M.S. in Computer Science

Program Overview

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At the forefront of innovation and interdisciplinary research, our Master's Program in Computer Science is designed for ambitious students ready to tackle the world’s most pressing computational challenges.

Whether you're passionate about developing next-generation algorithms, uncovering patterns in massive data streams, or modeling the behavior of complex systems, our program provides the rigorous training and research opportunities needed to lead in today’s data-driven world.

Led by a diverse faculty engaged in cutting-edge research, our curriculum blends foundational theory with real-world application. Students benefit from close collaboration across disciplines, state-of-the-art labs, and partnerships with industry, government, and academia.

Join a community of innovators committed to exploring the limits of computation, advancing artificial intelligence, and shaping how complex systems—from biological networks to global economies—are understood and influenced.

View the M.S. in Computer Science Catalogue Listing

Concentrations

The M.S. program in Computer Science offers thesis, project, and coursework-only options. 

Acceptance into thesis or project options is conditional upon the student finding an eligible advisor who agrees to supervise the thesis or project. 

Option A: Thesis

Thirty (30) credits, including a minimum of twenty-one credits of approved coursework, and a minimum of six credits of thesis research (CS 6391)

Option B: Project

Thirty (30) credits, including a minimum of twenty-four credits of approved coursework, and a minimum of three credits of project research (CS 6392)

Option C: Non-Thesis

Thirty (30) credits of approved coursework

Visit the Department of Computer Science website to explore the current research interests of the department's faculty:

Computer Science Faculty

Curriculum

MS in Computer Science Pathways

Thesis Option

Students choosing the thesis option must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours, including a minimum of 21 credits of coursework and 6 credits of thesis research.

A Master's thesis consists of original research work done under the guidance of a faculty member. Students opting to pursue a thesis must select a thesis advisor who agrees to supervise that student's thesis work. The thesis advisor may be any graduate faculty member who holds either a primary or a secondary appointment from the Department.

Full-time students should normally choose a thesis advisor by the end of their first semester. Prior to the selection of a thesis advisor, a member of the Graduate Committee serves as the student's advisor (see the Director of Graduate Studies for details).

Each thesis student must write a thesis describing their research. The thesis is presented before a thesis committee in a public oral thesis defense. The thesis committee must include three different individuals: (1) the student's thesis advisor (see below), (2) another graduate faculty member of the department, and (3) the chair of the thesis committee. The chair of the thesis committee must be a member of the graduate faculty without an appointment (either primary or secondary) in the department.

At least three weeks before the defense, the written thesis must be submitted to the Graduate College for a format check. At least two weeks before the defense, the student must make copies of the written thesis available to all members of the thesis committee. The thesis defense itself must be adequately advertised to the community.

Project Option

Students choosing the project option must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours, including a minimum of 24 credits of coursework and 3 credits of project (CS 6392).

A graduate project typically consists of a significant implementation done under the guidance of a faculty member. Students opting to pursue a project must select an advisor who agrees to supervise that student's work. The advisor may be any faculty member who holds either a primary or a secondary appointment from the Department.

Full-time students should normally choose a project advisor by the end of their first semester. Prior to the selection of an advisor, a member of the Graduate Committee serves as the student's advisor (see the Director of Graduate Studies for details).

The results of the project are presented before a project committee in a public talk, which has been advertised to the community. The project committee must include three individuals, at least two of whom must hold appointments in the department. The chair, who may be the project advisor, must be a member of the Graduate College and hold an appointment in the department. The composition of the committee must be approved by the Graduate Committee.

One bound copy of the project report should be submitted to the Graduate Program Director within 30 days after the defense. The submitted copy will be archived in the departmental file.

Documents needed to complete a project defense comprise the project report, acceptance page, and the exam result. Templates of these documents can be downloaded from the following links: Project report front sample (PDF), Project acceptance page template (DOC), Project examination result form (DOC).

Coursework Option

Students choosing a coursework option must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours of coursework.

The Department offers 5000-level courses, which are taken both by advanced undergraduate students for graduate credit and by graduate students.  The Department also offers 6000-level courses, which are open only to graduate students.

Students in all options must:

• Take 4 other core Computer Science Courses, to be determined in consultation with and approval of the student’s graduate advisor and the CS graduate coordinator, depending on the student’s background and interests.
• Pass comprehensive exams covering material from the 4 approved core courses.
• Fulfill the credit requirement with approved graduate-level course work in computer science or related areas. (Only courses with grades of B- or above are counted towards course work requirements and students with 2 grades below B are eligible for dismissal.)    

Comprehensive Exams: For the course-based Master's, receiving a grade of A- or better in all courses constitutes successfully completing the comprehensive examination. Students who receive a grade of B+ or lower in any of their courses must pass a written and/or oral comprehensive exam. Thesis or project students must demonstrate mastery of the material by one of three possible routes: an oral exam, a paper, or a code portfolio. The exact format will be decided upon by the Student's Studies Committee (their Project/Thesis advisor and the CS Graduate Program Director) in consultation with the student. For Thesis students, the written Thesis and oral defense can serve as the required paper or oral exam. For Project students, final project code and any associated public presentation can serve as the required code portfolio or oral exam.

Credit Transfer

With the approval of the Graduate Committee, up to 9 credit hours of coursework in Computer Science (or a closely related field) may be transferred into the Master's degree. Only credits that have not been used for other degrees (Bachelor's, Master's, or others) are considered. Note that these credits include any courses taken at UVM before enrolling in the Master's program and any courses taken at other institutions, whether before or after enrolling at UVM. In addition, with the approval of the Graduate Committee, a student may apply courses in a closely related field taken at the graduate level while in residence at UVM to their Master's requirements.

Note that transfer and waiver are two different, independent concepts. A transfer means that the transferred credits are counted towards your Master's degree at UVM, while a waiver only means that one of the five required courses is replaced by some other courses (possibly transferred ones).

Also, please note that the Accelerated Master's Program (AMP) (see below) is an exception to this 9-credit-transfer rule.

Computer Science Graduate Course Listing

Deadlines

The deadlines for application submission to the MS in Computer Science program are:

Fall Deadline: Rolling, Priority deadline for funding January 1st
Spring Deadline: Rolling, Priority deadline for funding October 1st

Admissions

The Master's of Science in Computer Science degree is intended to add depth in computer science to an undergraduate degree. Many students use a Master's degree to further an existing career as a computer professional; others use the program as an opportunity to change career paths. 

Students who have majored in disciplines other than computer science or have a limited computer science background may be required to take additional courses before being accepted into the Master's program. Each student will be evaluated regarding additional courses (in addition to the M.S. degree requirements) to be taken. These additional course requirements are detailed in the acceptance letter from the Graduate College.

Students should be able to demonstrate that they have taken the following courses or have equivalent knowledge:

A student interested in a Master's degree in Computer Science must submit a complete application packet, including:

• The application form is available online at the Graduate College website.
• Complete collegiate transcripts
• Statement of purpose (available as part of the packet)
• Three reference letters

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not required. Past academic performance, reference letters, the statement of purpose and any other exceptional circumstances all help determine the applicant's suitability for the program. We admit students who we believe are most likely to succeed and thrive in the program.

Applicants whose native language is not English or whose formal education has been conducted in a language other than English must have a Test of English as a Second Language (TOEFL) score of 90 (Internet-based test) or above or an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 6.5 or above. To be considered for financial assistantship from the university, applicants must have an iBT TOEFL score of 100 or an IELTS score of 7.0  or above.

Outcomes

Career outlook

The career outlook for graduate students in Computer Science (CS)—including those with specializations in Complex Systems and Data Science—is exceptionally strong and continues to grow across multiple sectors. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment in computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow faster than average (15% from 2021 to 2031), adding hundreds of thousands of jobs with starting salaries for hires with a Master's ranging from $100K to $140K+ in the U.S.

Throughout your career, a graduate computer science degree will allow you to command a more competitive salary when applying for advanced roles in research, leadership, or academia. to upper-management roles and increase your earning potential.

Where our alumni work

With the support of the CEMS Career Readiness Program, CEMS Computer Science graduate students have landed jobs with companies such as:

• IBM
• VIP (Vermont Information Processing)
• Cox Automotive Inc.
• Google
• Microsoft
• GE Healthcare
• Liberty Mutual Insurance
• athenahealth
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• GlobalFoundries

Program outcomes

A CEMS graduate education gives you depth and breadth of knowledge, along with the skills you'll need for every challenge and opportunity that awaits. Outcomes for our M.S. program in Civil and Environmental Engineering include:

1. Have an in-depth understanding of the foundational concepts in the field of study.
2. Be skilled at communicating technical results in both oral and written form.
3. Have a comprehensive knowledge of the literature relevant to the research or seminar topic.

4. Have a detailed knowledge of the research methodologies relevant to the research or seminar topic.

    

Costs and Funding

 View Graduate College Tuition and Fees (Student Financial Services website

Funded Assistantships

A limited number of funded graduate research and graduate teaching assistantships (GRA or GTA) are available in the department each year and will be offered based on merit, research fit and continuity of progress to PhD students and some M.S. students. Funding offers are made available to you by faculty advisors, generally soon after you have received the Program’s admission decision, and renewed on a yearly basis.

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Advisors and their research interests

Your Master's advisor serves as your mentor during your graduate training. It is essential that you feel comfortable discussing issues with your advisor.

You will be assigned an advisor when you initially enroll in the program. Typically, your initial advisor will be the Director of Graduate Studies. You may request a change of advisor anytime if you feel that another graduate faculty member would better serve your needs. The new advisor must agree to the change.

Thesis students must select a thesis advisor from among the graduate faculty of the Department. The thesis advisor also serves as the student's overall advisor (and thus replaces the initial advisor or other advisors). Also, the chosen thesis advisor must agree to serve as such.

Students should choose a thesis advisor based on three factors:

• Common interest in a research problem
• Comfortable working relationship
• Willingness of the advisor to advise the student

Students considering taking the thesis option should meet with all potential advisors early in their graduate studies. Talk about potential thesis topics to see if that person's work interests you. Also, try to see whether you would be comfortable working with that person. The potential advisor should tell you whether they are willing to take you on as a thesis student.

Computer Science Graduate Faculty

Additional Information

Potential students should feel free to contact the department with further questions. The email address csgrads@uvm.edu is the best way to reach an appropriate member of the department to ask any other questions you may have.