computer science masters thesis length

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Computer Science
	Foundations of Computer Science I	4
	Foundations of Computer Science II	3
	Assembly Language	3
	Computer Architecture	3
	Data Structures and Algorithms	3
	Compiler Construction	3
or	Operating Systems
Advanced computer science electives (CS 3000-4000 level)		6
Mathematics
	Applied Discrete Mathematics (or equivalent)	3
Calculus		8

	These courses must be completed with no grade less than "C" and no more than two "Cs."
	These courses must be completed with no grade less than “C.”

Course Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Required Courses
	Advanced Operating Systems	3
or	Network and Communication Systems
or	Data Base Theory and Design
	Design of Programming Languages	3
or	Formal Languages
or	Parallel Processing
	Algorithm Design and Analysis	3
	Advanced Artificial Intelligence	3
or	Survey of Software Engineering
Electives
Choose 12 hours from the following:		12
	Advanced Operating Systems
	Network and Communication Systems
	Data Mining
	Design of Programming Languages
	Advanced Studies in Human Factors of Computer Science
	Crafting Compilers
	Data Base Theory and Design
	Advanced Internet Information Processing
	Formal Languages
	Advanced Network Programming
	Wireless Communications and Networks
	Advanced Artificial Intelligence
	Parallel Processing
	Distributed Computing
	Computer Vision
	Web Service Engineering
	Advanced Human Computer Interaction
	Machine Learning and Applications
	Software Evolution and Maintenance
	Recommender Systems
	Green Computing
	Multimedia Computing
	Advanced Computer Security
	Advanced Computer Graphics
	Graphical User Interfaces
	Survey of Software Engineering
	Formal Methods in Software Engineering
	Software Quality
	Advanced Software Engineering Project
	Independent Study in Advanced Computer Science
Thesis
	Thesis	3
Choose a minimum of 3 hours from the following:		3
	Thesis
	Thesis
	Thesis
	Thesis
	Thesis
Total Hours		30

Comprehensive Examination Requirement

The comprehensive exams of computer science master programs consist of multiple components. Specifically, all graduate students must complete/pass:

Failure to complete 1, 2, or 3 will result in a "hold" on registration and may cause delays in taking/passing the comprehensive examination. Details of 2, 3, 4, and 5 are described below.

Programming Exam

The Programming Exam integrates problem-solving and technical abilities to write clear and logical code. The exam format is written.

Communication Exam

The Communication Exam tests the ability to write clear technical English on computer science topics. All students must satisfy one of the following three options:

Seminar Attendance

All computer science master students are required to attend at least four computer science departmental seminars. All seminars that can be counted toward this requirement are announced by the department through emails to all active students and on the department website. Students are strongly recommended to plan and participate in seminars earlier and not to wait until the final semester of their study.

Oral Master Thesis Defense Exam

All thesis students are required to take an oral exam at the time of their public thesis defense.

Students who do not successfully complete the requirements for the degree within the timelines specified will be dismissed from the program.

If a student elects to follow the thesis option for the degree, a committee to direct the written thesis will be established. The thesis must demonstrate the student’s capability for research and independent thought. Preparation of the thesis must be in conformity with the Graduate College Guide to Preparing and Submitting a Thesis or Dissertation .

Thesis Proposal

The student must submit an official Thesis Proposal Form and proposal to his or her thesis committee. Thesis proposals vary by department and discipline. Please see your department for proposal guidelines and requirements. After signing the form and obtaining committee members’ signatures, the graduate advisor’s signature if required by the program and the department chair’s signature, the student must submit the Thesis Proposal Form with one copy of the proposal attached to the dean of The Graduate College for approval before proceeding with research on the thesis. If the thesis research involves human subjects, the student must obtain exemption or approval from the Texas State Institutional Review Board prior to submitting the proposal form to The Graduate College. The IRB approval letter should be included with the proposal form. If the thesis research involves vertebrate animals, the proposal form must include the Texas State IACUC approval code. It is recommended that the thesis proposal form be submitted to the dean of The Graduate College by the end of the student’s enrollment in 5399A. Failure to submit the thesis proposal in a timely fashion may result in delayed graduation.

Thesis Committee

The thesis committee must be composed of a minimum of three approved graduate faculty members.

Thesis Enrollment and Credit

The completion of a minimum of six hours of thesis enrollment is required. For a student's initial thesis course enrollment, the student will need to register for thesis course number 5399A. After that, the student will enroll in thesis B courses, in each subsequent semester until the thesis is defended with the department and approved by The Graduate College. Preliminary discussions regarding the selection of a topic and assignment to a research supervisor will not require enrollment for the thesis course.

Students must be enrolled in thesis credits if they are receiving supervision and/or are using university resources related to their thesis work. The number of thesis credit hours students enroll in must reflect the amount of work being done on the thesis that semester. It is the responsibility of the committee chair to ensure that students are making adequate progress toward their degree throughout the thesis process. Failure to register for the thesis course during a term in which supervision is received may result in postponement of graduation. After initial enrollment in 5399A, the student will continue to enroll in a thesis B course as long as it takes to complete the thesis. Thesis projects are by definition original and individualized projects. As such, depending on the topic, methodology, and other factors, some projects may take longer than others to complete. If the thesis requires work beyond the minimum number of thesis credits needed for the degree, the student may enroll in additional thesis credits at the committee chair's discretion. In the rare case when a student has not previously enrolled in thesis and plans to work on and complete the thesis in one term, the student will enroll in both 5399A and 5399B.

The only grades assigned for thesis courses are PR (progress), CR (credit), W (withdrew), and F (failing). If acceptable progress is not being made in a thesis course, the instructor may issue a grade of F. If the student is making acceptable progress, a grade of PR is assigned until the thesis is completed. The minimum number of hours of thesis credit (“CR”) will be awarded only after the thesis has been both approved by The Graduate College and released to Alkek Library.

A student who has selected the thesis option must be registered for the thesis course during the term or Summer I (during the summer, the thesis course runs ten weeks for both sessions) in which the degree will be conferred.

Thesis Deadlines and Approval Process

Thesis deadlines are posted on The Graduate College website under "Current Students." The completed thesis must be submitted to the chair of the thesis committee on or before the deadlines listed on The Graduate College website.

The following must be submitted to The Graduate College by the thesis deadline listed on The Graduate College website:

After the dean of The Graduate College approves the thesis, Alkek Library will harvest the document from the Vireo submission system for publishing in the Digital Collections database (according to the student's embargo selection). NOTE: MFA Creative Writing theses will have a permanent embargo and will never be published to Digital Collections.

While original (wet) signatures are preferred, there may be situations as determined by the chair of the committee in which obtaining original signatures is inefficient or has the potential to delay the student's progress. In those situations, the following methods of signing are acceptable:

If this process results in more than one document with signatures, all documents need to be submitted to The Graduate College together.

No copies are required to be submitted to Alkek Library. However, the library will bind copies submitted that the student wants bound for personal use. Personal copies are not required to be printed on archival quality paper. The student will take the personal copies to Alkek Library and pay the binding fee for personal copies.

Master's level courses in Computer Science: CS

Courses Offered

Computer science (cs).

CS 5100. Advanced Computer Science Internship.

This course provides advanced training supervised by computer scientists in internship programs approved by the department. Course cannot be counted toward any graduate degree, is open only to majors in the Department of Computer Science. May be repeated once. This course does not earn graduate degree credit. Prerequisite: Instructor approval.

CS 5199B. Thesis.

This course represents a student’s continuing thesis enrollments. The student continues to enroll in this course until the thesis is submitted for binding.

CS 5299B. Thesis.

CS 5300. Professional Development of Graduate Assistants.

This course is designed to develop and enhance the professional and technical skills of graduate teaching and instructional assistants. Topics covered may include, but are not limited to, teaching skills, technical skills, ethical and legal issues, and laboratory management. This course does not earn graduate degree credit.

CS 5301. Programming Practicum.

This course provides an intensive review of programming through data structures. Topics include syntax, semantics, problem-solving, and algorithm development. Credit for this course cannot be applied to a graduate degree.

CS 5302. Foundations of Data Structures and Algorithm Design.

This course serves as a foundation course for computer science master's degree students who need reinforcement of fundamental concepts covered by CS 3358 . This course does not earn graduate degree credit.

CS 5303. Foundations of Computer Architecture.

This foundation course for CS master's degree students who need CS 3339 concept reinforcement covers fundamental hardware components. Topics include ALUs, single and multiple cycle datapath and control, RISC vs. CISC, pipelining, caches, I/O, virtual memory, and related performance issues. It may be repeated once and is non-graduate degree credit. Prerequisite: Instructor Approval.

CS 5305. Foundations of Operating Systems.

This course serves as a foundation course for computer science master's students who need reinforcement of fundamental concepts covered by CS 4328 . Topics include the principles of operating systems, central processing unit scheduling algorithms, memory management, cooperating sequential processes, and device management. Credit for this course cannot be applied to a graduate degree.

CS 5306. Advanced Operating Systems.

This course provides a study of modern operating systems, including network, distributed, and real-time systems.

CS 5310. Network and Communication Systems.

This course provides a study of network and communication systems. Students will be required to perform verification and implementation of protocols.

CS 5316. Data Mining.

This course covers fundamental concepts and techniques, plus recent developments in data mining and information retrieval. It provides relevant research training and practice opportunities. May not be taken for credit if the student has received credit for CS 4315 .

CS 5318. Principles of Programming Languages.

This course focuses on the principles of programming languages. Topics covered include programming paradigms, concepts of programming languages, formal syntax and semantics, and language implementation issues.

CS 5326. Advanced Studies in Human Factors of Computer Science.

This course provides a professional-level presentation of techniques and research findings related to human-computer interactions.

CS 5329. Algorithm Design and Analysis.

This course provides an introduction to algorithm design and analysis, computational complexity, and NP-completeness theory.

CS 5331. Crafting Compilers.

Overview of the internal structure of modern compilers. Research on compilation techniques. Topics include lexical scanning, parsing techniques, static type checking, code generation, dataflow analysis, storage management, and execution environments.

CS 5332. Data Base Theory and Design.

This course covers computer system organization for the management of data. Topics include data models, data model theory, optimization and normalization, integrity constraints, query languages, and intelligent database systems.

CS 5334. Advanced Internet Information Processing.

This course integrates popular scripting and database programming languages to provide advanced information processing for Internet applications that demand database support and sophisticated, application-specific information processing. Prerequisite: CS 5332 with a grade of "C" or better.

CS 5338. Formal Languages.

This course covers advanced topics in automata theory, grammars, Turing machines, decidability, and algorithmic complexity. A strong background in both data structures and discrete mathematics is required.

CS 5341. Advanced Network Programming.

Study of advanced concepts and programming skills in computer networks such as advanced TCP/IP, API, multicasting and broadcasting, reliable communications, advanced I/O functions and options. Prerequisite: CS 5310 with a grade of "C" or better.

CS 5343. Wireless Communications and Networks.

Study of the fundamental aspects of wireless communications and ireless/mobile networks, introduction of wireless/mobile networking APIs. Prerequisites: CS 3358 with a grade of "B" or better and CS 5310 with a grade of "C" or better.

CS 5346. Advanced Artificial Intelligence.

This course covers knowledge representation, knowledge engineering, parallel and distributed artificial intelligence (AI), heuristic searches, machine learning and intelligent databases, and implementation of systems in high-level AI languages.

CS 5351. Parallel Processing.

This course provides an introduction to the design and analysis of parallel algorithms, parallel architectures, and computers.

CS 5352. Distributed Computing.

This course provides studies in advanced topics in distributed systems: concurrency control and failure recovery, management of replicated data, distributed consensus and fault tolerance, remote procedure calls, naming, and security.

CS 5369B. Computer Vision.

This course covers the basic and recent topics in computer vision. Topics include classic computer vision features, object tracking and recognition, detection and segmentation, camera models, and image and video retrieval.

CS 5369G. Web Service Engineering.

Advanced concepts and techniques for enabling Web application integration and interaction using Semantic Web and Web services. Concepts and techniques include service discovery ontology (RDF, DAML-S), XML-based interactions standards (ebXML, RossettaNet) and Web Services (WSDL, SOAP, UDDI, BPEL).

CS 5369J. Advanced Human Computer Interaction.

This course will cover state of the art human computer interaction topics such as perceptual compression, eye-gaze, and brain computer interfaces with emphasis on the human visual system, eye-tracking, and electroencephalography.

CS 5369L. Machine Learning and Applications.

Provides broad introduction to machine learning, including learning theory, and recent topics like support vector machines and feature selection. Covers basic ideas, intuition, and understanding behind modern machine learning methods. Discusses applications like face recognition, text recognition, biometrics, bioinformatics, and multimedia retrieval.

CS 5369M. Software Evolution and Maintenance.

Software evolution and maintenance is one of the most important and complex activities in software engineering. Programmers rarely build software from scratch but often modify existing software to fix defects or add new features. This course studies the fundamentals of cutting-edge techniques and tools for software evolution and maintenance.

CS 5369Q. Recommender Systems.

This course covers various concepts of recommender systems, including personalization algorithms, evaluation tools, and user experiences. Discussion of how recommender systems are deployed in business applications, design of new recommender experiences, and how to conduct and evaluate research in recommender systems. Cannot take for credit if already took CS 4379Q .

CS 5369Y. Green Computing.

Reducing mobile device, cloud computing platform, and supercomputer energy consumption is a paramount, daunting problem. This course covers state-of-the-art green computing research, including energy-efficient hardware and software design, power-aware resource management and storage solutions, green data centers and mobile computing. Cannot be taken for credit if received CS 4379Y credit.

CS 5369Z. Distributed Ledger Systems and Blockchains: Theory and Applications.

This course covers fundamental concepts underlying the design, implementation, research, and applications of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) systems (e.g., blockchains). It introduces implementations, applications, and performance evaluation of DLT systems. Additionally, through homework projects, the students will be introduced to current research on DLT systems and perform independent study and small-scale research on selected topics. Course topics include cryptography encryption, security, anonymity, cryptographic data structures, DLT performance evaluation, DLT applications, and current DLT research.

CS 5375. Multimedia Computing.

This course provides a study of the digital representation and processing of the three principal multimedia data types: image, audio, and video. Standards, storage media, and compression techniques for the three data types are covered.

CS 5378. Advanced Computer Security.

This course covers various aspects of producing secure computer information systems that provide guaranteed controlled sharing. Emphasis is on software models and design, including discovery and prevention of computing systems security vulnerabilities. Current systems and methods are examined and critiqued.

CS 5388. Advanced Computer Graphics.

This course covers the algorithms and data structures used in representing and processing visual data.

CS 5389. Graphical User Interfaces.

This course covers both abstract and practical treatments of using graphics to implement interactive computer/human interfaces. It includes a survey of the major GUI standards and tools.

CS 5391. Survey of Software Engineering.

The course covers the software life cycle, emphasizing system analysis and design, including a survey of methodologies based on data flows and objects. The course includes a professional ethics component.

CS 5392. Formal Methods in Software Engineering.

The use of design and specification languages in producing software systems. Emphasis is placed on proving correctness of designs and implementations.

CS 5393. Software Quality.

The latter half of the software life cycle is discussed. Topics include testing, performance evaluation, and software metrics. Appropriate software tools are studied and used.

CS 5394. Advanced Software Engineering Project.

Students produce a software project of significant size in a team environment. All aspects of the software engineering course sequence are integrated and put into practice.

CS 5395. Independent Study in Advanced Computer Science.

Open to graduate students on an independent basis by arrangement with the faculty member concerned. Course is not repeatable for credit. Prerequisite: CS 3358 with a grade of "C" or better.

CS 5396. Advanced Software Engineering Processes and Methods.

The essentials of software engineering processes, methods, and tools for the evolutionary design of complex interactive software are discussed. Overviews of other topics like quality concepts, SEI CMM, information technology, and network technology are covered. Student completes a literature survey of the latest software engineering analysis and design processes, methods, and tools.

CS 5399A. Thesis.

This course represents a student’s initial thesis enrollment. No thesis credit is awarded until the student has completed the thesis in CS 5399B .

CS 5399B. Thesis.

This course represents a student’s continuing thesis enrollment. The student continues to enroll in this course until the thesis is submitted for binding.

CS 5599B. Thesis.

CS 5999B. Thesis.

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