Master's in Computing

Computing is a broad-based family of disciplines that includes computer science, computer engineering, software engineering, information systems and information technology. The computing master's program allows the student to pursue studies in any combination of these disciplines. Students may pursue the degree on a full-time or part-time basis with many courses offered in the evenings and online.

The flexibility of the MS in Computing program allows you to shape a course of study that matches your career interests and goals. You choose courses from any graduate program on campus that relates to computing and your career goals. This includes the departments found in Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Management, Health, and Nursing, to name a few.

Within the program we believe you ought to have a primary and secondary emphasis in mind that reflects your interests. You primary career focus should include at least 12 semester hours of work and the secondary career interest should be at lease 6 semester hours.

While the MS in Computing program offers specializations, we do not require one. Unless you choose one of the specializations, we do not prescribe a set of courses that you must choose. We do offer some suggestions that align well with current career positions.

• Business Intelligence and Analytics
• Database Analysis/Administration/Architecture
• Information Security
• Mobile Computing
• System/Enterprise Architecture
• Software Development/Software Engineering
• Healthcare Information Technology
• Build Your Own

The reliance on digital information in the enterprise has increased the criticality of the computing infrastructure. The news of successful attacks on the infrastructure has increased the awareness security. As a result, there is an growing need to provide the knowledge for careers in security and information assurance. Our specialization includes courses that focus on Cyber Security and it guides you through courses in databases, networks, and systems that have been designed to treat the security concerns in each of these fundamental areas of computing. The result is knowledge to understand and defend against attacks in each of the fundamental areas of the infrastructure. This option requires practical experience gained through a practicum.

The goal of our academic activities in Information Assurance (IA) and Cyber Defense (CD) is to promote knowledge, research and careers in securing the nation's critical infrastructure. Our research and community outreach promote understanding the needs, threats, and defensive actions that can be used to protect technical infrastructure. Our degree specialization responds to the regional and national need to prepare a growing number of IA/CD professionals to reduce vulnerabilities in the nation’s infrastructure. At the third annual State of Wisconsin Cyber security Summit on the Marquette campus, there was a focus on power grids, information databases, communications networks, and utilities, but the underlying theme was expanding knowledge.Our specialization in Information Assurance and Cyber Defense is designed to establish the knowledge about cyber security planning and management and cyber issues and defenses for networks, databases, and computing infrastructure. The required courses for this specialization reflect this broad technical perspective. While studying theory and performing classroom exercises serve to provide foundational knowledge, practical experience reinforces understanding. Our program requires students to demonstrate their understanding through a practical, professional experience. Here are the requirements for this specialization:

SPECIALIZATION: Information Assurance and Cyber Defense

• MSCS 6050: Introduction to Cybersecurity
• MSCS 6060: Principles of Service Management and System Administration
• MSCS 5300 Networks and Internets
• An elective chosen from MSCS 6355 Mobile Computing, MSCS 5800 Principles of Database Systems, or MSCS 6380 Advanced Database Systems (3 semester hours)
• MSCS 6964 Practicum for Research and Development in Computing or MSCS 6998 Professional Project in Mathematics Statistics and Computer Science or MSCS 6965 Curriculum Integrated Practicum

Research Interests

• Network protocol design and analysis
• Network topology modeling
• Security of the Internet routing protocols
• Security of physical-cyber systems
• Security, privacy and trust for mobile and ubiquitous computing
• Ethics and Privacy
• Secure storage

Organizations have come to realize that data can provide the knowledge to guide decisions. Call it Data Science, Predictive Analytics, Big Data, or Advanced Analytics, businesses and scientists are looking to analyze more data using new technology. There are several important technologies being brought together in this dynamic environment.

• To be useful internal and external data must be accessed, integrated, and managed Large volumes of data encoded into a variety of structures arrive with a velocity that requires specialized data handling knowledge.
• Visualization of data has become an important step in the exploration of data before performing analysis.
• The analysis of data requires knowledge of modelling in terms of logic, mathematics and statistics.
• Machine learning technology incorporated into data and text mining provides automation of the construction of models based on the information hidden in the data.

With a strong focus on business applications, this specialization provides computing professionals and business analysts the knowledge to define the processes and systems that will enhance the performance of their organizations through exploration and exploitation of data.

The requirements for these specialization can be found in the Graduate School Bulletin.

Your new career starts now. 

Our latest career change initiative is an option we call COSMIC (Career Change Start MS in Computing). This is identified as a specialization for Career Change Opportunity in the application process and the Graduate Bulletin. COSMIC begins with a study of the Foundations of Computing to prepare you for our MS in Computing program. Students in this program must enroll in 35 additional credits after the Foundations course and meet all of the graduation requirements to complete the program.

Learn the skills needed to make a career change into the thriving digital economy with Marquette University’s two-year graduate program in IT.

The number of computer and information technology jobs is projected to grow 12 percent, to 4.4 million jobs, by 2024. These are high-paying jobs with a median annual wage of more than $80,000 for computer and information technology occupations*.

In today’s technology-driven world, employers are placing a greater emphasis on cloud computing, the collection and storage of big data, the demand for mobile computing, and more everyday items being connected to the internet.

Computing professionals are the people behind the GPS in your car, the smartphone in your hand or the iPad in your office. The Master of Science in Computing program provides students a smooth transition from a liberal arts or science background to a career in computing.

^{*U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}

Career Opportunities

• Application Developer/Programmer
• Software Engineer
• Cyber Security Specialist
• Systems Analyst
• Enterprise/Solutions Architect
• Big Data Analytics
• Business Intelligence Engineer

More information can be found on the Computer Science Department website.