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In addition to meeting the Lyle School of Engineering degree requirements for an M.S. degree, candidates are required to satisfy the following:

• Either 30 hours of coursework or 24 hours of coursework plus 6 hours of Master’s Thesis.
• Six hours of core courses from a list of 4 courses: CS 7330 File Org., CS 7350 Algorithm Engineering, CS 7343 Operating Systems, and CS 7381 Computer Architecture
• 12 hours of a CS Specialization. Specializations consist of 6 hours of specialization core classes with the remaining 6 hours taken from a list of depth specialization electives. Students electing a thesis may apply their 6 hours of thesis as depth specialization electives.
• 12 hours of broadening electives. Broadening electives may be chosen from any CS graduate level course. Students may choose broadening electives outside of the CS department with advisor approval.
• A minimum of two 8000 level courses must be listed on the degree plan.

The CSE Department requires that the courses taken constitute a coherent program leading to mastery of computer science. These requirements are discussed in the subsequent subsections. Any deviation from the stated requirements must be approved in writing from the student’s adviser and department chair.

Students entering the program without an undergraduate degree in Computer Science must satisfy the following competency requirements in addition to the degree requirements listed above:

1. The ability to write programs in a high level language such as Java, C++, Python, etc.
2. Demonstrate competence in six core areas of computer science

Students may fulfill (1) by either:

• Demonstrating their programming ability in a departmental examination.
• Successful completion of CS 1341 - Principles of Computer Science.
• Obtaining a certificate of achievement from EDX (or comparable entity) in one of the high level programming languages (e.g. Java, C++, Python).

Students may fulfill (2) by demonstrating competence in the following core areas of Computer Science:

• Computer Architecture
• Programming Languages
• Data Structures and Algorithms
• Database Management Systems
• Operating Systems and Concurrency
• Networks and Distributed Systems

Residency and Level Requirements

A minimum of 30 graduate credit hours must be earned toward an M.S. degree, of which at least 24 must be earned in residency at SMU. Up to six credit hours may be transferred with departmental approval.

Of the 30 credit hours needed for graduation, at least six credit hours must be at the 8000 level, with the remainder at the 7000 level or above.