Computer Science

Degrees Offered

M.S. Computer Science

Program Description

The Department of Computer Science offers an M.S. degree in computer science. The department also collaborates with the Mathematics department to offer a computer science emphasis within the mathematics Ph.D. program.

Students who successfully complete the Master's program will have acquired the ability to think critically, to communicate effectively, to solve problems effectively, to remain current in the field, and to be able to use discipline specific knowledge effectively. A mixture of practical and theoretical courses is included. The program prepares students both for professional positions in software development and for further graduate work in Computer Science.

Students are exposed to a variety of computing, programming and networking environments. Students have the opportunity to work closely with a faculty member on a professional project or thesis. The relatively small size of the program and the department allows for a lot of personal contact with faculty.

Students with a degree in another field are welcome and prerequisite courses can often be taken simultaneously with required courses.

Requirements

For the thesis option (30 credits), the student must complete at least 18 credits of approved 500 level courses in computer science, including at most 6 credits of CS 599 (Thesis/Project). For the non-thesis option (36 credits), the student must complete at least 24 credits of approved 500 level courses in computer science, including at most 6 credits of CS 599 (Thesis/Project), and complete a substantial software development project, a professional paper on that project, and present a formal defense of the project to the student's graduate committee.

•  The department will consider applicants who have completed two courses of calculus-level mathematics and two computer science courses equivalent in level to CS 131-132. Students who do not meet these requirements are advised to register with graduate non-degree status.
• Unless completed previously, the following prerequisite courses (or their equivalents) are required but do not count towards the graduate degree program. These prerequisites can be taken at the same time as required courses. Students lacking these prerequisites should plan for one more year of study in the program.
• Prerequisite courses:
  •  Fundamentals of Computers (CS-131 and 132 or equivalent)
  • Data Structures (CS 241)
  • Programming Languages (CS 242)
  • Architecture (CS 281)
  • Algorithms (CS 332)
  • Operating Systems (CS 344)
  • Software Engineering (CS 346)
  • Calculus-level math (Math 152 and 153 or equivalent)
  • Discrete Mathematics (Math 225)

Computer Science emphasis within the Mathematics Ph.D. program

The Computer Science Department and the Mathematics department collaborate in offering a computer science emphasis within the Mathematics Ph.D. program. Students in this emphasis can take on of two preliminary exams in computer science, can have one of their breadth areas be computer science, and the dissertation adviser can be in computer science. For more information, contact the chair of Computer Science at wright@cs.umt.edu.

Admissions

1. Application Materials and Deadline

application deadline: None (rolling admissions). If you wish to receive a Teaching Assistantship for the academic year, your complete application packet must be received by February 15.

Instructions for applying to the Graduate School are in the Applying for Admission section on this web site.

In addition to the application materials required by the Graduate School, for admission for the M.S. in Computer Science program the Department of Computer Science also requires:

• A brief letter explaining objectives for graduate study in computer science.

2. Program Requirements for Admission

• The department will consider applicants who have completed two courses of calculus-level mathematics and two computer science courses equivalent in level to CS 131-132. Students who do not meet these requirements are advised to register with graduate nondegree status.
• Unless completed previously, the following prerequisite courses, or their equivalents, are also required but do not count toward graduate degree program: data structures (CS 241), programming languages (CS 242), architecture (CS (281), algorithms (CS 332), operating systems (CS 344), software engineering (CS 346), databases (CS 365), and discrete mathematics (MATH 225). These prerequisites can be taken at the same time as required courses. Students lacking these prerequisites should plan for one more year of study in the program.
• Once admitted, CS-MS graduate degree students will have an opportunity to prove themselves while attending UM!

In order for an applicant to be granted full admission status, the applicant must meet the following conditions:

1. The applicant must have taken the general GRE exam (scores not more than 5 years old) and official scores must be sent to the Graduate School.
2. International applicants whose native language is not English, must take one of the following exams and have official scores sent to the Graduate School: TOEFL scores of at least 580 (paper-based exam), at least 237 (computer-based exam) or at least 92 (internet-based exam); IELTS score of at least 7.0 or the MELAB score of at least 82. These minimum score requirements may be waived at the discretion of the Graduate Advisor and the ESL Supervisor.
3. The applicant must have completed all of the prerequisite courses (or equivalents) as specified in the catalog description of the program with a grade of B or better.

Prospective graduate students who do not qualify for FULL admission, are eligible for PROVISIONAL admission in accordance with the following policies:

1. International applicants whose test scores fail to meet the minimum for full admission will be required to register for ESL (English as a second language) course work at The University of Montana until they meet the minimum test requirements for full admission given above.
2. The student is expected to receive a B grade or better when taking prerequisites and ESL courses. When a student receives a grade of less than B in a prerequisite course or ESL course, the department will send a recommendation to the Graduate School to drop him/her from the program.
3. "Application of Candidacy" paperwork will not be approved until FULL admission status has been achieved.
4. The student will meet with the graduate adviser, and together they will make a plan of study to fulfill the requirements for full admission. The student is expected to follow the plan of study.
5. With the approval of the Graduate adviser, the Department may accept more advanced courses in place of some of the prerequisites. A grade of B or better will be required in the more advanced course.
6. At the end of each semester, the Graduate Admissions Committee will review the status of each graduate student who is on provisional admission. When a student has met the conditions for full admission, the department will send a request to the Graduate School recommending full admission. If a student has not made satisfactory progress towards making up the deficiencies, the Graduate Admissions Committee may send a recommendation to the Graduate School to drop the student from the program.
7. All course work taken by CS-MS graduate students to fulfill prerequisites or degree requirements must be for a letter grade (i.e. courses cannot be taken for credit/no credit).
8. The Department of Computer Science will not accept a late drop petition from a CS-MS graduate student, except in an extreme hardship case.
9. At the discretion of the Graduate Admissions Committee, assistantships may be granted to students provisionally admitted.

Transfer students will be dealt with on a case-by-case situation. Waivers will be approved by the Graduate School Dean regarding the transfer credit limit.

3. International Students

• See information in the International Admission section on this web site.

Financial Assistance

For additional information about financial assistance, see the Money section on this web site.

Teaching and Research Assistantships

The Department of Computer Science offers a number of graduate teaching assistantships and research assistantships to students admitted to the MS in Computer Science program. Teaching assistants typically teach lower level courses and/or assist in upper division classes. Research assistants assist faculty with funded research projects. In general Teaching assistants and Research assistants are paid $9000 plus a supplement of $1300 per academic year. Please follow these links to access more financial information: http://ordway.umt.edu/grad/name/grantassistantship and http://ordway.umt.edu/grad/name/tuitionandfees

To be considered as a candidate for either type of assistantship, a student should have a strong background in computer science (a B.S. degree in computer science or have completed most of the prerequisites or their equivalents). Teaching experience is also desirable for teaching assistants. International students must either have TOEFL scores of at least 580 (paper-based exam), at least 237 (computer-based exam) or at least 92 (internet-based exam); IELTS score of at least 7.0 or the MELAB score of at least 82.

In addition to their salaries, teaching assistants receive a tuition fee waiver (in-state or out-of-state) and a waiver of the registration fee. Other fees charged by the University are not included in the TA fee waiver package. Teaching and research assistants are required to register for 9 credits each semester.