Computer Science, M.S. - CEPS, UNH

The M.S. program is designed to help students increase the breadth and depth of their computer science knowledge, strengthen their software development skills, and build their research skills. Professionally-­oriented students often complete industry internships, and the program has an outstanding job placement record for its graduates. Research­-oriented students complete an M.S. thesis under the guidance of a faculty mentor, which usually leads to publication and provides clear evidence of the developed research skills useful for obtaining a leadership position in industry or to go on to do a Ph.D. Applications are welcomed from students whose undergraduate degree is not in computer science. In this case, a well-­defined set of undergraduate prerequisites must be completed as part of the M.S. program of study.

The M.S. program has three options: thesis, project, and exam.

M.S. Thesis Option

¹

The courses must satisfy the following requirements:

• Two courses must be implementation intensive (see list below)
• All students must take CS 845 Formal Specification and Verification of Software Systems or CS 858 Algorithms
• At least two courses must be above 900
• At most one can be CS 998 Independent Study
• Students must take courses taught by a minimum of five different faculty

²

The student must complete a thesis under the supervision of a thesis adviser and a thesis committee of at least three members.

M.S. Project Option

¹

The courses must satisfy the following requirements:

• Two courses must be implementation intensive (see list below)
• All students must take CS 845 Formal Specification and Verification of Software Systems or CS 858 Algorithms
• At least three courses must be above 900
• At most one can be CS 998 Independent Study
• Students must take courses taught by a minimum of five different faculty

²

The student must complete a project under the supervision of a faculty adviser.

 M.S. Exam Option

¹

The courses must satisfy the following requirements:

• Two courses must be implementation intensive (see list below)
• All students must take CS 845 Formal Specification and Verification of Software Systems or CS 858 Algorithms
• At least three courses must be above 900
• At most one can be CS 998 Independent Study
• Students must take courses taught by a minimum of five different faculty

²

One topic must be from the Theory topic area. The other three should be selected from three different topic areas (which can include a second theory topic). The topic areas are as follows: a) Theory: Formal Specification and Verification; Algorithms, b) Distributed Systems, c) Artificial Intelligence, d) Computer Graphics, e) Computer Networks, f) Information Retrieval, g) Machine Learning, h) Computer Security, i) Robotics, j) Parallel and Distributed Programming, k) Cloud computing.

Accelerated Master's Overview

Accelerated Master’s programs offer qualified University of New Hampshire undergraduate students the opportunity to begin graduate coursework in select graduate programs while completing a bachelor’s degree. Accelerated master's programs are designed to provide students with an efficient and cost-effective pathway to earn both a bachelor's and master's degree or graduate certificate, enhancing career opportunities and long-term earning potential. 

Accelerated Master's Highlights

• Begin studying advanced topics while an undergraduate student with the opportunity to complete a master’s degree or graduate certificate early.
• Master’s degree program students: Earn up to 12* graduate (800-level) course credits while completing a bachelor’s degree. This coursework will count as dual-credit toward both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
• Graduate certificate program students: Earn up to 8* graduate (800-level) course credits while completing a bachelor’s degree. This coursework will count as dual-credit toward both the bachelor’s degree and the graduate certificate.
• Students complete the bachelor’s degree, and then officially matriculate into the master’s or graduate certificate program to complete the remaining required graduate-level coursework.

*Some exceptions apply. 

Accelerated Master's Admission Requirements

• A minimum 3.2 cumulative GPA is required.*
• A minimum of 90 undergraduate credits must be completed prior to enrolling in graduate (800-level) courses.
• Streamlined Graduate School Application (two letters of recommendation; most standardized tests and application fee are waived).*

*Some exceptions apply.

Accelerated Master's Requirements

• Students must attend a mandatory orientation session.
• Students must submit a special registration form each semester for dual-credit courses and note any DegreeWorks exceptions.
• Students may defer graduate matriculation for up to one year after earning their bachelor’s degree in most programs.
• See the Accelerated Master’s Catalog Policy and Accelerated Master’s Website for additional information and a list of programs. Note that some programs have additional requirements (e.g. higher-grade expectations) compared to the general policy.

Computer Science (M.S.) Accelerated Option

This graduate degree program is approved to be taken on an accelerated basis in articulation with the following undergraduate program(s):

¹

Excluding CS 800 Internship, CS 898 Master's Project, and CS 899 Master's Thesis.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the UNH M.S. CS program will have an ability to:

• Apply computer science theory to increase the breadth and depth of their computer science knowledge.
• Utilize advance software development skills.
• Carry out guided computer science research.
• Obtain an advanced position in industry or continue onto a PhD program.

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Deadlines

Applications must be completed by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for admission:

• Fall: March 1 (for funding); April 1 (final)
• Spring: Dec. 1
• Summer: N/A
• Special: N/A

Applications will be accepted until the deadline or until the program is full.

Application fee: $65

Campus: Durham

New England Regional: No

Accelerated Masters: Yes (for more details see the accelerated masters information page)

New Hampshire Residents

Students claiming in-state residency must also submit a Proof of Residence Form. This form is not required to complete your application, but you will need to submit it after you are offered admission, or you will not be able to register for classes.

Transcripts

If you attended UNH or Granite State College (GSC) after September 1, 1991, and have indicated so on your online application, we will retrieve your transcript internally; this includes UNH-Durham, UNH-Manchester, UNH Non-Degree work and GSC. 

If you did not attend UNH, or attended prior to September 1, 1991, then you must upload a copy (PDF) of your transcript in the application form. International transcripts must be translated into English.

If admitted, you must then request an official transcript be sent directly to our office from the Registrar's Office of each college/university attended. We accept transcripts both electronically and in hard copy:

• Electronic Transcripts: Please have your institution send the transcript directly to grad.school@unh.edu. Please note that we can only accept copies sent directly from the institution.
• Paper Transcripts: Please send hard copies of transcripts to: UNH Graduate School, Thompson Hall- 105 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824. You may request transcripts be sent to us directly from the institution or you may send them yourself as long as they remain sealed in the original university envelope.

Transcripts from all previous post-secondary institutions must be submitted and applicants must disclose any previous academic or disciplinary sanctions that resulted in their temporary or permanent separation from a previous post-secondary institution. If it is found that previous academic or disciplinary separations were not disclosed, applicants may face denial and admitted students may face dismissal from their academic program.

Letters of recommendation: 3 required

Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted.

Test Scores: GRE Required

GRE General test scores are normally required but may be waived for students who have taken computer science courses at UNH. If required, request official test scores to be sent directly to the Graduate School by the testing service. Test scores more than five years old are not acceptable. Student copies and photo copies of scores are not considered official. Our CEEB code is 3918.

For general information about test scores required for admission into our programs please visit our Test Scores webpage.

Personal Statement/Essay Questions

Prepare a brief but careful statement regarding:

1. Reasons you wish to do graduate work in this field, including your immediate and long-range objectives.
2. Your specific research or professional interest and experiences in this field.

Important Notes

All applicants are encouraged to contact programs directly to discuss program-specific application questions.

International Applicants

Prospective international students are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent examination scores. English Language Exams may be waived if English is your first language. If you wish to request a waiver, then please visit our Test Scores webpage for more information.

International applicants to this program with low TOEFL scores may be eligible for our Bridge Program.

Prerequisite requirements for students without a Computer Science degree

The computer science graduate program is designed for students with a B.S. degree in computer science. However, applications from students whose undergraduate degree is not in computer science are also welcome. In this case, a well-defined set of undergraduate prerequisites must be completed as part of the M.S. program of study. The prerequisites include an introduction to computer science, object-oriented programming, data structures, machine organization, operating systems, and computer science theory.

These prerequisites can be satisfied at UNH by the following undergraduate courses:

CS 415, Introduction to Computer Science I
CS 416, Introduction to Computer Science II
CS 515, Data Structures
CS 520, Assembly Language Programming and Machine Organization
CS 620, Operating System Fundamentals
CS 659, Introduction to the Theory of Computation
Some students may need to take additional mathematics classes.

Students without a B.S. or M.S. in computer science are not normally admitted directly into the Ph.D. program, but it is possible to transfer from the M.S. program to the Ph.D. program.

Applicants must submit current scores (within five years) for the general test of the GRE.  Students who have taken computer science courses at UNH can request a waiver of this requirement.