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The department of Computer Science at UMass Boston offers programs in graduate studies leading to the degrees of Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). In addition to these programs, our department also offers a Graduate Certificate in Database Technology.

All graduate courses are scheduled in the late afternoon and evening. The programs are open to full-time and part-time students as well as those who want to strengthen specific skills by taking single courses.

Admission Requirements

The MS program is designed to accommodate students with a wide range of backgrounds. Therefore, an undergraduate degree in any discipline will be considered. Each applicant’s background in Computer Science and Mathematics will be assessed individually and requirements for making up deficiencies in the major will be determined at an initial interview. General Computer Science undergraduate prerequisite courses include CS110, CS210, CS220, CS240, and CS310. Other undergraduate courses may be necessary, depending on the background and experience of the candidate. For the PhD program, we require that the applicant have a degree in the Computer Science field.

Masters and PhD applicants are accepted in both the Fall and Spring semesters.

For more information, please visit the graduate admissions webpage.

Grade Point Average (GPA) requirements

Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0. A student may re-take one course once towards his or her degree and only the second grade will be applied. If a student’s GPA falls below 3.0 he or she will automatically be on academic probation. If the GPA does not improve the following semester the student may be recommended for dismissal for failing to make progress towards a degree.

The minimum grade for graduate credit is C. No more than two grades below B- may count for credit. MS students may register for three credits of CS699 (Research for MS Thesis) in order to write a thesis with the approval of the Director of the program. This option is open for students whose GPA is at least 3.5.

With the exception of CS485, all Computer Science courses numbered 400 and higher are considered graduate level courses. All courses completed towards the masters degree will be considered in the student’s GPA; a student may not choose to take an additional course in lieu of a course in which he or she has earned a weak grade.