for Admission:
  • Apply for Admission via Apply Texas Application
  • An applicant may defer admission to an earlier/later semester. Applications are valid for one year. One deferral is allowed per application.
Application fee:
  • $50 for US citizen, $70 for International Students

Please Note: Applicants who wish to apply for a different program will be required to submit a new application. The application processing fee is required for each application submitted.
Requirements:

Application requirements specific to this program :

  • Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate course work taken at any accredited college or University attended.  TAMU-CC transcript is not required.
  • Official GRE scores (Within five years of the date of application)**
  • Essay - should tell a story about yourself:
    • How you have prepared yourself so far (courses, projects, jobs, etc.)?
    • What area(s) of computer science would you like to focus on?
    • While working on your masters, do you plan to be involved in research, and if so do you already have an idea of what you would like to research? Make sure to discuss those plans.
    • What do you hope to accomplish with an MS in computer science (your future plans)?
  • Official TOEFL/IELTS Scores are required for International applicants from countries where English is not the native language(Within two years of the date of application)

*Please allow 3-5 business days to receive Student ID before submitting additional supporting documents.

**GRE will be waived for all Spring 2021 applicants due to COVID-19

Submit all supporting documents online.
Additional International Applicant Requirements

Application requirements for international applicants:

  • Copy of current Visa (if applicable)
  • English Language Proficiency. TAMUCC currently accepts the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) within the last 2 years  :
    • Official TOEFL score minimum paper-based score of 550 or internet-based score of 79-80
    • Official IELTS score minimum 6.5

Degree Plan

Requirements for the Master of Science in Computer Science degree may be met through one of two options: Thesis Option (Option I) or Course Only Option (Option II). The Thesis Option requires a minimum of 30 credit hours and the Course Only Option requires a minimum of 36 credit hours. The Thesis Option allows for maximum flexibility in choosing elective courses. This option allows the student to concentrate on a particular field or area of computer science. The Course Only Option allows for flexibility in choosing elective courses but requires the student to take at least two electives from each of the three elective concentration tracks. The concentration tracks are Software and Programming, Data Sciences, and Cyber Science.

Core Courses (9 credit hours)

The following courses are required by all students.

  • COSC 6334 - Design and Analysis of Algorithms 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6351 - Advanced Computer Architecture 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6352 - Advanced Operating Systems 3 sem. hrs.

 

Requirements for Option I – Thesis Option:

Minimum number of credit hours: 30

  • Core: 9 sem. hrs.
  • Electives: Minimum of 12 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6393 - Research Methods in Computer Science 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 5398 - Thesis I 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 5399 - Thesis II 3 sem. hrs.

 

Requirements for Option II – Course Option:

Minimum number of credit hours: 36

  • Core: 9 sem. hrs.
  • Electives: Minimum of 24 sem. hrs., with at least 6 credit hours from each concentration track
  • COSC 6370 - Advanced Software Engineering 3 sem. hrs. Must be taken in last semester.

 

Electives

Electives are chosen by the student but are subject to approval by the student’s graduate faculty advisor. For the Thesis Option, electives should be taken that will support the student’s thesis. For the Course Only Option, students must obtain breadth by taking electives across different areas of computer science, and must take at least two courses from each of the concentration tracks. Electives not listed in the concentration tracks may also be taken to fulfill remaining credit hours.

No more than six hours of approved electives may come from courses taken at another university or from outside of computer science. Credit from a master’s degree earned at another institution will not be applied to a second master’s degree at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. A maximum of six hours of approved Directed Independent Study may count toward the MS degree.

 

Concentration Tracks

A. Software and Programming

  • COSC 6340 - Human-Computer Interaction 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6353 - Compiler Design and Construction 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6356 - Theory of Computation 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6360 - Parallel Computing 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6361 - Parallel Algorithms 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6362 - Mobile Software Development 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6365 - Current Trends in Programming 3 sem. hrs.

B. Data Science

  • COSC 6324 - Digital Image Processing 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6326 - Computer Vision 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6327 - Introduction to Computer Graphics 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6328 - Advanced Computer Graphics 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6336 - Database Management Systems 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6337 - Data Mining 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6338 - Machine Learning 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6339 - Deep Learning 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6350 - Advanced Topics in DBMS 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6354 - Artificial Intelligence 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6380 - Data Analytics 3 sem. hrs.

C. Cyber Science

  • COSC 6355 - Data Communications and Networking 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6357 - Wireless Sensor Networks 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6374 - Computer Forensics 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6375 - Information Assurance 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6376 - Network Security 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6377 - Applied Cryptography 3 sem. hrs.
  • COSC 6379 - Advanced Information Assurance 3 sem. hrs.

Tuition and Fees

For more information on tuition and fees, please visit the Business Office's website.

Funding Opportunities

Teaching Assistantships, graduate research assistantships, fellowships, or scholarships may be available to graduate students admitted as degree-seeking students who maintain full time graduate student status (9 hours/fall and spring semesters, and 3 hours/summer). The completed Teaching Assistant Application (https://sci.tamucc.edu/student-information/graduate-funding.html) and all other materials requested for evaluation should be submitted to the office indicated on that form. For full consideration, the deadline for submitting applications is February 1 for the following academic year. Faculty members conducting funded research projects often hire qualified graduate students as Research Assistants. Students should contact faculty members in their field of interest for information on these opportunities. Summer funding (3 mos.) is the responsibility of major advisor and/or student, and should be discussed early in the academic year.

Additional Information

  • Persons seeking admission to the program should first contact the program faculty and identify a faculty member, or members, willing to serve as the graduate supervisor, and the applicant must include a summary of their discussions with faculty members in their essay. Applicants will not be admitted to the program without a graduate supervisor. Faculty profiles are found at the program website:http://cs.tamucc.edu/faculty.html
  • If you would like to learn more about the Computer Science MS Program, please visit the Program website found at: https://sci.tamucc.edu/academics/cosc-ms/index.html.
  • If you'd like to learn more about the College of Science and Engineering, please visit the College website.

Contact for More Information:

Dr. Long-zhuang Li

6300 Ocean Drive
Corpus Christi, TX 78412-5824
Office: 361-825-2406
longzhuang.li@tamucc.edu

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Corpus Christi, TX 78412

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