The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences

Computer Science

About the Program

The M.S. in Computer Science, through course-work and thesis options, lets students strengthen their foundational education, prepare for technical careers in industry, or prepare for advanced study at the doctoral level.

The doctoral program in Computer Science prepares students for research and teaching careers in academia and for research and technical careers in industry and government. The department’s faculty work in the areas of algorithms, artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, computer and network security, database systems, data mining, distributed algorithms, distributed systems, information assurance, information retrieval, machine learning, natural language processing, networking, non-standard parallel computing and parallel algorithms.

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Program Contact: Ray Essick – ray.essick@georgetown.edu

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Degrees Offered

Accelerated program (Georgetown students only)

Admissions Requirements

For general graduate admissions requirements, visit the Office of Graduate Admission’s Application Information page. Review the program’s website for additional information on program application requirements.

Application Materials required:

Applicants to the Master of Science program must have a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited academic institution in computer science, computer engineering, information systems, electrical engineering or a closely related field. Candidates must have taken basic courses in programming, data structures, computer hardware and mathematics, such as discrete mathematics, calculus, linear algebra, probability and statistics. They must have a grade-point average of at least 3.0 in their undergraduate studies. Applicants can submit GRE scores if they would like to, and foreign applicants must take the TOEFL.

Prospective applicants to the Master’s program without the requisite background in computer science and mathematics may enter the program only after taking preparatory courses in computer science and mathematics at another university or at Georgetown. Such applicants must take or have taken the following courses or their equivalents: an introductory programming course, such as COSC-072 in C++ or COSC-175 in Java, Data Structures (COSC-173) and Hardware Fundamentals (COSC-250). They must also take or have taken one course in mathematics beyond integral calculus, such as multivariate calculus (MATH-137) or linear algebra (MATH-150). Students must have a grade-point average of at least 3.0 for these classes, which will not count toward the Master’s degree. Only after completing this preparation may students enter the Master’s program in computer science.

Applicants to the Doctor of Philosophy program must have a strong academic background and hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree from an accredited academic institution in computer science, computer engineering, information systems, electrical engineering or a closely related field. Candidates must have taken courses in data structures, computer hardware, algorithms, and mathematics, such as discrete structures, calculus, linear algebra, probability and statistics. Ideally, applicants will have conducted and published research through experiences at work or in undergraduate or graduate studies.

Application Deadlines

Ph.D. Program

M.S. Program

Degree Requirements

Master’s Program

These students may elect to complete the requirements of the M.S. degree by taking 10 courses or by taking eight courses and writing a thesis. All students must take Algorithms (COSC-531) and Architecture (COSC-560). Students pursuing the coursework option take a total of eight electives to complete the degree. Up to two courses from another department may be substituted for similarly numbered electives, provided that the courses support the student’s plan of study and have been approved by the student’s faculty advisor.

Students choosing to write a thesis complete the same requirements, but they substitute a graduate thesis research class for two electives. These students must maintain a grade-point average of 3.4 or higher as well as select an advisor, form a committee, submit a thesis proposal, conduct the proposed research, write a thesis describing their study and finding and defend the thesis in a public presentation.

Doctoral Program

The program requires full-time enrollment and also usually requires four to five years to complete. Students with a master’s degree or prior graduate work in computer science may qualify for advanced standing in the program.