University of Florida

 
Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering

The CISE Department offers the Master of Science degree through the College of Engineering
and the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
  • M.S. in Computer Science

Master's Program

Master's Degree General Requirements
Master's students may choose between the thesis and the non-thesis options. The total credit hours required for these two options is 30. Up to 9 credits earned from another accredited institution may be transferred and must be applied during the first term of enrollment. For the thesis option, 6 credits of CIS 6971 are required and counted towards the 30-credit requirement. The student should choose one option when the supervisory committee is formed, and any subsequent change in option is subject to approval by the supervisory committee. The Graduate School requires that any change in option be completed at least one full semester prior to the intended date of graduation. (Note that once a student has taken the master's examination or has attempted a thesis defense, the option cannot be changed.)

A student seeking a Master's degree in the College of Engineering may become a candidate for the Master of Engineering degree, provided the student has a bachelor's degree in engineering from an ABET-accredited program or has taken sufficient engineering core course work to meet the minimum requirements specified by ABET. Students who do not meet this requirement will be candidates for the Master of Science degree.

Supervision
Every entering M.S. graduate student should attend the New Student Orientation, usually given right before or at the beginning of Fall or Spring semester. The Graduate Coordinator provides general advisement for all new students upon entering the graduate program.

The student must form a supervisory committee no later than the end of the second semester of enrollment. The committee chairman henceforth becomes the student's advisor. The student should consult the advisor for advice in creating and pursuing a plan of study. For the thesis option, the supervisory committee must consist of three graduate faculty members, at least two (including the chair) of which must be from the CISE Department. For the non-thesis option, the committee must consist of a chair and at least one or more graduate faculty members from the CISE Department.

Course and GPA Requirement
All Master students are required to take the required core courses. Transferring any core course must be approved by the Graduate Affairs Committee. Students are advised to not take more than two core courses during any single term. According to the Graduate School rule, students must maintain a 3.0 overall GPA, as well as a cumulative 3.0 GPA for all courses taken from CISE. In addition, the CISE core course requirements are such that each student can have at most one core course with a grade of "C" or "C+".
Computer Engineering/Computer Science

Required core courses:
Course and Credit Requirement for Thesis Option:
  • 12 CISE graduate core credits.
  • 6 master thesis credits (CIS 6971)
  • 12 other CISE graduate-level credits:
    • Up to 3 credits of CIS 6905.
    • Exclude CIS6910, 6940.
    • With an approval from the Supervisory Committee Chair, up to 6 credits can be taken from outside of CISE.
Course and Credit Requirement for Non-Thesis Option:
  • 12 CISE graduate core credits.
  • 18 other CISE graduate-level credits:
    • Up to 3 credits of CIS 6905.
    • Exclude CIS6910, 6940.
    • With an approval from the Supervisory Committee Chair, up to 6 credits can be taken from outside of CISE.
Digital Arts and Sciences

Required core courses:
Additional core option courses:
  • CAP 5416 Computer Vision
  • CAP 5635 Artificial Intelligence
  • CAP 6701 Advanced Computer Graphics
  • CAP 6402 Aesthetic Computing
  • 5000 or 6000-level DAS oriented course approved by Advisor
Course and Credit Requirement for Thesis Option:
  • 18 CISE graduate core credits.
  • 6 master thesis credits (CIS 6971)
  • 6 additional credits:
    • Either (1) CISE 5000-level or above, or (2) non-CISE 3000-level or above
    • Option (2) requires approval from the Supervisory Committee Chair
Course and Credit Requirement for Non-Thesis Option:
  • 18 CISE graduate core credits.
  • 6 Project/Performance credits (CIS 6905)
  • 6 additional credits:
    • Either (1) CISE 5000-level or above, or (2) non-CISE 3000-level or above
    • Option (2) requires approval from the Supervisory Committee Chair
Master's Examination
All Master's students are required to pass an examination within the six months prior to graduation. Students must register at least 3 credits that are counted towards their degree during the final term in which the degree is received.

Students with thesis option are examined primarily on their thesis topic. The scope of the thesis will be determined by the student's supervisory committee. Each student must request that the oral examination be scheduled, in concurrence with the Supervisory Committee Chair. The examination announcement must be posted by the Student Services Center a minimum two weeks prior to the examination. Committee members must be provided a copy of the thesis one week prior to the examination.

Students with non-thesis option are given a general oral examination. This examination is administered by the Associate Chair of CISE department and is given after students have satisfied all the course and grade requirement and is normally held in conjunction with their Exit Interview.

Applying PhD for CISE Master Students
CISE MS student can apply PhD after two semesters' grades become available. A minimum 3.5 GPA and two reference letters from the supervisory chair and one other graduate faculty member are required. The student's graduate record will be reviewed and evaluated before being allowed to enter the Ph.D. program.

Please visit the Prospective Student link for general admission to the CISE graduate program.

 

Progress Toward Master's Degree
All requirements for the Master's degree shall be completed within five years after enrollment. Full time students are expected to finish their requirements in three years. If a student fails to do this, justification must be given by the student's advisor to continue in the program. At least once per year, the student's advisor should review each student's progress to determine if the student is making satisfactory progress towards the completion of the master degree.

Check List For Masters
First Semester:
  • Apply credit transfer up to 9  hours from graduate courses taken previously to your UF master's program from an accredited institution.
  • Take proper graduate courses.

Second Semester:

  • Select Supervisory Committee Chair, form the committee before the end of the semester.
  • Take proper graduate courses.
  • Apply for entering the PhD program at the end of the semester, if decide to pursue the Ph.D. degree.

Semester Before Graduation:

  • Discuss your plan of graduation with the Supervisory Committee Chair.
  • Check with the Student Services Center to see if all graduation requirements, including appropriate course credits, will be satisfied.

Semester of Graduation:

 


For additional information contact our Graduate Advisors or visit the
CISE Student Services Center
E405 CSE Building