September 14, 2010
NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN COMPUTER SCIECNE PROGRAM (MSCS)
DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND SOFTWARE ENGINEERING (CSSE)
Department Overview
• Computer Science and Software Engineering (CSSE)
• Launched the new MSCS program!
• Population
– Undergraduate students 64
– Graduate students
• Master of Software Engineering 50
• Master of Science in Computer Science 12
– Full-time Faculty 9
Overview of the MSCS Program
• The first class starts at Fall 2010!
• Classes are offered at late afternoons and evenings on weekdays, serving both
– Full-time students (complete in 5 quarters)
– Part-time students (complete in 3 years)
• Provides advanced study in CS for students
with a substantial background in the discipline – Need to complete 4 pre-requisites
Curriculum Overview
• Balanced curriculum: theoretic foundations + practical applications
• Breadth (a wide range of topics)
– Algorithms and theory of computation, operating systems, networks, artificial intelligence,
distributed computing, …
• Depth (in chosen area of concentration) – Graduate projects + electives
Elective Required Algorithms CPSC 510 Software System Design CPSC 532 Computer Systems CPSC 545 Project CPSC 586 Research Project CPSC 587 Design Patterns CPSC 522 Software Testing & Debugging CPSC 534 Distributed Systems CPSC 544 Computer Networks CPSC 560 Computer Graphics CPSC 565 Artificial Intelligence CPSC 570 Security in Computing CPSC 572
Physical Database Design & Optimization CPSC 571
Compiler Principles & Techniques CPSC 585
Special Topics: CPSC 591 - 593 Human-Computer Interaction SEGR 523 Software Testing SEGR 534 Applied Formal Methods SEGR 543 Distributed Computing SEGR 550 Embedded Systems SEGR 551 Artificial Intelligence SEGR 553 Additional Breadth Courses Internship (3 credits) CPSC 595 Breadth Courses Core Courses Project General Electives MSCS Degree (45 credits) 12 credits 15 credits 9-10 credits 8-9 credits
General Electives vs. MSE Electives
• Some MSE electives can be used as MSCS general electives:
SEGR 523 Human-Computer Interaction SEGR 534 Software Testing
SEGR 543 Applied Formal Methods SEGR 550 Distributed Computing SEGR 551 Embedded Systems SEGR 553 Artificial Intelligence SEGR 572 Software Security
• Caution
– MSE electives are 3-credit courses
What Classes to Take?
Graduate Projects
• Two types (must choose one)
– Software implementation projects
• Enhance programming skills
• Hands-on experience in system design and implementation – Research projects
• Conduct research in a specific topic (individual project) • Result in a technical paper suitable for publication
• Preparation for research careers or Ph.D. study
• Supervised by a faculty member
• 9 – 10 credits (CPSC 586/587)
• Span 2 – 3 quarters
About Pre-requisite Courses
• 4 pre-requisites: CPSC 310, 320, 341, and 370
• Must complete all pre-requisites within the first year of the program
• Check course dependency! – E.g., CPSC 545 vs. CPSC 341
– E.g., CPSC 510 vs. CPSC 310
– Consult with your advisor and the course instructor
Fall 2010 Courses
Prerequisites
• Undergrad:
CPSC 341 OS & Networks
MSCS courses
• Core:
CPSC 510 Algorithms
• Breadth Elective:
Winter 2011 Courses
Prerequisites
• Undergrad:
CPSC 320 OO-Design CPSC 370 Databases
MSCS courses
• Core:
CPSC 532 Software Design
• Breadth Elective:
CPSC 560 Computer Networks CPSC 565 Computer Graphics
Important Rules
• Transfer credits limited to 10
• Non-Matriculated credits limited to 12
• Up to 9 MSE credits can be used as MSCS General Electives
• A maximum of 3 credits used as General Electives
– CPSC 595 Internship
– CPSC 596 Independent Study
– CPSC 599 Directed Research
A Few More …
• 6 Year Limit
– All requirements must be completed within six years after course work is begun
• SU has an academic honesty code
– See SU Graduate Bulletin of Information
• Must maintain a Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better
• Must attain a grade of C or better in all courses
– Courses Graded C- or below must be repeated
– Graduate projects requires B- or better!
• You must apply for graduation
International Students
• Must maintain a full-time status except for the graduating quarter
• Some full-time international students may need additional courses to fulfill their visa
requirements beyond the 45 credits required by the program
Communication/Grades
• All students have SU email accounts for registration and grades
– May be activated on the 3rd floor in ENGR 313
• Grades posted online
– If you need a hard copy fill out form and return to Michael Smith
SU Graduate Student Council
• http://www.seattleu.edu/gsc/
• Improve the graduate student experience
• Communicate the needs and ideas of the graduate students to the University
Online Resources
• SUOnline – http://www.suonline.edu
– Registration
• Search for classes – Billing
– Grades/Transcripts
– Program Evaluation
– Enrollment Verification
– Application for Graduation
– …
• Department website
– Announcements
– Contact information
People
Department Chair:
Dr. R. LeBlanc Engr 527
Tel: (206) 296-5511
Academic Advisor:
Dr. Y. Zhu Engr 530
Tel: (206) 296-5515
General Questions:
Mr. Mike Smith Engr 526
Tel: (206) 296-5510
MSDNAA and other IT Questions:
Mr. Renny Philipose Engr 413B
Tel: (206) 296-5514
Student Life
• Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Club
• Graduate Student Council
• Society of Women Engineers
