Computer Science, MS

The Department of Computer Science at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs offers the Master of Science degree in Computer Science. Courses at the graduate level and the undergraduate courses required for admission to the graduate program are regularly offered in the late afternoon or evening to enable students from local industry to continue their studies. Graduate students are encouraged to participate in the professional activities of the department. This includes attending seminars and colloquiums, suggesting improvements in curriculum (both undergraduate and graduate), suggesting new teaching techniques and participating in the enhancement of computer hardware and software facilities within the department.

• ​​​​​​Provide students with an understanding of advanced Computer Science concepts, to prepare for a successful career in the Software industry.
• Emphasize both theoretical and practical aspects of Computer Science, preparing students for a career in Software development and/or research.
• Develop students' communication skills and professionalism.

Applicants for graduate study in computer science must hold a B.S. or B.A. degree and have considerable computing experience, sufficient mathematical background and show promise of ability to pursue advanced study and research. Applicants with a B.S. in computer science or in a technical area (such as mathematics, engineering, or physics) are natural candidates for graduate study in computer science.

Entering students must have the equivalent of the following UCCS courses:

• CS 1150 Principles of Computer Science
• CS 1450 Data Structures and Algorithms
• CS 2080 Programming in UNIX
• CS 2060 Programming in C
• CS 2160 Computer Organization and Assembly Language Programming
• CS 3160 Concepts of Programming Languages
• CS 3300 Software Engineering
• Calculus 1
• Calculus 2
• Discrete Math

A student who has completed CS 1450, but lacks other pre-requisites may be admitted, but would still be required to take the pre-requisite courses after admission.

The applicant is considered to have sufficient mathematical background if he/she has taken at least two semesters of university level calculus, a course in discrete mathematics, and at least one additional course of a mathematical nature. This latter course need not be in a mathematics department; however, it should require mathematical maturity expected of an upper division mathematics undergraduate.

The student should have an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 on a scale of 4.0. Students with an average below 3.0 but above 2.75 will be considered on an individual basis, as well as students with an average above 3.0 who completed their undergraduate degree more than a few years ago. Students with GPA deficiencies who take undergraduate courses to meet the entrance background requirements will have their performance in those courses considered in making the admission decision. Students who recently earned an undergraduate degree with a GPA below 3.00 will be required to take the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) before they can be considered for admission. A score of 148 (new grading scale) on the quantitative portion is considered favorable. Students with an average GPA below 3.0, if admitted at all, should expect to be admitted provisionally. If a student with a GPA below 2.75 is admitted, then the Graduate School requires provisional admission. International applicants must follow the international applicant requirements located on the 'How to Apply' page.

The Computer Science Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) meets regularly for action on completed applications. It is the responsibility of the applicant to assure that all materials are received in a timely manner.  The applicant being considered for admission will be notified of the results of the GSC decision via email.

If the applicant lacks pre-requisites, the letter notifying the applicant will list the courses the applicant needs to take before his/her application can be reconsidered. The applicant can be an unclassified student while satisfying the pre-requisites. Depending on the number of deficiencies, it may take as long as two years to satisfy requirements for admission into the graduate program.

US Applicants for regular admission should have all application materials into the Admissions Office at UCCS by April 1 for Fall Semester and by November 1 for Spring Semester. These deadlines permit time for the GSC and the Graduate School to process the application. It is the student's responsibility to follow up to make sure all materials are received on time. If these deadlines are not met, an application for regular admission will be considered for the following semester.

In addition, if the student's future plans are to pursue a PhD in Computer Science, the following core courses are highly recommended if they were not taken as part of an undergraduate program:

• CS 5200 Computer Architecture
• CS 5500 Operating Systems
• CS 5700 Computability, Automata & Formal Languages
• CS 5720 Algorithms

These four classes constitute the PhD Written Qualifier, which is required for PhD candidates.

Applicants with any foreign post-secondary course work should also submit a course-by-course evaluation by a NACES member.

International Students

International students applying for the program should have all application materials into the Admissions Office at UCCS by March 1st for Fall Semester and by October 1st for Spring Semester. Applications received later than these dates or incomplete by these dates may be considered for the following semester. It is the student's responsibility to follow up to make sure all materials are received on time. 

• All sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are required, with at least 148 on the quantitative portion, unless one of the following conditions is satisfied:
  • The applicant has a bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 3.0 or above from an ABET-accredited Computer Science or a closely related program from within the U.S.
• A TOEFL score of 80 of higher, an ILETS of 6.5 or higher, or a Duolingo exam score of 115 will be required for proof of English Proficiency. If the student has completed a degree in the US, this requirement may be waived.
• Course by Course Evaluation: UCCS requires official transcript(s) with a certified English translation and an official evaluation by any NACES or AICE member for all students that have taken coursework outside the U.S.
  • We recommend International Education Evaluation (IEE), The Evaluation Company (TEC), and World Education Services (WES) as our trusted Evaluation Agencies. Among these IEE is our preferred vendor. Students who opt for the UCCS IEE Student Portal will benefit from a discounted rate for the International Transcript Evaluation (Course-By-Course Evaluation).

Military Considerations

Students on V.A. support who do not have adequate background for regular admission must pursue a plan for admission as an unclassified student. The Graduate Studies Committee, upon the request of the student, will send a letter to the V.A. indicating courses and other requirements, which must be completed before regular admission can be considered.

Financial Aid

For financial aid consideration we encourage you to apply by March 1st. Most scholarships and fellowships are given to Fall applicants, not Spring applicants. If you are an international student who will need a visa, we recommend you complete the application process by March 1st to give enough time for application review and visa processing. If your application comes after the posted semester deadline, it will be considered for the following term.

Students seeking financial support should visit the Computer Science Department faculty website to explore the faculty research areas of interest.  Make direct contact with any faculty whose research areas match your own to see if any financial support is available.  Financial support opportunities exist through graduate research assistantship positions or part-time teaching assistantships.

Streamlined Application Process

A Streamlined Application is designed to offer outstanding UCCS students who have completed a BSCS, BICS, BI Security, or BI GDD degrees and alumni an expedited application to the graduate school in participating programs.

• If you are interested in applying, please fill out the regular application. Once you select that you have previously attended UCCS, it will ask you if you will be submitting the streamlined application.  The GRE and English Proficiency requirements are waived for Streamlined Applicants.
• Submit the application, a $60 non-refundable application fee
• Minimum GPA of 3.0
• Must be about to graduate or graduated in the last 1 year
• Letter of Recommendation from the Chair

Application Deadlines:

Fall Start: April 1st
Spring Start: November 1st

Our Fall application deadline is April 1st. For scholarship consideration, we encourage you to apply by March 1st. If you are an international student who will need a visa, we recommend you complete the application process as early as possible to give enough time for application review and visa processing.

To learn more about admission requirements and the application process, please visit the UCCS Admissions page.

Additional Resources for Admissions:

• Tuition Rate
• Cost of Tuition Estimator
• Financial Aid
• Scholarships

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