Master of Science Computer Science with a Concentration in Information & Communications Technology (MS)
Yaohang Li, Graduate Program Director - Admissions
Andrey Chernikov, Graduate Program Director – Master’s
ICT (Information and Communications Technology) is the infrastructure and components that enable contemporary business computing. This MS program in Computer Science offers a unique combination of computer science technical knowledge and business IT skills that prepares graduate students for success in the business world of the 21st century. The program emphasizes cutting-edge ICT skills, which can provide a basis for job entry, career development and flexibility amid the rapid changes in Information Technology.
Admission
Entrance Requirements
Students entering the Master of Science program in computer science should meet the minimum university graduate admission requirements (https://www.odu.edu/admission/graduate).
In addition, an applicant must have a strong background in computer science. Students who do not have a sufficient background in computer science may enter the graduate program as provisional students and make up for their deficiencies by taking appropriate courses.
Two letters of recommendation from faculty members of academic institutions are required in addition to all transcripts at the postsecondary level. For students whose native language is not English, either a TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based) and 79 (internet-based) or IELTS score of 6.5 is also required.
Curriculum Requirements
This concentration, offered jointly with the Department of Information Technology and Decision Sciences in the Strome College of Business, is appropriate for students with either a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a major in information systems and a computer science minor or with a bachelor’s degree in computer science with a business administration minor.
The departmental requirements for the Master of Science degree with concentration in Information and Communications Technology are described below. All requirements must be satisfied in addition to the University requirements outlined under the University Requirements for Graduate Degrees & Certificates section of this catalog.
This degree requires 31 credit hours, including 16 credits of core coursework. At the end of the program, the candidate is required to complete an exit examination that requires a comprehensive written report and an oral presentation.
Core Courses
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CS 500 | Foundations of Computing | 3 |
| or CS 600 | Algorithms and Data Structures | |
| CS 550 | Database Concepts | 3 |
| or CS 650 | Advanced Databases | |
| CS 522 | Introduction to Machine Learning | 3 |
| or CS 580 | Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | |
| CS 620 | Introduction to Data Science and Analytics | 3 |
| CS 665 | Computer Architecture | 3 |
| CS 690 | Colloquium | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours | 16 | |
Colloquium
In addition to taking CS 690 Colloquium, each student is required to attend at least 10 departmental colloquiums during their MS study.
Electives
For the remaining 15 credit hours, students must take 6 credit hours of electives from Computer Science and 9 credit hours from the following set of IT/BNAL electives.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CS Electives | 6 | |
| IT/BNAL Electives | 9 | |
| Business Intelligence | ||
| Information and Communications Technology for Big Data | ||
| Data Visualization and Exploration | ||
| Advanced Business Analytics/Big Data Applications | ||
| Simulation Modeling for Business and Supply Chain Systems | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |
Course Restrictions
No more than 12 credit hours of 500-level courses may count towards the degree requirements.
No more than 3 credit hours of CS 697 Independent Study in Computer Science may count towards the degree requirements.
Since internship is not a degree requirement, the courses CS 667, CS 668, and CS 669 do not count towards MS course requirements.
Although 800-level courses are primarily meant for PhD students, these courses may count as 700-level courses for the purposes of MS credit requirements.