Computer Science (MS in Computer Science)
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Students must submit a 2-year plan of study at the beginning of their first semester in the M.S. program, which must be endorsed by their faculty advisors and then approved by the Graduate Admission Committee.
Degree Options
There are two options available for candidates for the Master’s degree:
Non-Thesis Option
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CSCI 653 | Analysis of Algorithms | 3 |
| Approved graduate level coursework | 27 | |
At least six credits must be CSCI 6XX (excluding CSCI 653) | ||
No more than 12 credit hours below 600 may apply to degree requirements | ||
| CSCI 710 | Research Project | 2 |
| Total Hours | 32 | |
Course Restrictions (Non-Thesis Option)
The following courses may not be used to satisfy M.S. degree requirements without prior written approval of the student’s advisor and the Graduate Admissions Committee.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Directed Studies | ||
| Directed Studies | ||
| Colloquium | ||
CSCI courses designated as Computational Operations Research courses (last digit in the course number is an 8) | ||
| Directed Thesis Master’s Research | ||
| Thesis | ||
| Directed Studies | ||
| Research | ||
| Colloquium | ||
| Directed Dissertation Research | ||
| Dissertation | ||
Thesis Option
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CSCI 653 | Analysis of Algorithms | 3 |
| Approved graduate level coursework | 21 | |
At least six credits must be CSCI 6XX (excluding CSCI 653) | ||
No more than 12 credit hours below 600 may apply to degree requirements | ||
| CSCI 700 | Thesis | 6 |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
Course Restrictions (Thesis Option)
The following courses may not be used to satisfy M.S. degree requirements without prior written approval of the student’s advisor and the Graduate Admissions Committee.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Directed Studies | ||
| Directed Studies | ||
| Colloquium | ||
| Readings in Computer Science | ||
CSCI courses designated as Computational Operations Research courses (last digit in the course number is an 8) | ||
| Directed Thesis Master’s Research | ||
| Research Project | ||
| Directed Studies | ||
| Research | ||
| Colloquium | ||
| Readings in Computer Science | ||
| Directed Dissertation Research | ||
| Dissertation | ||
Comprehensive Exam Requirement
A comprehensive exam is only required of students in the non-thesis option. The comprehensive exam is part of CSCI 710 – Research Project.
Foreign Language Requirement
There is no foreign language requirement.
Satisfactory Progress
To be eligible to graduate, all students must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all courses undertaken for graduate credit at William & Mary after admission to a degree program. No credit toward a degree will be allowed for a course in which a student receives a grade below C (grade point = 2.0).
All requirements for the master’s degree must be completed within six years from the first term of enrollment in the master’s program, excluding periods of approved leave and military service. Requests for extensions beyond the six-year limit must be filed following the procedures outlined in Time Limits for Degrees and Extensions in the School of Computing, Data Sciences, and Physics Graduate Catalog.