Computer Science and Engineering

Dr. Joseph M. Kizza, Department Head
(423) 425-4043 or email at Joseph-Kizza@utc.edu

Dr. Yu Liang, Graduate Program Coordinator
(423) 425-4351 or email at Yu-Liang @utc.edu

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering offers a Master of Science degree in Computer Science with concentrations in Computer Science (CPSC), Data Science (DS), and Cyber Security. These programs are intended to prepare individuals for work in industry and government or further graduate study. Requirements for the M.S. degree include a minimum of 33 hours of credit earned in graduate course work including a thesis or 36 hours including a project.

Admission

Admission criteria described are minimum requirements for MS program consideration. These minimum MS admissions requirements do not guarantee acceptance into a specific graduate degree program or the UTC Graduate School

A student who holds a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university may be considered for admission to the program. This program is designed for students with the foundation provided by the baccalaureate degree in computer science. However, students with degrees in other disciplines may be admitted. Students whose academic training is considered inadequate in certain areas will be required to complete additional undergraduate and/or graduate foundation/prerequisite courses as determined by the department.

Application Procedures

To be accepted into the master’s degree program in Computer Science (any concentration), a student must complete all of the following:

Have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. An official transcript is required from each previously attended college. An application and non-refundable application fee of $35 for domestic, $40 international, should also be submitted to the Graduate School.
Students with a previous degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a closely related field from a regionally accredited U.S. University may be granted admission to UTC’s Graduate School and the M.S. Computer Science Program based on a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 (based on a 4.0 scale), or a GPA of 3.0 in the senior year. International students, and domestic students without a previous degree in the computing discipline, will be admitted based on a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.9 (based on a 4.0 scale), or a GPA of 3.2 in the senior year.
International students whose first language is not English must have an official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 220 or above on the computer-based test, or a score of 83 or above on the Internet-based test, or an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 6.5 or above.

Transfer Credit

Six graduate credit hours of courses completed at other universities for graduate credit may be considered to satisfy CPSC degree program requirements at UTC. A transferred course generally must form a logical part of the CPSC program to be approved.

Those who request transfer credit must be prepared to provide the university catalog in effect at the time at which the courses were completed as well as any other supporting information to the Graduate Program Coordinator in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and to the Dean of the Graduate School. For additional requirements see “Transfer Credit” under “Academic Policies for Graduate Students” in the UTC Graduate Catalog.

Continuation

Any student who earns 3 or more grades of C or below in graduate level courses will be dismissed from the CPSC program.

Program of Study

Students must submit a Program of Study during the first semester of graduate coursework. The Program of Study consist of all core courses and any electives and establishes the courses the student must take for partial fulfillment of the degree requirements. The Program of Study form must include all core courses and electives, if known at the time, the student will take.

Admission to Candidacy

The Application for Admission to Candidacy is typically filed in the semester prior to a student’s anticipated graduation semester and should list all courses not listed on the Program of Study and any changes in coursework. Please refer to Admission to Candidacy section.

A Graduation Audit form may be obtained on-line at www.utc.edu/graduate-school/student-resources/forms.php. Students should refer to the “Admission to Candidacy” section under Academic Policies for Graduate Students in the UTC Graduate Catalog for additional information regarding admission to candidacy

Additional Information and Notes

Students admitted to the program who lack academic experience in mathematics may be assigned a college-level course in calculus, statistics, and discrete mathematics to ensure that they have the mathematics background equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. Course work in computer science foundation courses may be assigned in order to gain needed competencies.

Graduate level CPSC courses for which a student has earned an A or B at UTC or any other institution cannot be repeated for credit.

Some or all of the foundation courses in which academic training has been completed previously may be waived. The requirements to waive a foundation course are:

A grade of “C” or better from an ABET accredited school, or
A grade of “B” or better from a non-ABET accredited school.

All required foundation course must be completed before more than two CPSC core and/or elective courses are completed.