Master of Computer Science (MCS) Degree, Online Program
Program Learning Outcomes for the MCS Degree
Upon completing the MCS degree, students will be able to:
- Solve advanced Computer Science problems. Students will acquire and apply a graduate-level understanding of material in sub-areas of Computer Science.
- Design and implement complex software systems. Students will demonstrate skill in their design and implementation and function effectively in teams.
- Communicate effectively to a client and user.
Requirements for the MCS Degree, Online Program
The MCS degree is a non-thesis master's degree. For general university requirements, please see Non-Thesis Master's Degrees. For additional requirements, regulations, and procedures for all graduate programs, please see All Graduate Students. Students pursuing the MCS degree must complete:
- A minimum of 30 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements.
- A minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate-level study (graduate semester credit hours, coursework at the 500-level or above).
- A minimum of 24 graduate semester credit hours must be taken at Rice University.
- A minimum of 24 graduate semester credit hours must be taken in standard or traditional courses (with a course type of lecture, seminar, laboratory, lecture/laboratory).
- A maximum of 2 courses (6 graduate semester credit hours) from transfer credit. For additional departmental guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab.
- A minimum overall GPA of 2.67 or higher in all Rice coursework.
- A minimum program GPA of 2.67 or higher in all Rice coursework that satisfies requirements for the non-thesis master’s degree.
Students in the MCS degree program are expected to pay full tuition and all fees. No financial aid is available from the university or the department for MCS students. The MCS degree is a terminal degree for students intending to pursue a career in the computer industry.
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this degree program. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the program's academic advisor, or where applicable, the department or program's Director of Graduate Studies. Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the department or program's Official Certifier. Additionally, these must be approved by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the MCS Degree, Online Program | 30 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| Computer Systems | ||
| COMP 621 | SYSTEMS SOFTWARE | 3 |
| COMP 628 | CYBERSECURITY | 3 |
| Data | ||
| COMP 630 | DATABASES 1 | 3 |
| COMP 642 | MACHINE LEARNING | 3 |
| COMP 643 | BIG DATA | 3 |
| COMP 665 | DATA VISUALIZATION | 3 |
| COMP 680 | STATISTICS FOR COMPUTING AND DATA SCIENCE 1 | 3 |
| Principles of Algorithms and Software | ||
| COMP 610 | SOFTWARE CONSTRUCTION | 3 |
| COMP 613 | PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES AND DESIGN 1 | 3 |
| COMP 682 | PRINCIPLES OF ALGORITHMS AND SOFTWARE AREA 1 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 30 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | COMP 630 Databases, COMP 613 Programming Languages and Design, COMP 680 Statistics for Computing and Data Science, and COMP 682 Principles of Algorithms and Software Area are prerequisites to other required courses and must be taken first. |
Policies for the MCS Degree, Online Program
Department of Computer Science Graduate Program Handbook
The General Announcements (GA) is the official Rice curriculum. As an additional resource for students, the department of Computer Science publishes a graduate program handbook, which can be found here: https://gradhandbooks.rice.edu/2021_22/Computer_Science_Graduate_Handbook.pdf
Admission
The GRE test is highly recommended for all applicants, however it may be waived, upon discretion of the department's Admission Committee, if an applicant has relevant industrial experience.
Financial Aid
No financial aid is available from Rice University or the Computer Science Department for students in the MCS degree program.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic program’s advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Departmental Transfer Credit Guidelines
Students pursuing the MCS degree should be aware of the following departmental transfer credit guidelines:
- No more than 2 courses (6 credit hours) of credit from another U.S. or international universities of similar standing at Rice may apply towards the degree. Transferred courses must be comparable in content and depth to the corresponding course at Rice, and must not have counted toward another degree.
- Request for transfer credit will be considered by the Computer Science Graduate Committee Chair, and the instructor of the equivalent Rice course.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Graduate Programs website at https://www.cs.rice.edu/academics/graduate-programs or contact the department at gradapp@rice.edu.
See the Computer Science website: https://csweb.rice.edu/academics/graduate-programs/online-mcs for additional information relevant to the MCS Degree, Online Program.
Opportunities for the MCS Degree, Online Program
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Graduate Programs website at https://www.cs.rice.edu/academics/graduate-programs or contact the department at gradapp@rice.edu.
See the Computer Science website: https://csweb.rice.edu/academics/graduate-programs/online-mcs for additional information relevant to the MCS Degree, Online Program.