M.S. in Applied CS: Program Requirements

← About the M.S. in Applied CS program

All students must complete 36 credit hours of graduate course work. In addition, each student must complete a "Comprehensive Personal Portfolio," under the guidance of the student's advising committee, in lieu of a comprehensive examination.

Preparatory Courses

Students without a degree in computer science or students lacking certain background courses are expected to complete one of the following two sets of courses (A or B):

Set A:

Each course must be completed at UWG with a minimum letter grade of B, and only 3 hours, for both courses combined, may apply toward the degree. No hours shall be counted if only one of the courses is completed at UWG or if the minimum grade has not been earned in one of the two courses.

• CS 5201: Computer Science Fundamentals I (5 credit hours)
• CS 5202: Computer Science Fundamentals II (5 credit hours)

Set B:

No hours may apply toward the degree. Students must complete all courses with a minimum letter grade of B.

• CS 1301: Computer Science I
• CS 1302: Computer Science II
• CS 3151: Data Structures and Discrete Mathematics I
• CS 3152: Data Structures and Discrete Mathematics II

Required Courses for All Students

All students, regardless of the chosen plan of study, must complete the following courses. All courses are 3 credit hours each.

• CS 6261 - System and Network Administration I
• Select one of the following two sequences:
  CS 6241 - Software Development I
  CS 6242 - Software Development II
  OR
  CS 6251 - Web Technologies I
  CS 6252 - Web Technologies II

Plan of Study

Students must choose one of the following plans. In all cases, the student shall design a plan of study, in consultation with her/his advising committee, that meets her/his individual needs and goals.

• Plan I: Thesis
  The thesis plan is designed for students who plan to pursue further graduate education, or who plan to enter research-oriented careers. Students must take CS 6999 (Thesis) for at least 6 credit hours (up to a maximum of 9 credit hours).
• Plan II: Non-Thesis - Project Option
  The project option of the non-thesis plan is designed for students who wish to pursue further studies of an applied area of CS and plan to join the workforce as computer specialists upon graduation. Students must take CS 6900 (Project) for at least 3 credit hours. Students may choose to complete two projects (3 credit hours each, for a total of 6 credit hours), so long as there is a change in topic between the two projects.
• Plan II: Non-Thesis - All Course Work Option
  Students who wish to enter industry upon graduation with a broad background in computer science often prefer this option.

Students may take CS graduate elective courses approved for Computer Science graduate students to complete the required 36 hours for the degree.