The following are frequent questions that pertain to the M.S. in Computing Program. There may be additional information of a more general nature that applies to all the degrees. See resources for additional information.

Why pursue the M.S. in Computing?

The M.S. in Computing assists students in adding depth and breadth of knowledge of computing technology and technology management to grow careers. The program is based on a strategy that includes:

A strong academic program with flexibility for students of varying backgrounds and interests
An integrated approach that combines the study of technology and technology management
Recognition that deep knowledge and soft skills are more important than "geek speak"
The development of skills for technology evaluation and application
A curriculum that is based upon the needs of the student and confirmed by the support of enterprise leaders

Who is it for?

This degree program is aimed at two groups: the prospective career-changing student and the practicing professional who senses the need for more depth and breadth of knowledge to enhance career growth. The program can be taken on a full-time or part-time basis. A non-degree option is available for professionals looking to strengthen their knowledge by raking selective classes offered by any of the cooperating departments.

What are your classes like?

Students may select computer science, computer engineering, information technology, and technology management courses offered by the Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science (MSCS), the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (EECE), and the Graduate School of Management, Information Technology (INTE) courses. Courses in other schools and departments may be added to a program when they make sense for the students. For a complete listing of pre-approved classes go to the Approved Courses page.

Our classes not only teach you how to use the concepts of computer science to identify strategic information technology that delivers business success but they also teach you how to advocate, develop, and deliver the technology.

"One of our measures of quality of instruction is what you are able to accomplish in your work perhaps several years after completing our program."
--George Corliss, faculty and founding Director

How do you assess the program?

We assess our program based on the following program learning outcomes.

Upon completion of the program students will be able to:

Appraise relationships among a variety of computing practices and technologies to create integrated solutions to computing problems.
Communicate computing problems and suggested solutions to other professionals and with business clients.
Formulate and defend realistic and detailed designs for solutions of problems of enterprise scope.
Evaluate and apply common standards for technology and technology management.

What about online classes?

We have recently added online classes to the M.S. in Computing program. We offer many popular classes online using asynchronous or hybrid formats. Asynchronous courses are comprised of readings, videos, assignments, and discussion boards. They do not have prescribed meeting times and they provide the greatest flexibility for the student. Web conference facilities deliver lectures to students who are off campus. We add additional offerings based on student interests. We are committed to the online format for two primary reasons:

As a practicing professional, you will be expected to be able to read, comprehend, analyze and apply information found online about technology, products and practices. The experience gained in online classes helps prepare you for the self-study that you will be required to do.
Online classes provide increased flexibility particularly for many of our students who are employed in full-time jobs while taking classes.

How does Computing compare with the Computational Sciences degree program?

The master's degree in computing is intended as a terminal professional masters degree leading to careers typically in applications development, software engineering, service delivery, architecture and information technology management.

The master's degree in computational sciences complements the master's in computing by offering a choice for students seeking more mathematical content or preparation for a doctoral program or a research career. There are significant differences in the degree requirements:

Students in the computational sciences program must complete an essay or thesis.
There are 18 credits of core courses required in the computational sciences master's program. The computational sciences core includes courses in probability, simulation, applied analysis, and applied linear algebra (MSCS 6010-6040). The computational sciences program therefore expects students have the background to complete four courses in mathematics and statistics, in addition to studying computer science.

While the computing program integrates computer science, computer technology and technology management, computational sciences integrate computer science and mathematics.

Why not call this a Master of Science in Computer Science?

The leading professional organizations in computer science, the ACM and the IEEE Computer Society, along with the Association for Information Systems, described the elements of the Computing Curricula as consisting of the following subdisciplines:

Computer Science,
Computer Engineering,
Software Engineering,
Information Technology and
Information Systems.

We teach computer science in the MSCS department, but the program includes opportunities for courses in all of these disciplines. This is a professional program with a decidedly practical orientation and broad scope. The program leverages both the research perspective of many of the MSCS full-time faculty and the commercial and industrial experience of adjunct instructors. By including course from the college of engineering and the school of management students have the flexibility to choose study of topics most relevant to their interests and careers.

What are the prerequisites?

Many of our courses assume that you can write programs and are comfortable with common data structure concepts. While a professional position in computing may not require you to write programs, programming is one of the experiences expected of computing professionals.

We require prior course work or the equivalent training or experience. We expect you to have experience programming in some modern language. Java, C++, C, Pascal, Python, Lisp, Scheme... are all reasonable alternatives. We expect you to be able to work with data structures such as stacks, queues, lists, graphs, trees, and hash tables. These are the fundamental building blocks of many computer algorithms.

We are happy to consider appropriate experience in lieu of actual coursework. Some students are able to meet the requirements through self-study.

If you do not have the prerequisite knowledge, we offer undergraduate classes to prepare you. However, these classes do not count in the total course requirement of semester hours because they are undergraduate classes. The classes are as follows:

COSC 1010 Introduction to Computer Programming
COSC 2010 Data Structures for Engineering or 2100 Data Structures and Algorithms

The MS in Computing program has no mathematics requirements. We think that mathematics is an excellent background for computing and some of our available classes in MSCS and EECE draw heavily on math. However, many of your classes require no math.

How do you handle BOTH those with Computer Science exposure and those without?

There are several features that work together to achieve handling both groups.

Computer science entrance requirements are minimal. The two areas typically covered in Computer Science undergraduate courses, programming and data structure are the prerequisites. Equivalent experience is acceptable. We have had many students without Computer Science exposure take the prerequisite courses in our undergraduate offerings to get ready for the program.
We offer many courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Under Marquette's system, graduate students are permitted to take up to half their graduate program from courses also available to undergraduates. Hence, the students in the computing program with less computing background will probably take half their program in classes also offered to undergraduate Computer Science majors. Since there are many graduate classes offered, students with more prior academic or work experience will probably take nearly all graduate-level courses.
There are no classes that are required. While we have breadth of study requirements, experience qualifies as an alternative and you have the flexibility to select the classes that meet your needs, your career plans, your experience, and your schedule.

One result of this duality is that not everyone graduates with the same skill set. We take students where they are and move them along. The person who started with the equivalent of an undergraduate Computer Science or Information Technology major graduates with a VERY strong skill set. Those students typically qualify for jobs requiring a few years experience. The person who started with little background grows a lot, but is not at the same place. Those students typically qualify for entry-level jobs, a bit ahead of undergraduate Computer Science or Information Technology students.

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