The Master of Science in Computer Science degree, offered by the Department of Computer Science , provides greater depth in computer science for more advanced positions in industry or teaching at the community college level. Check the Department website for details about the Computer Science program.

University Admission Requirements

Applicants must submit a complete graduate application by applying through Cal State Apply system and meet all the university admission requirements. See the Graduate Admissions website and this Catalog for general information about graduate admissions  at SJSU. Applicants from countries in which the native language is not English must achieve a minimum English-language proficiency test score as indicated on the Graduate Program Test Requirement webpage at GAPE. For TOEFL Requirements, see the Policies and Procedures  section, Graduate and Post-Baccalaureate Information  in this Catalog.

Students can be admitted to either classified or conditionally classified standing.

Admission to Graduate Standing - Classified 

To enter this program with classified standing, a student must meet the minimum requirements for admission to the Graduate Division. In addition, entering students are expected to have a bachelor’s degree in computer science or its equivalent, e.g., a degree presenting at least the breadth and depth of the SJSU BS, Computer Science program. An applicant holding a recent bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from an ABET-accredited university will normally meet the course requirements for admission to the MSCS program.

Admission to Graduate Standing - Conditionally Classified

Applicants who meet the minimum requirements for admission  to the Graduate Division but lack other prerequisite course knowledge can be admitted in conditionally classified status if there is sufficient space in the program to accommodate them. Conditionally classified students will be required to complete undergraduate coursework to attain Classified standing. The individual admission notification will explain the required terms and conditions for attaining Classified standing.

 Advancement to Candidacy

The university requirements for advancement to candidacy  for the master’s degree are outlined in the Graduate Policies and Procedures  section. Students should seek advancement to candidacy as soon as possible for their given program and on the advice of their graduate program coordinator. Graduate students may submit a Petition for Advancement to Graduate Candidacy form to the Graduate Admissions & Program Evaluations (GAPE) office after satisfying the following: achieved classified status; completed a minimum of nine letter-graded units with all grades “C” or higher; fulfilled the Campus Graduate Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (CGGWAR) requirement; achieved a minimum cumulative and program 3.0 GPA, and, graduate within the seven-year time limit for degree completion. Graduate students must submit their petition no later than one semester prior to graduating. Courses that satisfy the CGGWAR are listed in the course requirements for the program.

The Computer Science Department policy is that students should complete the CGGWAR requirement (usually by taking CS 200W ) in their first year in the MS program and must complete it two semesters before graduation. 

Program of Study Requirements

Students must complete all residency, curriculum, unit, GPA, and culminating experience requirements as outlined in the Graduation Requirements  section of the Graduate Policies and Procedures . Students must comply with all other graduate requirements contained in this catalog.

Course Requirements

Students may transfer nine credits into the program from coursework completed in the SJSU Computer Science Department. A maximum of 6 units may be from courses outside the SJSU Computer Science Department. All transfer credit must fulfill MS, Computer Science program requirements and be approved by the Graduate Coordinator.

Culminating Experience

Students choose a Plan A (Thesis) or Plan B (Written Project) option as their program culminating experience.

Plan A (Thesis)

After being advanced to candidacy, the student choosing the thesis option must obtain a thesis director from among the tenured or tenure-track faculty of the Computer Science Department who then becomes his or her advisor. Before work can begin, the thesis topic must be approved by a three-member committee consisting of the thesis director, another professor from the CS Department, and a third member who is an expert in the field, selected by the thesis director and approved by the Department Chairperson. The candidate should register for CS 297  before the final semester, and take CS 299  in the final semester of the program. Students who do not finish the thesis in that semester enroll in the 1290R for subsequent semesters until it is completed. Upon completion of the thesis, the candidate must pass a comprehensive oral examination in the area of his or her thesis, conducted by the thesis committee. The thesis must also meet university requirements as stipulated in this catalog and in the SJSU Master’s Thesis and Doctoral Dissertation Guidelines.

Plan B (Written Project)

After being advanced to candidacy, the student must obtain a project director from the Computer Science Department who then becomes his or her advisor. Before work can begin, the project topic must be approved by a three-member committee consisting of the project director, another professor from the CS Department, and a third member who is an expert in the field, selected by the thesis director and approved by the Department Chairperson. The candidate should register for the CS 297  before the final semester, and take the CS 298  in the final semester of the program. Students who do not finish the project in that semester enroll in the 1290R for subsequent semesters until it is completed. Upon completion of the project, the candidate must pass an oral examination in the area of his or her project conducted by the project committee.