The SoC offers two MS degrees, one in Computer Science, and one in Computing. There is currently a Robotics track a Graphics and Visualization track, a Computer Engineering track a Information Technology track and a Data Management and Analysis available in Computing. Both degrees require 30 semester hours of graduate coursework, but differ in what courses a student must take.
MS Residency Requirement. At least 24 semester hours must be in resident study at the University of Utah.
Course Waivers A student may obtain a waiver for any of the required courses by demonstrating prior knowledge (e.g., completion of a similar course taken at another University). This waiver is obtained by petitioning the DGS. The waiver procedure should be initiated by first contacting the Graduate Coordinator. Waiving a required course does not reduce the 30 graduate credit hour requirement.
The MS Supervisory Committee consists of three members. At least two members must be SoC faculty. Any SoC regular faculty member may serve as a supervisory committee chair. Research or adjunct faculty may chair supervisory committees if accorded that privilege by the regular faculty. All official decisions of the committee are decided by majority vote.
The MS comprehensive exam will be administered by the student's supervisory committee and can be coupled with a project or thesis proposal defense, and/or meeting a specified level of performance on a set of classes. For students not doing a project or thesis, the comprehensive exam will typically be passed by meeting the grade requirements in required courses, but this can be modified at the discretion of the student's committee.
MS Transfer Credit. A student may not count more than eight semester hours of non-matriculated graduate work toward any graduate degree unless the student's registration for more than eight semester hours is specifically approved in advance by the SoC Director and the Dean of the Graduate School.
Graduate courses taken as an undergraduate at the University of Utah cannot be counted towards a degree program unless a petition for graduate credit was filed with the University's Registrar at the time the course was taken.
Students who have done graduate study at other institutions may transfer up to 8 semester hours to the University of Utah. The courses must be bona fide graduate level class work (e.g., independent study is excluded), with grade B- or better. Students must be able to show that the course work was not used toward any other degree.
Approval of each course is granted by the student's supervisory committee and the DGS. Course appropriateness is determined by consideration of course content and the student's declared research area. Approved courses are certified by a transfer credit form.
Approval of a course taken elsewhere for transfer credit does
not imply fulfillment of any specific required course.
Students should select 1 from each of the 3 categories:
(Non Thesis MS)
Students not doing a thesis must also take at least two of the following five courses:
Course Requirements for the MS in Computer Science
There is a list of
pre-approved substitutions listed
here.
For the remainder of the 30 required semester hours
at most 6 semester hours can be courses outside
of Computer Science, and seminars cannot be counted.
For students completing a thesis: at least one non-required CS course must be taken excluding independent study, seminars, or thesis research credit; independent study (CS 6950 and CS 7950) can be included in the required 30 semester hours only when the project is self-contained and independent of thesis research.
For students not completing a thesis, at most 3 of the required 30 semester hours can be independent study (CS 6950 and CS 7950).