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CSE Grad Handbook - Requirements

The total course of instruction includes a minimum of 31 credit hours. Students must complete both research and advanced coursework requirements. The research requirement includes four hours of formal coursework related to research and a minimum of nine hours of thesis research. The coursework requirement includes 18 hours of graduate level coursework. All students in the program are expected to attend thesis proposal and defense presentations as well as other research presentations while enrolled in the program.

2 - Requirements

2.1 Research Requirements

The research requirement includes four hours of structured preparation of students to conduct, evaluate, and document Computer Science research followed by a minimum of nine credit hours of thesis research.

  • CSE 601 Computer Science Research Methods (3)
  • CSE 602 Emerging Topics in Computer Science (1)
  • Nine credit hours of CSE 700 Research for Master's Thesis (9)

Students must be successful in formally proposing and presenting a research problem in order to pass CSE 602. All students must write and successfully defend a Master's Thesis in order to graduate from the program.

2.2 Course Requirements

Students must complete 18 hours of graduate-level coursework. All 500 and 600-level CSE courses are acceptable for fulfilling this requirement, with the exception of CSE 566, 600, 601, 602, 609, 610, 611, 630, and 640.

  • Students must complete at least three courses (nine hours) that are at or above the 600 level.
  • Students must earn a grade of ‘C’ or higher in all courses taken to meet degree requirements.

For a complete list of courses that meet the course requirements please visit the Program Requirements section of the Master of Science in Computer Science in the Miami Bulletin available at

https://bulletin.miamioh.edu/graduate-fields-study/computer-science/

Course List:

  • CSE 501 Software Quality Assurance and Testing (3)
  • CSE 511 Introduction to Model-Driven Software Engineering (3)
  • CSE 532 Machine Learning (3)
  • CSE 543 High Performance Computing & Parallel Programming (3)
  • CSE 551 Web Services and Service Oriented Architectures (3)
  • CSE 564 Algorithms (3)
  • CSE 565 Comparative Programming Languages (3)
  • CSE 567 Computer and Network Security (3)
  • CSE 570 Special Topics (3)
  • CSE 573 Automata, Formal Languages, and Computability (3)
  • CSE 574 Compiler Design (3)
  • CSE 584 Algorithms II (3)
  • CSE 585 Advanced Database Systems (3)
  • CSE 586 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (3)
  • CSE 587 Game Design and Implementation (3)
  • CSE 588 Image Processing & Computer Vision (3)
  • CSE 589 Advanced Graphics and Game Engine Design (3)
  • CSE 616 Simulation of Physical Systems (3)
  • CSE 617 Advanced Networks (3)
  • CSE 618 Graphics for Simulation and Virtual Environments (3)
  • CSE 620 Special Topics in Computer Science Applications (3)
  • CSE 621 Foundations of Software Engineering (3)
  • CSE 627 Machine Learning (3)
  • CSE 650 Special Topics in Computer Science Theory (3)
  • CSE 664 Advanced Algorithms (3)
  • CSE 667 Cryptography (3)
  • CSE 671 Software Quality (3)
  • CSE 690 Graduate Research (3)
2.2.1 Taking Courses outside the CSE Department

In many cases, thesis research may require specialized knowledge that is not covered by courses listed in the coursework requirements. Graduate level courses chosen in consultation with the student’s research advisor may be counted towards the coursework requirements for the degree if approved by the department Graduate Director. Approval should be obtained before taking each of the courses.

2.2.2 CSE Classes Taken Before Entering the Program

If a graduate student of another department takes CSE graduate courses and later applies to the CSE graduate program, at most three (nine credit hours) of the previously taken CSE courses will be counted towards the student’s CSE master degree requirements. Such courses must be taken for graduate credit, not undergraduate.

2.2.3 CSE Classes Taken at Another Institution

Credits earned toward another master’s degree or from another school may be applied toward the MSCS degree.  Consult the publication A Handbook for Graduate Students and Faculty for additional information regarding transfer credits and discuss the possible transfer of credits with the Director of the Graduate Program.  All transfer credits must be approved by the Computer Science and Software Engineering Graduate Committee.

2.2.4 Grades and Credit/No Credit Courses

All CSE courses other than CSE 600 and CSE 610 must be taken for a letter grade in order to be used to satisfy the degree requirements. CSE 600 (Independent Study) and CSE 610 (Research Seminar) are offered for credit/no credit only.   

2.3 Final Exam Requirements

Miami University specifies that Master’s students should “pass a final examination that covers the entire field of their graduate study” (See 4.1.A.4 of the Handbook for Graduate Students and Faculty). For all students in the MSCS program, the “final exam” is an oral exam that takes the form of a public presentation and defense of the student’s thesis.

Students that fail their final exam may retake the exam once, after a waiting period of at least 30 days. For this reason, it is recommended that students schedule their first attempt at their final exam at least 30 days before the date that they plan to leave campus. Students that fail a second time will be dismissed from the program.

2.4 Minimum GPA Requirement

The minimum grade point average (GPA) required by the Graduate School for an advanced degree is 3.0 in both the courses in the major and total grade point average.  The computation of the GPA includes all graduate courses.  If your GPA falls below 3.0 you will be placed on academic probation. See Section 1.3.B of A Handbook for Graduate Faculty and Students for details.