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2011-2012 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Master of Science in Computer Science
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Coordinator:
Fatma Mili
166 Dodge Hall
(248) 370-2246
mili@oakland.edu
Program description
The Master of Science in computer science degree program is designed to prepare students for significant computer-related careers in business and industry and simultaneously for further graduate study. A natural continuation of studies is offered for students who have received a baccalaureate in computer science and are interested in furthering their technical knowledge.
The program offers two tracks: a research track and a professional track.
Admission terms and application deadlines
Before an applicant’s file can be reviewed for full program admission, all application documents must be received in Graduate Admissions by the semester deadlines listed below.
- November 15, 2011 for the Winter 2012 semester
- March 15, 2012 for the Summer 2012 semester
- July 15, 2012 for the Fall 2012 semester
- November 15, 2012 for the Winter 2013 semester
- March 15, 2013 for the Summer 2013 semester
- July 15, 2013 for the Fall 2013 semester
International applicants: International applications are reviewed for fall and winter admission only. To ensure adequate time for review, international applications must be completed at least six months before the desired date of intended enrollment to the University. All international application materials must be submitted by May 1 for fall admission and by September 1 for winter admission.
Special Graduate classification: Applicants who are seeking a graduate degree or graduate certificate, but are unable to meet the deadline for filing all required application materials or credentials for graduate admission, may contact the department and request Special Graduate temporary admission. The applicant must submit an Application for Admission to Graduate Study, plus a copy of a transcript providing evidence of a bachelor’s degree awarded and any specific evidence concerning their qualifications for graduate study as required by the department. Up to 12 credits may be earned in the Special Graduate classification. Admission as a special graduate student in no way assures subsequent admission to a degree or graduate certificate program.
Application requirements
To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must submit all of the following university and program application documents by the published application deadlines.
University graduate application requirements
- Online Application for Admission to Graduate Study
- Official transcripts providing evidence of an earned baccalaureate degree from an accredited U.S. institution, OR a degree equivalent to a four-year U.S. baccalaureate degree from a college or university of government-recognized standing.
- Official transcripts for all post-secondary educational institutions from which the applicant earned a degree (beginning with the first baccalaureate) and for all enrollment in graduate-level coursework beyond the bachelor’s degree. International university transcripts must be evaluated by a professional credential evaluation service.
- As part of the admission requirements, graduate programs may require official transcripts from post-secondary educational institutions from which the applicant earned an associate’s degree and all enrollment in coursework both pre- and post-bachelor’s degree.
- Two official and original Recommendation for Graduate Admission forms.
- Proof of English language proficiency
- International supplemental application and supporting documentation must be submitted before international applicants can be issued the Certification of Eligibility (I-20). This certificate is required to apply for a student visa from the U.S. embassy or consulate.
Program application requirements
- The recommendations must come from two members of the undergraduate major department or practicing engineers who are familiar with their accomplishments and promise.
- Applicants must submit scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) if they graduated from an institution not accredited by a regional-accrediting agency of the USA. Other applicants whose credentials do not meet regular admission criteria are also encouraged to submit their GRE scores.
- Bachelor of Science in computer science (CS) or information technology (IT) or software engineering or computer engineering (CE) or equivalent. Applicants from other disciplines would be considered after successfully completing appropriate prerequisite courses.
- Grade-point average of 3.0 or better.
Admission review and assessment
Admission to graduate study at Oakland University is selective. In making admission recommendations to Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning, each department assesses the potential of applicants for success in the program by examining their undergraduate records, goal statement, letters of recommendation, prerequisite courses and any other admission requirements established by the academic department.
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Prerequisite courses
The advanced level prerequisite courses CSE 505, 506, and 507 are fast track courses designed to prepare students who have strong academic or professional records in related fields. These courses prepare students for graduate studies within minimal time. Note that the prerequisite courses do not count towards the credits needed to obtain a graduate degree.
Degree requirements
The Master of Science in computer science degree is awarded upon satisfactory completion of 32 or 36 credits, depending upon the chosen track, in an approved program of study. 1. Research track (32 credits)
The research track requires 32 credits including 8 credits of thesis to graduate. The structure of credits is as follows: a. Core requirement (16 credits)
Must complete 12 credits from the Core Group courses:
and complete 4 credits from the following courses:
Note: A core course may be substituted by another CSE course with prior approval provided the student has already taken an equivalent course.
* These courses are cross-listed as advanced undergraduate and graduate courses. If completed as a 400-level course or equivalent as part of a baccalaureate degree, the course may be used to offset graduate program requirements. However, credit will not then be awarded and must be earned by completion of an approved substitute course. b. Depth requirement (8 credits)
Students on a research track must complete a thesis for 8 credits.
c. Electives (8 credits)*
Eight credits of electives should be completed from at least two different specialty groups other than the specialty group selected as depth.
A complete list of 500- to 700-level courses offered by the department is listed below.
Note: Courses listed under miscellaneous do not form a specialty group. 2. Professional track (36 credits)
The professional track requires 36 credits of graduate coursework including 4 credits of an internship/industry project work. Those already working as professionals will have the option of replacing the internship/industry project with a regular course. a. Core requirement (16 credits)
Must complete 12 credits from the Core Group courses:
and complete 4 credits from the following courses:
Note: A core course may be substituted by another CSE course with prior approval provided the student has already taken an equivalent course.
* These courses are cross-listed as advanced undergraduate and graduate courses. If completed as a 400-level course or equivalent as part of a baccalaureate degree, the course may be used to offset graduate program requirements. However, credit will not then be awarded and must be earned by completion of an approved substitute course. b. Depth requirement (8 credits)*
Students on a professional track must complete two courses (8 credits) from one specialty group. c. Electives (8 credits)*
Eight credits of electives should be completed from at least two different specialty groups other than the specialty group selected as depth.
A complete list of 500- to 700-level courses offered by the department is listed below.
Note: Courses listed under miscellaneous do not form a specialty group. d. Internship or industry project (4 credits)
Students must complete 4 credits of internship or industry project.
500- to 700-level courses
The following is the complete list of 500- to 700-level courses offered by the department. The prerequisite courses do not give any graduate credit. These are meant for students lacking sufficient background in computer science and engineering. Please consult the degree requirements to see how best to choose courses for your program of study.
Note: Courses listed under miscellaneous do not form a specialty group.
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Specialty Group Courses
1. Networking and Systems Group
2. Embedded Systems Group
3. Information Technology Group
4. Software Engineering Group
5. Intelligent Computing Group
Miscellaneous
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*These courses are cross-listed as advanced undergraduate and graduate courses. If completed as a 400-level course or equivalent as part of baccalaureate degree, the course may be used to offset graduate program requirements. However, credit will not then be awarded and must be earned by completion of an approved substitute course.
Satisfactory academic progress
Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) is the term used to denote a student’s successful completion of coursework toward a certificate or degree. Federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to monitor Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for all financial aid recipients. The required types of monitoring include Time Limit, Completion Rate, Excessive Withdrawals and GPA Requirements. Students who fall behind in their coursework, or fail to achieve minimum standards for grade point average and completion of classes, may lose their eligibility for all types of federal, state and university aid. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for additional details. Good academic standing
All graduate students are expected to remain in good academic standing throughout the entire course of their graduate program. To be in good academic standing, a graduate student must make satisfactory progress toward fulfilling degree requirements, including the completion of critical degree milestones as set forth by the applicable program and maintain a minimum semester and overall GPA of 3.0.
Good academic standing is a requirement for:
- Holding a Graduate Assistantship
- Receiving a fellowship or scholarship
- Advancing to candidacy for a graduate degree
- Going on a leave of absence
- Obtaining a graduate certificate or degree from Oakland University.
Additionally, graduate students must meet all department academic standards which may be more stringent than the minimum set forth by the University.
Department requirements: The minimum satisfactory grade for graduate work is 3.0. Credit for completion of a course in the Master of Science program will be given for grades of 2.5 or above but not more than two grades may be in the range of 2.5 to 2.9. Graduate credit will not be awarded for grades below 2.5. To repeat a course, a student must have the permission of the graduate committee of the school.
All grades received as a graduate student are used in computing the GPA except that, if a course has been repeated, the most recent grade is used in the calculation of the GPA. A graduate student is placed on academic probation if the student’s overall GPA drops below 3.0 or if the student receives more than one grade below 3.0, including the original grade(s) of any repeated course(s). A graduate student receiving a grade less than 3.0 while on probation is subject to dismissal. A graduate student receiving more than two grades below 3.0 is subject to dismissal whether or not the student was put on probation previously.
In all programs the minimum grade point requirement is an average of at least 3.0. If a student’s GPA is less than 3.0 after having attempted 16 credits, the student will be recommended for dismissal from the program.
Graduate students who are not in good academic standing for any reason are subject to probation and/or dismissal from further graduate study. Related program information
Plan of study
All accepted applicants, in consultation with their assigned faculty program adviser, must develop a plan of study that details specific courses the students will use to satisfy their degree requirements. The plan of study must be approved by the faculty program adviser and submitted to Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning.
Master’s and graduate certificate students must submit a department-approved plan of study by the end of their first semester of graduate coursework.
Course approval
Approval by the master’s degree adviser and the department chair is required for independent study, engineering projects, a master’s thesis or special topics courses that are used toward the degree. In addition, approval of the faculty administering the independent study, advising the thesis or project or teaching the special topics course must be obtained before registering for these credits. No more than 8 thesis or project credits may be used toward the degree requirements.
Course credit
Normally, graduate credit is awarded only for courses numbered 500 or higher. However, up to 4 credits of Oakland University senior-level (400-499) courses in the major can be approved for graduate credit by the student’s adviser. With the added approval of the graduate committee of the school, an additional 4 credits of senior-level courses can also be counted toward the required credits for the degree. Course credit will not be awarded for work applied toward another degree. Students who have received credit for the 400-level version of a cross-listed senior/graduate course cannot receive credit toward a graduate degree for the 500-level version of that course.
Transfer credit
Students transferring from other institutions are allowed to transfer a maximum of 9 credits of graduate coursework with the approval of the department.
Workload and scheduling
Full-time students must register for 8 to 12 credits per semester. Graduate assistants must be full-time students and commit 20 hours per week toward their research or teaching assistantship assignment. Graduate assistants normally register for only 8 credits per semester; however, a 12-credit load can be taken with the approval of the chair of their department.
For the convenience of part-time students employed in industry, courses are arranged in late afternoon and early evening. However, these students should be aware of the very real demands of graduate studies and should keep outside work commitments and their academic load in balance.
Master’s adviser
The progress of each regular student toward the Master of Science degree is directed by the student’s adviser, a faculty member of the School of Engineering and Computer Science who is assigned at the time of admission. Incoming students seeking the degree are urged to discuss their proposed concentration area with their adviser or other faculty members in that area. Students who wish to change their adviser can do so with the approval of the chair of their department.
Master’s project or thesis
Although the master’s degree requirements may be satisfied by taking only coursework, either a graduate engineering project (CSE 690) or a directed master’s thesis research (CSE 691) may be included as part of the program in place of elective courses.
Students electing a thesis option must accumulate a minimum of 8 credits of CSE 691. Successful completion and defense of a thesis is a prerequisite for earning thesis credits. Students choosing the thesis option must select an advisory committee, which is composed of at least three faculty members from the School of Engineering and Computer Science. The selection of the committee and the Plan of Study must be approved by the department chair. The chair (major professor) of the advisory committee will direct and guide the research. The student must propose a research topic to the committee for approval at least one semester before graduation. The completed thesis must conform to university standards (see Thesis and Dissertation ).
At the completion of the research and its documentation, the content of the thesis must be publicly presented and defended. Successful defense of the thesis is a prerequisite for earning the research credits.
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