Thesis Option

You need to meet with MSACS Faculty to discuss a possible topic. A thesis takes a substantial amount of time for both students and faculty, so early discussions and planning is a requirement for a successful project.c

The thesis option program requires:

27 hours of computer science coursework
3 hours of applied studies: one hour of CS 6940 Research and Project Planning, two hours of CS 8940 Applied Studies.
CS 6940 will include a detailed plan for the applied studies hours and a detailed thesis project plan, explaining the research proposed, with milestones and equipment needed.
Minimum of six hours of thesis credit: three hours of CS 8998 Thesis I taken throught the program, and three hours of CS 8999 Thesis II, taken in the final semester.
The thesis option requires a peer-reviewed publication (student poster, conference paper, or journal article).
Additional hours of CS 8997 can be taken at the non-premium rate to complete the thesis.

Thesis Milestones:

Application and acceptance as a thesis student. A student must first be admitted into the MSACS program before they can apply for the thesis option. Application for the thesis option is to the program director, and is competitive: based on undergraduate major, undergraduate GPA, GRE scores, the student’s proposed area of research, and is limited by the availability of MSACS faculty as potential thesis advisors.
1st Semester: By the end of the first semester of study, the student must complete their “MSACS Plan of Study”, which will include the thesis topic, and formation of a thesis committee with a primary thesis advisor. Students will normally register for one hour of CS 6940 Research and Project Planning during this semester.
2nd Semester: By the end of the second semester of study, the student will have completed their literature search, culminating in a bibliography that will become part of the thesis document. Students will register for 1 hour of CS 8998 Thesis I during this semester.
3rd Semester: By the end of the third semester, the research project should be well underway, with a prototype system generating data, or with preliminary results being collected. Students will register for 1 hour of CS 8998 Thesis I during this semester.
4th Semester: By the end of the fourth semester, the research project should be nearly complete, with final data or results collected and collated, and a manuscript submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed forum. Students will register for 1 hour of CS 8998 Thesis I during this semester.
5th Semester: By the end of the final semester, the research project should be complete, with final data or results collected and collated, and the thesis itself written. Students will register for 3 hours of CS 8999 Thesis II during this semester. Students needing additional time to complete their thesis may register in subsequent semesters for an additional non-cohort graduate computing hours.