Computer and Information Sciences, M.S.

Dr. Shankar Banik, Department Head
843-953-5039, shankar.banik@citadel.edu

Dr. Michael Verdicchio, Program Director
843-953-6987, mv@citadel.edu

Mission

The Master of Science in Computer and Information Sciences is designed to offer professionals an opportunity to attain an advanced degree in the computer science field while upgrading their skills and knowledge. The Computer and Information Sciences program is a joint program with the College of Charleston.

Admission Requirements

Completion of the online graduate application along with the non-refundable application fee.
Submission of an official transcript of the baccalaureate degree and all other undergraduate or graduate work directly from each accredited college and university.
Applicants are expected to have an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0.
Competency, demonstrated through coursework, approved work experience, or a program administrated competency exam, in the areas of basic Computer Architecture, Object-oriented Programming, Discrete Mathematics, and Data Structures.

Student Learning Outcomes:

1. Students will demonstrate an advanced level of knowledge and ability in software development models and techniques

2. Students will demonstrate the ability to critically analyze research in the computer science literature

3. Students will demonstrate the ability to function effectively on teams to accomplish a common goal

Graduate Requirement (Non-Credit Bearing)

LDRS 500 - Principled Leadership Seminar

Degree Requirements

The Master of Science in Computer and Information Sciences degree is conferred upon those candidates who successfully complete an approved program of study consisting of a minimum of 33 semester hours of graduate credit (of which no more than nine may be transfer credit) with a cumulative GPA of 3.0. At least 11 credit hours must be taken at each institution.

All degree candidates must:

Four Core Courses

Complete the following four core courses for a total of 12 hours.

CSCI 601 - Data Modeling and Database Dgn Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 602 - Foun of Software Engineering Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 604 - Dist Computer Systems Architec Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 605 - Applied Algorithms Credit Hours: 3

Area of Specialization

Declare an area of specialization from among Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Information Systems, or Software Engineering, and complete three courses in that area (9 credit hours).

Computer Science Specialization

Degree candidates in the Computer Science specialization must complete three of the following courses:

CSCI 612 - Advanced Computer Architecture Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 614 - Advanced Operating Systems Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 616 - Automata Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 618 - Programming Languages Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 632 - Data Communications&Networking Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 638 - Impl of Database Mgmt Systems Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 674 - Intro to Computer Graphics Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 690 - Selected Topics in Computing Credit Hours: 3 (When approved by the department head or program director)

Cybersecurity Specialization

Degree candidates in the Cybersecurity specialization must complete three of the courses below. It is recommended but not required to take CSCI 614 as an elective.

CSCI 614 - Advanced Operating Systems Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 631 - Prin of Computer Security Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 632 - Data Communications&Networking Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 641 - Advanced Cybersecurity Credit Hours: 3

Information Systems Specialization

Degree candidates in the Information Systems specialization must complete three of the following courses:

CSCI 631 - Prin of Computer Security Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 632 - Data Communications&Networking Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 634 - Project Change & Mgmt Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 636 - I.T. Policy Strategy & Gover Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 638 - Impl of Database Mgmt Systems Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 659 - Service-Oriented Computing Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 672 - Human-Computer Interaction Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 690 - Selected Topics in Computing Credit Hours: 3 (When approved by the department head or program director)

Software Engineering Specialization

Degree candidates in the Software Engineering specialization must complete three courses from the list below. A student cannot take both CSCI 634 and CSCI 635 to complete this specialization.

CSCI 634 - Project Change & Mgmt Credit Hours: 3 (Cross-listed as PMGT 650)
CSCI 635 - Fund of Agile Project Mgmt Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 654 - Software Requirements Analysis Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 656 - Software Sys Design & Implemen Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 657 - Embedded Systems Design Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 658 - Software Testing & Maintenance Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 659 - Service-Oriented Computing Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 672 - Human-Computer Interaction Credit Hours: 3
CSCI 690 - Selected Topics in Computing Credit Hours: 3 (When approved by the department head or program director)

Complete One of the Following Three Options (Twelve Hours)

CSCI 699 - Research Thesis Credit Hours: 3 - plus 3 additional hours of 699 and two electives
CSCI 698 - Project Thesis Credit Hours: 3 Plus three electives
Four electives (twelve hours)

Total Credit Hours: 33

PMGT 650 - Overview of Tech Proj Mgmt , may be substituted for CSCI 634 in satisfying degree requirements for the M.S. in Computer and Information Science. PMGT 663, Foundations of Agile Project Management, may be substituted for CSCI 635 in satisfying degree requirements for the M.S. in Computer and Information Science. When only one CSCI 634 and CSCI 635 is permitted, the same restrictions shall extend to these substitutions.