Master of Computer Information Science


The Computer Science (CS) track in the Master of Computer and Information Science (MCIS) program at Cleveland State University is a specialized degree program designed to prepare students for careers as computer science professionals.  The MCIS-CS track is housed within the Washkewicz College of Engineering.  The program emphasizes study of computing using the latest technologies.  It focuses on the theoretical capabilities of computing including problem solving and algorithms.  Graduates of the program will be prepared for immediate employment in business, industry and government, or pursue higher studies in the discipline.

 

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

In addition to meeting the Admission Requirements for the Graduate College, applicants to the MCIS-CS program must meet the following requirements:

  • A cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or better.
  • Test scores from either the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) nd the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) are required for all international students.
  • The GRE is also required if one or more of the following conditions is true:

    • The undergraduate degree was awarded by a college or university outside of the United States or Canada, or by a Canadian institution not accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board of the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers.
    • An unaccredited college or university awarded the undergraduate degree.
    • The undergraduate degree was in a discipline unrelated to software engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, or information management.
    • The year of the baccalaureate degree precedes the date of application to the College of Graduate Studies by more than six years.
    • International students should refer to the International Student Admission section of the Graduate Catalog for more information.
  • If the GRE is required, a minimum score of the 60th percentile in the Quantitative Reasoning portion is required, but this minimum score does not guarantee admission.
  • If an English language proficiency examination is required, then a TOEFL score of at least 550 on the paper-based exam, 78 on the internet exam (including at least 20 in reading, 21 in listening, 17 in writing, and 20 in speaking), 6.0 on the IELTS exam, 5.0 on the iTEP exam, or 213 on the computer-based exam, is required.  Students who do not satisfy these requirements, but who do satisfy the University's TOEFL requirements, will be tested upon arrival at CSU by the English as a Second Language Program.  Depending on test results, students may be required to take a writing (ESL 502) and/or speaking (ESL 503) course.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The degree requires a minimum of 32 credit hours.  Students in the MCIS-CS program may elect to complete a thesis option or a non-thesis option.  Students are encouraged to select the thesis option.
 

CORE COURSES (14 HOURS)

All students are required to complete the following core courses:
  • CIS 600 - Advanced Computer Architecture
  • CIS 601 - Graduate Seminar in Computer and Information Science
  • CIS 606 - Analysis Of Algorithms
  • CIS 620 - Advanced Operating Systems
  • CIS 524 - Comparative Programming Languages
 

ELECTIVE COURSES

  • CIS 530 - Introduction to Database Systems and Processing
  • CIS 554 - Data Comm Net
  • CIS 580 - Introduction to Computer Architecture
  • CIS 590 - Foundations of Computing
  • CIS 611 - Enterprise DB Systems & Data Warehouse
  • CIS 612 - Advanced Topics in Database Systems
  • CIS 630 - Enterprise Application Development
  • CIS 631 - Distributed Object Systems
  • CIS 632 - Mobile Computing
  • CIS 634 - Object-Oriented Software Engineering
  • CIS 635 - Software Engineering Metrics, Economics, & Management
  • CIS 650 - Compiler Design
  • CIS 658 - Multimedia Computing
  • CIS 660 - Data Mining
  • CIS 666 - Artificial Intelligence
  • CIS 667 - Bioinformatics
  • CIS 675 - Information Security
  • EEC 521 - Software Engineering
  • EEC 522 - Software Systems Modeling and Analysis
  • EEC 621 - Internet Software Systems
  • EEC 622 - Formal Methods in Software Engineering
  • EEC 623 - Software Quality Assurance
  • EEC 624 - Software Testing
  • EEC 625 - Software Design & Architecture
  • EEC 683 - Computer Networks II
  • EEC 684 - Parallel Processing Systems
  • EEC 688 - Secure and Dependable Computing
 

THESIS SUB-TRACK

Students in the thesis sub-track are required to complete a minimum of 12 credits of elective coursework in addition to 6 credits of MS thesis research.
 

NON-THESIS SUB-TRACK

Students in the non-thesis sub-track are required to complete a minimum of 18 credits of elective coursework.
 

INTERNSHIP OPTION

Students who select the internship option are required to complete at least one credit of CIS 690 - Professional Internship in addition to the minimum 32 credit hours required for the graduate program.