Computer Science, M.S.

• October 1 (Spring Priority, Domestic and International)
• October 15 (Spring Final, International)
• December 1 (Spring Final, Domestic)
• March 1 (Fall Priority, Domestic and International)
• April 1 (Fall Final, International; Summer Priority, Domestic)
• June 15 (Summer Final, Domestic)
• August 1 (Fall Final, Domestic)

In addition to the general requirements for admission to the Graduate School, students applying for this program are expected to have knowledge of programming languages, data structures and algorithms, operating systems, or computer architecture. The knowledge of calculus, discrete mathematics, and linear algebra typically attained in undergraduate education is expected, too. Students without undergraduate prerequisite courses in computer science and mathematics may be instructed to demonstrate prior knowledge, as determined by the Graduate Program Director.

A bachelor’s degree in computer science is desired. Individuals who have worked as professionals in the computer industry may be able to substitute work experience for some of the specific subject area admission requirements, subject to review by the Graduate Program Director.

Students must have an undergraduate grade point average of (or equivalent to) at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 point scale) and a Junior/Senior GPA of at least 3.0.

Student admission will be based on:

1. Prerequisites
   • Math Requirement:
     • Calculus (6 hours)
     • Linear Algebra or Statistics
     • Discrete Mathematics
   • Computer Science Requirement:
     • Introductory Computer Science Course sequence (6 hours) [1]
     • Data Structures
     • Programming Languages [1]
     • Computer Architecture or Operating Systems
     • Additional courses in Computer Science
2. Undergraduate academic record
3. Three (3) Reference letters
4. TOEFL, IELTS, and Duolingo (for international students)
5. GRE – Applicants who completed undergraduate degree outside of the United States may voluntarily submit GRE test scores and they will be reviewed as part of the holistic application consideration. Please note, the GRE requirement is optional.
6. Statement of purpose

Students without undergraduate prerequisite courses in computer science and mathematics may be instructed to demonstrate prior knowledge, as determined by the
Graduate Program Director.

A bachelor’s degree in computer science is desired. Individuals who have worked as professionals in the computer industry may be able to substitute work experience for some of the specific subject area
admission requirements, subject to review by the Graduate Program Coordinator.

Note: The requirements shown below are for students starting their degree program in or after Fall 2024. Requirements for students who started before Fall 2024 may be found here.

The Master of Science in Computer Science program requires 30 graduate credit hours with a minimum 3.0 GPA, which may optionally include 6 credit hours of thesis. At least 18 credit hours of the courses applied to the degree must be from the Department of Computer Science, and at least 24 hours must be from the College of Computing and Informatics. At least 15 credit hours must be at the 6000-level or above courses. No more than 6 credit hours may be in Individual Study. A maximum of 6 credit hours of graduate credit may be transferred from other graduate degree programs.

Core Requirements:

Select four courses, one from each core group, to satisfy the core requirements.​

Note: When picking your core courses, consider what pre-requisite courses are required by the concentration or elective courses you plan to take. The alternate version of this page found at catalog.charlotte.edu (see this link) allows you to click on a particular course and see what pre-requisites it has.

Foundation of Computing Core

• ITCS 5356 – Introduction to Machine Learning (3)
• ITCS 6114 – Algorithms and Data Structures (3)

AI, Robotics, and Gaming Core

• ITCS 6120 – Computer Graphics (3)
• ITCS 6150 – Artificial Intelligence (3)
• ITCS 6151 – Intelligent Robotics (3)
• ITCS 6152 – Robot Motion Planning (3)
• ITCS 6156 – Machine Learning (3)

Data Science and Management Core

• ITCS 5122 – Visual Analytics (3)
• ITCS 6162 – Data Mining (3)
• ITCS 6190 – Cloud Computing for Data Analysis (3)

Software, Systems, and Networks Core

• ITCS 6141 – Computer System and Architecture: Performance and Implementation (3)
• ITCS 6145 – Parallel Computing (3)
• ITCS 6166 – Computer Communications and Networks (3)

Optional Concentration (9 credit hours)

Students who choose to declare a concentration must take at least 9 credit hours of courses listed in that concentration (see below). Courses used to fulfill the core requirement cannot be counted for credit in an area of concentration.

AI, Robotics, and Gaming Concentration (ARGC)

Select three of the following:

• ITCS 5150 – Mobile Robotics (3)
• ITCS 5153 – Applied Artificial Intelligence (3)
• ITCS 5154 – Applied Machine Learning (3)
• ITCS 5230 – Introduction to Game Design and Development (3)
• ITCS 5231 – Advanced Game Design and Development (3)
• ITCS 5232 – Game Design and Development Studio (3)
• ITCS 5235 – Game Engine Construction (3)
• ITCS 5236 – Artificial Intelligence for Computer Games (3)
• ITCS 6050 – Topics in Artificial Intelligence (3)
• ITCS 6101 – Natural Language Processing (3)
• ITCS 6115 – Advanced Algorithms (3)
• ITCS 6120 – Computer Graphics (3)
• ITCS 6121 – Data and Information Visualization (3)
• ITCS 6125 – Virtual and Augmented Reality (3)
• ITCS 6134 – Digital Image Processing (3)
• ITCS 6150 – Artificial Intelligence (3)
• ITCS 6151 – Intelligent Robotics (3)
• ITCS 6152 – Robot Motion Planning (3)
• ITCS 6156 – Machine Learning (3)
• ITCS 6169 – Computer Vision (3)
• ITCS 6322 – Complex Adaptive Systems (3)
• ITCS 6490 – Industrial Internship (3)
• ITCS 6881 – Individual Study in AI, Robotics, and Gaming (1 to 3)
• ITCS 6991 – Computer Science Thesis (1 to 3)

Data Science Concentration (DSC)

Select three of the following:

• ITCS 5122 – Visual Analytics (3)
• ITCS 5123 – Visualization and Visual Communication (3)
• ITCS 5153 – Applied Artificial Intelligence (3)
• ITCS 6040 – Topics in Data Science (3)
• ITCS 6100 – Big Data Analytics for Competitive Advantage (3)
• ITCS 6115 – Advanced Algorithms (3)
• ITCS 6121 – Data and Information Visualization (3)
• ITCS 6124 – Illustrative Visualization (3)
• ITCS 6155 – Knowledge-Based Systems (3)
• ITCS 6157 – Visual Databases (3)
• ITCS 6160 – Database Systems (3)
• ITCS 6161 – Advanced Topics in Database Systems (3)
• ITCS 6162 – Data Mining (3)
• ITCS 6163 – Data Warehousing (3)
• ITCS 6190 – Cloud Computing for Data Analysis (3)
• ITCS 6265 – Advanced Topics in Data Mining (3)
• ITCS 6345 – Modern Data Science Systems (3)
• ITCS 6490 – Industrial Internship (3)
• ITCS 6882 – Individual Study in Data Science (1 to 3)
• ITCS 6991 – Computer Science Thesis (1 to 3)

Information Security and Privacy Concentration (ISPC)

Required Course

• ITIS 6200 – Principles of Information Security and Privacy (3)

Elective Courses

Select two of the following:

• ITCS 6490 – Industrial Internship (3)
• ITIS 5221 – Secure Programming and Penetration Testing (3)
• ITIS 5250 – Computer Forensics (3)
• ITIS 5260 – Introduction to Security Analytics (3)
• ITIS 6150 – Software Assurance (3)
• ITIS 6167 – Network Security (3)
• ITIS 6210 – Access Control and Security Architecture (3)
• ITIS 6214 – Usable Security and Privacy (3)
• ITIS 6220 – Data Privacy (3)
• ITIS 6230 – Enterprise and Infrastructure Protection (3)
• ITIS 6240 – Applied Cryptography (3)
• ITIS 6362 – Information Technology Ethics, Policy, and Security (3)

Software, Systems, and Networks Concentration (SSNC)

Select three of the following:

• ITCS 5102 – Survey of Programming Languages (3)
• ITCS 5180 – Mobile Application Development (3)
• ITCS 5182 – Introduction to High Performance Computing (3)
• ITCS 6112 – Software System Design and Implementation (3)
• ITCS 6115 – Advanced Algorithms (3)
• ITCS 6132 – Modeling and Analysis of Communication Networks (3)
• ITCS 6141 – Computer System and Architecture: Performance and Implementation (3)
• ITCS 6145 – Parallel Computing (3)
• ITCS 6166 – Computer Communications and Networks (3)
• ITCS 6167 – Advanced Networking Protocols (3)
• ITCS 6168 – Wireless Communication Networks (3)
• ITCS 6190 – Cloud Computing for Data Analysis (3)
• ITCS 6490 – Industrial Internship (3)
• ITCS 6883 – Individual Study in Software, Systems, and Networks (1 to 3)
• ITCS 6991 – Computer Science Thesis (1 to 3)
• ITIS 5166 – Network-Based Application Development (3)
• ITIS 5280 – Advanced Mobile Application Development (3)
• ITIS 6167 – Network Security (3)
• ECGR 5101 – Advanced Embedded Systems (3)
• ECGR 5124 – Digital Signal Processing (3)
• ECGR 6181 – Embedded Operating Systems (3)

Dual Concentration

Students may request to complete two concentrations. However, no course can count towards two concentrations.

Elective Courses (0-15 credit hours)

Students who select no concentration must complete 15 credit hours of elective courses. Students who select a concentration must complete 6 credit hours or of elective courses. Students who chose to declare dual concentration will not need elective courses. Students may choose from the following elective courses:

• ITCS 5000 – ITCS 6999
• ITIS 5000 – ITIS 6999
• DSBA 5000 – DSBA 6999

Comment: Note, the above is the general rule as found in the Graduate Catalog. However, whenever the Graduate Catalog description for a particular ITCS/ITIS/DSBA course has further specific restrictions or limitations, the more specific restriction supercedes the general rule above. (This is how specific vs general rules work). One example is the restriction for ITCS 6490, discussed here Catalog and here FAQ. Other restrictions may also apply, see the Graduate Catalog course descriptions for details (https://catalog.charlotte.edu/)

Capstone (3 credit hours)

Select one of the following courses. Credit hours from a capstone course may be counted towards a concentration requirement, too, if the same course is listed in that concentration. For students pursuing the M.S. Thesis, they will have to enroll in ITCS 6991 in two consecutive semesters (6 credit hours total), with the 3 credit hours satisfying the capstone requirement.

• ITCS 5180 – Mobile Application Development (3)
• ITCS 5231 – Advanced Game Design and Development (3)
• ITCS 5232 – Game Design and Development Studio (3)
• ITCS 6112 – Software System Design and Implementation (3)
• ITCS 6880 – Individual Study (1 to 3)
• ITCS 6881 – Individual Study in AI, Robotics, and Gaming (1 to 3)
• ITCS 6882 – Individual Study in Data Science (1 to 3)
• ITCS 6883 – Individual Study in Software, Systems, and Networks (1 to 3)
• ITCS 6991 – Computer Science Thesis (1 to 3)
• ITIS 5166 – Network-Based Application Development (3)

Grade Requirements

Core Courses must each be passed with A or B grades.  A minimum overall 3.0 GPA is required.

Financial Aid: The CS Department does not offer financial aid based upon need. Contact the financial aid office of the university for such assistance.

Instructional Assistantships (IAs): Most of our graduate assistantship funding goes to PhD students and continuing MS students. The total amount of assistantship funding for the new MS students is rather limited. All MS applicants should enter “Yes” in the application form on the question, “Assistantship Interest.”

After arriving on campus, an accepted MS student can submit an IA application with the Computer Science department. To be considered for an Instructional Assistantship, you must apply via UNC Charlotte’s Hire-A-Niner.

Once you do this, faculty at CCI will contact you if your qualifications meet the specific requirements of the courses they teach.

• Do not contact faculty directly about Instructional Assistantships
• Questions about paperwork, contracts, etc. should be emailed to cci-cs-student-hire@charlotte.edu

If you are selected for an IA and are a first time student employee, you will then need to complete the I-9 / Hiring Documents these steps are documented at https://hr.charlotte.edu/employees/student-employees/.

Please note that these are very competitive and dependent on enrollment and/or funding. IAs do not cover tuition. There is a very limited number of Graduate Assistantships that from time to time are made available to MS students; however, these are exceedingly rare.

Research Assistantships (RAs): Most of our graduate Research Assistantships go to PhD students. Research assistantships (RA’s) are usually associated with faculty research projects with external funding. While most RA’s go to Ph.D. students, occasionally faculty may have a RA position for a Master’s student. Most faculty will expect the master’s student take courses with the faculty first, so that faculty can get to know the student and their capabilities. Many faculty will favor MS students who took a MS course at UNC Charlotte related to the RA topic, who show a keen interest in research and who plan to pursue the MS thesis option.

Campus employment opportunities: The University has over 30,000 students and has many opportunities for on-campus employment. These are generally managed through Hire-A-Niner. The University Career Center can also help find local employment.