Computer Science, Master of Science

Admission Requirements

Admission to the program is contingent upon an assessment of the candidate’s ability to successfully pursue graduate study.  This assessment will be made by examining previous academic performance, letters of recommendation, the applicant’s essay, work experience, performance on standardized exams (such as the GRE), and any other evidence that the admissions committee believes to be relevant.

All applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:

• A Bachelor degree, preferably in computer science, with a minimum GPA of 3.0;
• Courses in Calculus I/II, Discrete Mathematics, Algorithms and Data Structures, Programming I/II; or at the division’s discretion,
• GRE Scores (Optional but recommended): Applicants may submit an official copy of their GRE scores (in verbal reasoning,  quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing, taken within 5 years of application) in support of their application.

Bridge program

Students who do not meet the minimum course pre-requisites, at the division’s discretion, would be required to take the corresponding undergraduate equivalent courses offered at St. John’s University Collins College of Professional Studies; and/or one or more of following bridge courses: Intensive Programming I/II (CUS 501/CUS 503) and Mathematics for Computer Science (CUS 504).

For more information, please contact:
Office of Graduate Admission
718-990-1601
[email protected]

Degree Requirements

The M.S. degree program requires all students to complete 30 credits according to the following degree requirements. Students must:

• complete 5 core courses; equivalent to 15 credit units;
• complete 3 elective courses from one or more specialization areas; equivalent to 9 credit units;  
• complete one of the degree-required options/concentrations (accounts for 6 credit units).
  • Research option (requires the approval of a supervising professor): Students must enroll in CUS 795 and CUS 796 Master’s Thesis course, for two consecutive semesters and complete a master thesis report under the supervision of a faculty.
  • Applied (non-thesis) option: Students must complete, CUS790 Master’s Capstone Project, plus one elective course from any of the specialization areas.

Specializations

The M.S. in computer science program elective courses are organized in specialization areas to allow students to tailor their degree to fit their academic and professional goals. Students, can elect to concentrate on a particular specialization by completing 3 elective courses within that specialization area. Current specializations include: Data Science Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Software Development.

Career Outcomes

The 30-credit M.S. degree program in Computer Science combines foundational computer science with the advanced technical skills needed for today’s high-tech careers. The program aims to prepare students with the required qualifications to become Software Developers, Database Administrators, Data Analytics Specialists, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Lea Specialists, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Specialists, Information Security Analysts, or to pursue further research or a doctoral degree in computer science.