About the Courses
UMBC’s Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Department offers both M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Computer Science. Below you will find information on both Computer Science graduate programs, and information about how to apply. We also offer a M.P.S. (Masters in Professional Studies) in Cybersecurity, two graduate certificate programs in Cybersecuity and are developing an M.P.S. program and graduate certificate programs in Data Science.
M.S. in Computer Science
Students pursuing a Masters of Science (M.S.) in Computer Science must choose between the thesis and non-thesis options. The thesis option requires the completion of 30 credits, including six credits of CMSC 799. The thesis must be defended with an oral examination and approved by the student’s master’s thesis committee. The non-thesis option requires the completion of 33 credits.
UMBC’s Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Department offers both M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Computer Science. Below you will find information on both Computer Science graduate programs, and information about how to apply. We also offer a M.P.S. (Masters in Professional Studies) in Cybersecurity, two graduate certificate programs in Cybersecuity and are developing an M.P.S. program and graduate certificate programs in Data Science.
M.S. in Computer Science
Students pursuing a Masters of Science (M.S.) in Computer Science must choose between the thesis and non-thesis options. The thesis option requires the completion of 30 credits, including six credits of CMSC 799. The thesis must be defended with an oral examination and approved by the student’s master’s thesis committee. The non-thesis option requires the completion of 33 credits. All students must complete CMSC 641 Algorithms, one course chosen from the “system” area, and one course chosen from the “applications” area. The degree must be completed within five years and students must maintain a minimum G.P.A. of 3.0. For more details about the Master’s program in Computer Science, see the Computer Science Graduate Handbook (linked in the main menu above).
Ph.D. in Computer Science
Students pursuing a Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Computer Science are required to complete 11 courses, including three core courses in addition to 18 credit hours of doctoral dissertation research. Ph.D. students must complete and defend their dissertation, pass the comprehensive portfolio, and pass the preliminary examination and admission to candidacy. In addition, Ph.D. students must complete a minimum of three years of full-time graduate study, with at least one year of full-time study at UMBC. The program must be completed within 4 years after admission to doctoral candidacy and students must maintain a G.P.A. of 3.0. For more details about the Ph.D. program in Computer Science, see the Computer Science Graduate Handbook (linked in the main menu above).
Core Courses
CMSC 641: Design and Analysis of Algorithms
one course chosen from the “system” area
one course chosen from the “applications” area
In addition to the core courses, a wide range of elective and special topics courses are offered in areas such as: cybersecurity and information assurance, natural language processing, databases, data mining, mobile and wearable computing, cognitive systems and architectures, semantic web, machine learning, and networking.