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Computer Science, MS

Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering (nsme)

Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Department Chair: Saeed Jafarzadeh

Office: Science Building III, 317

Phone: (661) 654-3082

Email: ceecs@cs.csubak.edu

www.cs.csubak.edu

Program Maps for Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering

Program Description

The Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (CEE/CS) offers a graduate program leading to a Master of Science in Computer Science degree. The program is intended to prepare students for high-tech careers in the computing industry, government agencies, academic research, or graduate studies at the doctoral level. Thesis and project options are both available in the program and the electives are designed in response to regional, state, and national needs in computing. A broad range of faculty research interests, access to modern facilities, and a strong student-faculty interaction permit the student to choose from a broad spectrum of research or project topics.

Program Objectives

The program educational objectives are to prepare graduates who:

  1. Demonstrate expertise in advanced computing topics and an ability to maintain a high standard of professional competence.
  2. Analyze and solve significant real world problems with contemporary computing knowledge.
  3. Apply computing knowledge ethically, with an understanding of realistic constraints and for the overall benefit of a diverse society.
  4. Enhance the economic well-being of their region through a combination of computing expertise, communication skills, social responsibility, leadership, and entrepreneurship.

All graduates are also expected to adhere to the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Code of Ethics, https://www.acm.org/code-of-ethics.

Program Administration

Program Committee and Graduate Program Director

The Program Committee consists of at least three faculty members from the CEE/CS Department. The Graduate Program Director is the chair of the committee. The committee is appointed following the procedures outlined in the CSUB University Handbook, in consultation with the faculty of the CEE/CS Department, the Dean of Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering (NSME) and the Dean of Extended Education and Global Outreach (EEGO).

The Program Committee makes decisions regarding student admission and classification, petitions from students in the program, curriculum development and revision, and course offerings. The Graduate Program Director is responsible for approving each student’s Plan of Study, approving changes in student status such as advancement to Candidate status, overseeing advising for students in the program, and coordinating other program administrative tasks (in consultation with the CEE/CS Department Chair). The Graduate Program Director also serves as the faculty liaison between the program and EEGO.

Advising

The Graduate Program Director is responsible for assigning a Program Advisor to each student. The Program Advisor is a member of the program faculty who can best serve the student’s needs. The Program Advisor mentors the student through the graduate program, helps the student select elective and capstone options for their Plan of Study, assists the student in identifying an appropriate Thesis or Project Advisor, and responds to concerns raised by the student. Students should meet with their Program Advisor early on in the program to develop their Plans of Study in order to facilitate timely completion of the degree.

Capstone Options

Students in the program have two options for their capstone experience:

  1. a Thesis or
  2. a Project.

Each student will choose a capstone option in consultation with their Program Advisor, as part of their approved Plan of Study.

Students who select the Thesis option are expected to complete a research project on a significant problem, with broad scope and originality, within computer science, including appropriate background research on the selected topic. Thesis option students should identify their Thesis Advisor by the end of their second term. The Thesis Advisor will supervise the student’s research and chair the student’s Thesis Committee. Each student will have a Thesis Committee with at least three members, including the Thesis Advisor. At least two of the committee members must be faculty members within the program. The third committee member should preferably be a faculty member from outside the program, a faculty member from another institution, or a community member. Committee members from other institutions or from the community must follow campus policies for participation in the committee, as listed in the Division of Graduate Programs section of CSUB’s catalog. The Thesis Advisor will serve as the instructor of record for the CMPS 6910 Thesis Research and CMPS 6920 Thesis Defense Thesis course sequence. The student’s selected research topic must be approved by the student’s Thesis Committee and the Graduate Program Director to advance to Candidate status. The student is expected to orally defend their thesis, complete all revisions required by the Thesis Committee and the Program Committee, and file their thesis with the CSUB library to satisfactorily complete CMPS 6920 Thesis Defense.

Students who select the Project option are expected to complete an innovative software or computing project of significant undertaking, including appropriate market research for the project. Project options students will have a Project Committee with at least three members, with one Project Committee member designated as the Project Advisor. The majority of the Project Committee members must be faculty members from within the program. The Project Advisor will serve as the instructor of record for the CMPS 6950 Graduate Project I and CMPS 6960 Graduate Project II Graduate Project course sequence. The student’s project must be approved by the student’s Project Committee and the Graduate Program Director to advance to Candidate status. The student must complete all revisions to the project and project report required by the Project Committee and the Program Committee to satisfactorily complete CMPS 6960 Graduate Project II.

For both capstone options, the Program Advisor will assist the student in identifying an appropriate Thesis or Project Advisor prior to enrollment in CMPS 6910 Thesis Research or CMPS 6950 Graduate Project I, depending on the capstone option selected. The student’s Thesis or Project Advisor will assist the student in identifying the other members of the Thesis or Project Committee.

Any thesis or project involving human subjects research, either through direct measurement or from secondary sources, must have a human subjects protocol reviewed and approved by the CSUB Institutional Review Board (IRB). Any thesis or project involving non-human animals must have their research or educational protocol reviewed and approved by the CSUB Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).