StudyQA — Master: Computer Science — University of California

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Description Contents Requirements Funding

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of California, Riverside offers graduate study leading to the Master of Scienceand Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Computer Science. The M.S. program is ideal for professionals seeking greater depth in several areas.

The Department has active research programs in many areas, including algorithm design, artificial intelligence, computational biology, computer architecture, computer networks, distributed systems, operating systems, databases, compilers, software engineering, multimedia systems, VLSI/CAD, embedded systems design, and theory of computation.

Core Areas - Students have considerable flexibility in selecting specialty area(s) within the program. However, the following core areas introduce fundamental concepts and tools of general interest to all students.

Hardware design principles: CS 203A or CS 220.
Theoretical foundations: CS 215 or CS 218.
Software and systems: CS 201 or CS 202.

Major Specialty Areas - The department has active research programs in the following major specialty areas: Algorithms, Bioinformatics, and Theory of Computation; Computer Architecture, Embedded Systems, and CAD; Databases, Data Mining, and Machine Learning; Operating Systems and Distributed Systems; Computer Networks; Programming Languages, Compilers, and Software Engineering; Computer Graphics and Human-Computer Interaction. A list of related graduate courses is provided for each area. Courses that qualify for the M.S. Breadth Requirement are marked with an asterisk (*). Please refer to the UCR catalog for specific requirements.

Course Requirements - 48 quarter units of graduate or upper-division undergraduate courses are required. Students who have completed similar courses elsewhere may petition for a waiver of a required course or for substitution of an alternative course. For students interested in interdisciplinary research, individual study programs can be approved.

Core Requirement (8 units). Choose one course from two of the three Core Areas listed above, with no grade lower than B-.
Breadth Requirement (8 units). Two approved breadth courses chosen in such a way that together the core and breadth courses cover four different Major Specialty Areas (A to G).
Electives (32 units)
1. Project Option. A student pursuing the M.S. degree, non-thesis option, may include up to 4 units of Directed Research (CS 297) towards the elective unit requirement. Of the remaining 28 units, at least 12 units must be approved graduate lecture courses. The remaining 16 units may include additional approved graduate lecture courses, up to 8 units of graduate seminars in CS 260–269, and up to 12 units of approved undergraduate technical electives.
2. Thesis Option. A student pursuing the M.S. degree, thesis option, may include up to 12 units of graduate research (CS 299) towards the elective unit requirement. Of the remaining 20 units, at least 4 units must be approved graduate lecture courses. The remaining 16 units may include additional approved graduate lecture courses, up to 8 units of graduate seminars in CS 260–269, and up to 8 units of approved undergraduate technical electives.

Capstone Experience - All students must complete a capstone experience that synthesizes and integrates the knowledge and skills obtained throughout the master’s program, according to one of the following options. It is the responsibility of the student to find a faculty member willing to supervise the master’s project or thesis, to form the faculty examining committee, and to schedule the oral examination.

Project Option. Students must complete a research project under the guidance of a faculty member. This project will require a written report and will be presented to a committee of at least two faculty members in an oral examination. (A copy of the report must be submitted to the Graduate Division.)
Thesis Option. Students must submit a master’s thesis in accordance with the general requirements of the university. The thesis is original research work, and it should demonstrate the student's ability to study a research area, identify an open problem and make a research contribution. The thesis must be presented to and approved by a committee of at least three faculty members.

The normative time for the completion of a M.S. in CS is 2 years.

Requirements

The nonrefundable $100.00 application fee ($125.00 for M.B.A./M.P.Ac./M.Fin./Flex M.B.A. applicants only) must be paid by credit card (VISA, MasterCard, or Discover) prior to submission of your application.
Applicants are required to submit an official copy of transcripts and degree certificates (in original language accompanied by certified English translations) from each academic institution attended after secondary school. These records should be sent directly from the Registrars Office of the academic institutions you have attended to the academic department to which you are applying. If this service is not available, applicants may also request official copies and send them in the institutions' original sealed and certified institution envelopes. Official records are original documents issued by the institution which bear the actual signature of the registrar in ink and the original wet ink stamp/seal of the issuing institution. The institution envelope must also bear that institution's appropriate authenticity indicator (original wet ink stamp and/or signature, etc.) from the appropriate department at that institution to consider the provided certified transcripts and degree certificates provided by the institution as official. Notarized documents are not acceptable. Credential evaluations by WES (World Education Services) or similar credential evaluation services are also not acceptable.
Statement of Purpose/Personal History Statement
Graduate programs require three (3) letters of recommendation. Applicants will be able to enter their recommenders' information directly into their electronic application. Recommenders will be notified electronically and provided instructions on how to submit a letter online. All letters of recommendation must be received electronically so they are attached to the applicants file for review.
The GRE general test is required of all applicants with the exceptions noted below. Some programs also require applicants submit scores from the Subject Test of the GRE. Consult the program to which you are applying for its requirements. Although current scores are preferred, some graduate programs will accept scores from tests taken within the last five years.
All applicants whose first language is not English and who have not earned an advanced degree at an institution where English is the exclusive language of instruction must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). This exam is administered by the Educational Testing Service and offered in nearly every country abroad. This exam must be taken within two years of the time you intend to enroll at UCR. The minimum acceptable scores are: 550 for the written exam; 213 for the computer-based exam, and 80 for the internet-based exam (iBT). We strongly advise you to be aware of the deadline for the program to which you are applying. Dates and information for TOEFL may be obtained by contacting the Educational Testing Service (ETS) at the address below, by calling 1-877-863-3546, or by consulting the TOEFL Web site. Fellowship applicants should take the exam in time to meet the program deadline. Keep in mind that it may take up to two weeks for test scores to reach us from ETS.
Beginning with the Fall 2011 application cycle, UCR will accept scores from the Academic Modules of the International English Language Testing System IELTS) which is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP:IELTS Australia and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. The exam must be taken within two years of the time you intend to enroll at UCR. The minimum acceptable scores are: overall band score of 7 with no individual section score less than 6. Please request an official Test Report Form (TRF) of your IELTS.

Applicants will need to have completed coursework in chemistry, physics, math, biochemistry and biology, and engineering. Students without an undergraduate engineering degree should have excellent training in mathematics and the physical sciences.

Specific recommendations for students without an undergraduate engineering degree are: