Students applying for the master’s program are expected to have an undergraduate background in
CS. Those students who do not have such a background must satisfy the breadth requirements
described in graduate program.
Unconditional Admission
Students applying to the M.S. program will be given unconditional admission if they meet all the requirements of the School of Graduate Studies and of the Computer Science Department including
the breadth requirements.
Conditional Admission
Conditional admission will be recommended for students who, in the judgment of the department,
have the potential for successfully completing graduate work but who do not meet all of the
requirements for admission.
Degree Requirements and Restrictions
The Master of Science degree is conferred under Plan I or Plan II.
Plan I. A minimum of 24 semester hours of coursework and the writing of an acceptable thesis is
required. At least six hours of thesis credit (CS 699) must be earned. A student must present
his/her thesis and pass an oral examination based on the thesis and related coursework. Plan I
students must register for CS 699 each term they receive supervision from their advisor.
Plan II. A minimum of 33 semester hours of coursework is required. A student must pass a
written comprehensive examination over the four core courses given below. Plan II students
must complete at least 18 hours of coursework before taking the written comprehensive
examination. The examination may only be taken twice.
The following requirements and restriction apply to a student in either plan.
Course Requirements
All students must take the following four courses:
CS 613 Computer Architecture
CS 650 The Software Engineering Process
CS 617 Design and Analysis of Algorithms
CS 690 Advanced Operating Systems
If a student has not had an undergraduate course in programming languages, CS 524 must be
included in the program of study. No more than 50% of the hours in the program of study may be
500-level courses. No more than three hours of selected topics or independent study courses may be
included in a program of study. Exceptions must be recommended by the student’s advisor and
approved by the department chair.
Grade Requirements
A grade of B or better must be earned in each of the core courses. No grade lower than C can be
counted toward a graduate degree. A 3.0 average must be maintained in all graduate work at UAH
and in all work to be counted toward the degree.
Time Limit
The degree must be completed within six years. Courses older than six years may be validated
according to Graduate School policy. Courses older than ten years may not be applied to the
degree.
Transfer Credit
Graduate work may be transferred from another institution according to Graduate School policy.
Students who do not have an undergraduate CS degree must take the following prerequisites.
The University of Alabama in Huntsville • Computer Science Department • 300 Technology Hall
