University of Texas at Dallas

The graduate programs in computer science at the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science provide intensive preparation in the design, programming, theory, and applications of computers. In addition to the computer science graduate degrees, the Department of Computer Science also offers the M.S. in computer science with a major in software engineering, and a Ph.D. degree in software engineering. These programs are suitable for academically oriented students and students with aspirations to work in the many business, industrial or governmental occupations requiring advanced knowledge of computer theory and technology. Courses and research are offered in a variety of subfields of computer science, including operating systems, computer architecture, computer graphics, pattern recognition, automata theory, combinatorics, artificial intelligence, natural-language processing, database design, computer networks, programming languages, software systems, analysis of algorithms, computational complexity, software engineering, software testing, software reliability, scheduling, visualization, fault-tolerant computing, parallel processing, telecommunications networks, telecommunications software, performance of systems, VLSI, computational geometry, and design automation.

Master of Science in Computer Science: Software Engineering
To be admitted to the M.S. software engineering program, students should have an undergraduate degree in computer science or a related field. Students may choose a thesis or non-thesis plan. The thesis plan requires a minimum of 27 course hours, plus an approved thesis (six thesis hours). The thesis is directed by a supervising professor and must be approved by the head of the Department of Computer Science. The non-thesis plan requires a minimum of 33 course hours. Students on either plan should complete 15 hours of core requirements, which include courses in advanced software engineering requirements; engineering software, architecture and design; software testing, validation and verification; and software project planning and management. Students must satisfy the core requirements by maintaining a minimum 3.2 grade point average or by earning a 3.0 minimum grade point average in the five core courses and taking an extra approved elective (beyond the minimum degree requirements of 33 hours) and earning a grade of B or better in this additional elective.

Under the supervision of a graduate advisor, students must complete 15 credit hours of elective courses, which may consist of five CS courses, or six hours of thesis or project courses plus three elective courses. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 is required to complete the program. Prerequisites to the student’s core requirements are especially recommended. Approved electives will be taken in order to reach the minimum 33 hours needed to complete the degree.

Students can study this degree full or part time. There is also an option for full-time computer science students, who are contemplating a research career, to take the extremely selective and competitive research track. Students can enter the research track only in the fall semester. All students admitted to in the research track are required to take their core courses together. While it is not required, it is expected that students in the research track will continue to the Ph.D. degree. Research track students are encouraged to take Ph.D. qualifying exams in the core courses during the first year. Students who do well will be admitted to the Ph.D. program and will be awarded their M.S. once their dissertation is approved.

Ph.D. in Software Engineering
The Ph.D. program requires 90 credit hours of courses, and a Ph.D. dissertation/thesis. The thesis must be approved by the graduate program, and students must arrange for a dissertation advisor. The student must have a dissertation committee of four members, three of which must be from the computer science faculty. The dissertation may be in computer science exclusively or it may involve considerable work in an area of application.