Computer Science - 2022-23 Graduate Catalog

Chair: J.K. "Jake" Lee
Graduate Coordinator: Robert Green
Address: 221 Hayes Hall
Phone: (419) 372-2337
E-mail: csgradstudies@bgsu.edu
Program Web Page: http://www.bgsu.edu/arts-and-sciences/computer-science/graduate.html

Degrees Offered
Master of Science
Doctor of Philosophy

Program Offered
Certificate in Software Engineering
MS in Computer Science
MS in Data Science*
PhD in Data Science*

*The Master of Science in Data Science and the Ph.D. in Data Science are offered jointly by three departments, the Department of Applied Statistics and Operations Research, the Department of Computer Science, and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. For more information on the program, please visit the Data Science page in the Graduate Catalog.

Program Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the M.S. degree, students in the Computer Science program are expected to be able to:

• Perform research, discovery and integration by applying advanced knowledge of computer science
• Critically analyze a body of current, published research in area of computer science
• Evaluate algorithmic and/or software-based solutions to a given problem

Prerequisites to Graduate Work
Applicants should have a background in computer science equivalent to that provided by the core undergraduate curriculum including Introductory Programming, Intermediate Programming, Data Structures and Algorithms, Computer Architecture, and Operating Systems. Prerequisites may be satisfied by courses taken as an undergraduate, by remedial course work taken while a graduate student (typically in the form of multiple undergraduate courses or accelerated graduate), or by substantial practical experience in the computing field. Additional courses in mathematics and statistics are also desirable. Deficiencies in mathematics may be made up at the beginning of graduate study.

Admission Procedure
Applicants seeking admission to the graduate programs in Computer Science should follow the instructions outlined in the Graduate Admission webpage.  All application materials should be sent to the Graduate Admissions Office.

In addition, applicants should review the admissions requirements specific to the program to which they seek admission.
Additional criteria for Computer Science MS program includes:

• Submission of 3 letters of recommendation
• Submission of CV and/or Resume
• Submission of Statement of Purpose
• GPA of 3.0/4.0 or equivalent; or a GPA of 2.75 or greater with GRE scores

Degree Requirements
Candidates must complete a total of 30 hours of graduate course work, including 18 hours of computer science courses at or above the 6000 level and 12 additional hours of course work at or above the 5000 level. This course work must include CS 5050, CS 5120, and at least 3 hours of either CS 6990 (Plan I) or CS 6910 (Plan II) and may include up to 3 hours of CS 5850 (Independent Study), 5890 (Internship), or approved coursework from another department. Enrollment in CS 5850 is restricted to those students who have completed at least 9 credit hours.

Plan I: Candidates must prepare a formal thesis while enrolled in CS 6990 for at least 3 credit hours. No more than 6 hours of CS 6990 may be included in the required total of 30 hours. The thesis must be defended at an open meeting. Enrollment in CS 6990 is restricted to students who have completed at least 18 hours of course work and have an overall grade point average of 3.5 or better.

Plan II: Candidates must complete a project while enrolled in CS 6910 for at least three hours. No more than three hours of CS 6910 may be included in the required total of 30 hours. Enrollment in CS 6910 is restricted to students who have completed at least 18 hours of course work and who have an overall grade point average of 3.0 or better. Plan II students are required to develop a written report as part of the CS 6910 project.

For a list of the approved CS program courses, please see: http://www.bgsu.edu/arts-and-sciences/computer-science/model-course-syllabi.html  

Requirements for the Dual Master’s Degree
A student may design a program of study incorporating computer science and another graduate discipline, leading to the simultaneous award of two master's degrees. This option requires simultaneous admission into the two programs and is not open to students already pursuing a graduate degree at BGSU. The Graduate College requires a program of study of at least 50 hours for the two degrees, including a maximum of six hours of thesis and no more than eight hours of independent study, readings, and special program registrations. The Department of Computer Science requires that all dual degree students complete a thesis. No CS specializations are available to the student in a dual degree program. The CS requirements for the dual degree program are as follows:

• 12 hours of regular computer science course work at the 6000 level
• 6 hours of thesis research, either CS 6990 or the equivalent course in the other program
• 12 additional hours of computer science course work at the 5000 or above level, including CS 5120 and CS 5050. These hours may not include CS 5850 or CS 5890.

The thesis topic should demonstrate the effective integration of the two fields. The thesis developed satisfies the thesis requirement for both degrees. Enrollment in thesis research is restricted to students who have completed at least 18 hours of course work. The thesis committee must include two computer science faculty and two faculty from the other program.

Graduate Courses
Please access graduate courses online by clicking the “Browsing Course Catalog” button at http://www.bgsu.edu/registration-records/courses-and-classes/class-course-information.html. Graduate courses offered by the Department of Computer Science use the prefixes: CS and SE.