MSACS Open House: March 27 2008
Application Deadline
Summer 2008: May 1
Fall 2008: August 1

The Master of Science in Applied Computer Science (MSACS) is a thirty-six hour/5-semester graduate program with coursework in the following areas:

Students will be part of a cohort/learning-community formed by each year's class, taking courses offered by award-winning faculty. Courses are offered in a conventional classroom setting that has been upgraded with web-based distance technology that captures the in-class experience. Students may attend on-campus present in the classroom, attend the live classes over the internet, or view recorded classroom lectures. Our recorded lectures are available in formats for PCs, PDAs, iPods, and many smartphones. Students may complete the program in 22 months (4 semesters plus a summer semester).

The program offers students a true graduate-school experience, with high expectations and intensive learning. Students are expected to study hard, complete projects, master new technologies and new science, participate in discussions, and make presentations. The program offers opportunities to work on research projects and offers research assistantships.

With our web-based distance-learning options, the MSACS program is perfect for the working professional in the computing field who is interested in obtaining a graduate degree in computer science, concurrent with work and family commitments.

What is Applied Computer Science?
Applied CS is a subset of the huge computing discipline, focusing on knowledge areas within CS that are readily applied to solving problems and enhancing the quality of our lives. This includes a wide swath of CS areas from embedded systems to database architectures to software engineering to web search engines to digital game design to bioinformatics. Traditional mathematical foundations and CS theoretical topics receive reduced coverage.

The MSACS is offered in two versions:

• The Applied Research Cohort is for students with undergraduate degrees in computer science or a closely related discipline. The program consists of 27 hours of coursework, plus nine hours which the student may use for a thesis, applied project, scientific research, professional certifications, coops, and internships. Admits Fall and Spring.
• The Classic Cohort Program is for students with undergraduate degrees in fields other than computer science with industry experience and or computing, IS, or IT coursework. The Classic Cohort consists of 12 hours of excellerated undergraduate foundation, plus 27 hours of true graduate study, up to six hours of which the student may be directed toward an applied project, professional certification, or as additional electives. The Classic Cohort is available Fall only.