Computer Science, M.S.C.S.

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Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Computing (AI)

Department of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Computing
Major Contacts, Deadlines, and Delivery Information

Also offered as a Bachelor’s/Master’s Pathways

This major shares a core with the Computer Science and Engineering M.S.C.S.E.

The Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS) program offers a dynamic and comprehensive curriculum designed for students seeking to deepen their expertise in computing and technology. With a focus on both foundational principles and advanced topics, the program provides opportunities to specialize in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, computing hardware and sensors, human-centered computing, networks and computing systems. Students opting for the thesis option engage in hands-on projects, cutting-edge research, and real-world applications, fostering innovation and critical thinking. Graduates of the MSCS program are well-equipped to excel in the fast-paced tech industry, pursue a PhD studies, or lead in interdisciplinary fields where computing drives progress.

Major Research Areas:
The major areas of computer science include, but not limited to, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), Computer Vision, Natural Language Processing, Robotics, Human-Centered Computing, Human Computer Interaction, Networking and Distributed Systems, Computer Architecture, and Software Engineering.

Admission Information

Must meet University Admission and English Proficiency requirements as well as requirements for admission to the major, listed below.

The GRE is required except for US domestic applicants with an undergraduate degree from ABET-accredited degree programs, or from a Carnegie R1 university, or for applicants who have successfully completed USF Pathway to Computing (PTC) Graduate Certificate
Three letters of recommendation.
Statement of purpose.
Resume.
PDF of unofficial GRE Scores.
PDF of unofficial transcripts.
PDF of English proficiency, if needed.
Students applying to this program are expected to have a solid foundation in mathematics and core areas of computer science and computer engineering, such as logic design, computer architecture, data structures, operating systems, and algorithms.
Applicants without the required background in computing must complete the Pathway to Computing (PTC) Graduate Certificate Graduate prior to taking the rest of the coursework in the curriculum. This certificate helps them acquire the necessary mathematical and computing foundations. Must maintain an overall 3.0 GPA in all referenced graduate certificate coursework. PTC courses cannot be counted as electives toward the degree. (Note: PTC is a program with a different tuition rate.)

Curriculum Requirements

Total Minimum hours: 30 hours*

• Pathway to Computing (PTC) Graduate Certificate – 15 Credit Hours (Note: PTC is a program with a different tuition rate.)**

Shared Core Requirements - 6 Credit Hours
Additional Required Courses - 3 Credit Hours
Electives - 12 Credit Hours
Non-thesis Option - additional 9 Credit hours of electives
Thesis Option - 9 Credit Hours Minimum

*Students with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field from an accredited institution complete a minimum of 30 credit hours.

**Students without a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field from an accredited institution complete a minimum of 45 credit hours, including the Pathway to Computing Graduate Certificate coursework.

Shared Core Requirements (6 Credit Hours)

Successful completion with a letter grade “B” or better of the two core graduate-level courses is required.

EEL 6764 Principles of Computer Architecture Credit Hours: 3
COT 6405 Introduction to the Theory of Algorithms Credit Hours: 3

Additional Required Courses (3 Credit Hours)

Successful completion with a letter grade “B” or better:
COP 6611 Operating Systems Credit Hours: 3

Electives (12 Credit Hours Minimum)

Students in the non-thesis option complete a minimum of 21 credit hours.
Students in the thesis option complete a minimum of 12 credit hours.

With prior permission from the Graduate Director, students can take a maximum of 3 hours of Independent Study or Internship, a maximum of three (3) hours of one-hour seminar courses, and up to one graduate level course (3 credit hours) outside of the department.

Students must select at least 12 hours from the list of available graduate elective courses in consultation with the Graduate Director or individual advisor.

Non-thesis students need to take a minimum of six (6) credits from the list of electives that are software related in the following topic areas: advanced algorithms, compilers, databases, parallel computing and distributed systems, computer security, data mining, machine learning, programming languages, or software engineering, as determined by the Graduate Director and documented in the Plan of Work.

Examples of Courses:
CAI 5005 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence Credit Hours: 3
CAI 5107 Machine Learning Credit Hours: 3
CAI 5133 Social Media Mining Credit Hours: 3
CAI 5135 Data Mining Credit Hours: 3
CAI 5205 Deep Learning Credit Hours: 3
CAI 5307 Natural Language Processing Credit Hours: 3
CAI 5615 Affective Computing Credit Hours: 3
CAI 5815 Autonomous Mobile Robots Credit Hours: 3
CAI 5845 Computer Vision Credit Hours: 3
CAI 5846 Digital Image Processing Credit Hours: 3
CAI 6605 Trustworthy AI Systems Credit Hours: 3
CAP 5745 Interactive Data Visualization Credit Hours: 3
CAP 6100 Human Computer Interface Credit Hours: 3
CAP 6101 Mobile Biometrics Credit Hours: 3
CAP 6109 Brain-Computer Interfaces Credit Hours: 3
CAP 6110 Augmented Reality Credit Hours: 3
CAP 6455 Advanced Robotic Systems Credit Hours: 3
CAP 6736 Geometric Modeling Credit Hours: 3
CDA 5416 Computer System Verification Credit Hours: 3
CDA 6328 Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems Credit Hours: 3
CIS 6214 Privacy-Preserving and Trustworthy Cyber-Infrastructures Credit Hours: 3
CIS 6373 Foundations of Software Security Credit Hours: 3
COP 6021 Programming Languages: Design and Analysis Credit Hours: 3
COP 6527 Computing in Massively Parallel Systems Credit Hours: 3
COP 6625 Compilers Credit Hours: 3
COP 6712 Database Management Systems Credit Hours: 3
EEL 5771 Introduction to Computer Graphics I Credit Hours: 3
CIS 6900 Independent Study Credit Hours: 1-19
CIS 6930 Special Topics Credit Hours: 1-5
taken as:
- Distributed Systems (3 credit hours for this program)
- Topics in NLP (3 credit hours for this program)
- Social Network Analysis (3 credit hours for this program)
- Security & Privacy in ML (3 credit hours for this program)
- Hardware Accelerators for ML (3 credit hours for this program)
- Computational Geometry (3 credit hours for this program)
- Computational Methods for Imaging (3 credit hours for this program)
- Smart & Connected Health (3 credit hours for this program)
- Quantum Computing & Algorithms (3 credit hours for this program)
- Emerging Topics in Net Security (3 credit hours for this program)
- CMOS-VLSI Design (3 credit hours for this program)
- Wireless & Mobile Computing (3 credit hours for this program)
- Practical Hardware Security (3 credit hours for this program)
- Seminar in AI (1 credit hour for this program)
CIS 6946 Internships/Practicums/Clinical Practice Credit Hours: 0-3
Or other graduate course approved by the Graduate Director

Thesis Option (9 Credit Hours Minimum)

The thesis option requires nine (9) credit hours of thesis in computer science related problems, as determined by the Major Professor and documented in the Plan of Work.

CIS 6971 Thesis: Master’s Credit Hours: 2-19 (9 Credit Hours Minimum)

Non-Thesis Option (9 Credit Hours Minimum)

The non-thesis option requires an additional nine (9) credit hours of graduate level electives for a total of 21 credit hours of electives selected in consultation with the Graduate Director.

Comprehensive Exam

For students taking the thesis option, the requirement for a comprehensive exam is satisfied by the successful completion and defense of the thesis. Non-thesis option students must pass the comprehensive exam in the semester prior to the semester of graduation.

Exit Survey

All students are required to complete the college exit survey.

University of South Florida

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