Frequently Asked Questions

The MSCS program has several different program options. The program requires 45-49 credits to complete.

* Students who have taken calculus-based probability and linear algebra can be waived from MATH 5315 and reduce the overall required credits for the degree to 46.

In most cases, the minimum amount of time it takes to complete the MSCS is 5 academic quarters. For a student starting in the Fall quarter, this is 18 months.

For students starting the software engineering or data science specialization in winter quarter, the minimum amount of time to complete the program is 7 academic quarters.

For students starting the software engineering or data science specialization in spring quarter, the minimum amount of time to complete the program is 6 academic quarters.

Please note that the MSCS does not offer coursework in the Summer Quarter.

Please see the Academic Calendar for term start dates.

Yes. Complete a Program Add/Drop/Change e-form (https://www.seattleu.edu/registrar/academic-forms/) and submit it online for processing.

It is recommended that you select a track before your first quarter starts. If you switch later, it may result in delaying graduation due to course sequencing issues. This is especially true for students switching from the general option to a specialization.

Note that MATH 5315, a required course in the Data Science specialization, requires Calculus III as a prerequisite. Students who have not taken Calculus III will substantially increase their time to graduation.

Scholarships are available. Please visit our Scholarships page for more information. These scholarships are open to all applicants, including international applicants.

The College of Science and Engineering does not offer any assistantships or 100% tuition scholarships.

Internships are not required for the program, but students with a suitable internship can register the experience to earn academic credit. Internship credits do not count toward any MSCS degree requirements or the total number of credits required for graduation. Please visit the Graduate Advising page to find information on starting the internship process.

Please note that to qualify for admission to the MSCS program, an applicant needs to have completed coursework that covers material introduced in the six Preparatory Courses. These courses are offered in Java/C++, depending on the course.

Please see the Course Catalog for details on Preparatory Courses for the MSCS program.

An applicant missing coursework covered in one of the preparatory courses may be offered conditional admission and must take the missing preparatory course as soon as possible after entering the program.  

If you have not completed the appropriate coursework, please consider enrolling in the Certificate in Computer Science Fundamentals.

The GRE is not required for most applicants for this program. 

Applicants with three-year degrees may need to submit a GRE or GMAT score to have their application evaluated.

Yes, the prerequisite coursework must be completed at. Computer science coursework from unaccredited institutions or mass open online courses (e.g. Coursera, EdX) are not accepted to clear the Preparatory Courses.

Please see the Course Catalog for details on Preparatory Courses for the MSCS program.

Please only submit one application. You have the option to change to a different MSCS specialization if you are admitted to the program.

Please note that the MSCS-DS program has an additional math requirement. Applicants who begin this program without completing the appropriate math courses will significantly extend their time to graduation.

No. The MSCS program requires knowledge of Java and C++ to begin coursework. Other programming languages cannot be substituted.

Please see the Course Catalog for details on Preparatory Courses for the MSCS program.

Below are the sample course plans for students that are full time and start in Fall. Please visit the Course Catalog for graduation requirements for each program.

These are sample course plans only. They are useful for general planning, but please note that schedules can shift not every course is offered every quarter. Please work with your advisor to create a schedule for your specific circumstances.

Please note that required courses in the Data Science and Software Engineering specializations are only offered once per year.

MSCS – General Option

With the general option, there are no defined plans as there is minimal course sequencing.  Students should develop a plan to meet all of their requirements. 

Notes:

• CPSC 5110 should be taken as early as possible.  It is a prerequisite for CPSC 5200 and several other MSCS courses.
• Students interested in the research option need to find a faculty advisor to supervise the research in the quarter before they start the research.

MSCS – Date Science specialization

MSCS-DS students have to take either CPSC 5110 or CPSC 5200 (labelled SE course) depending on experience. Students without prior software engineering experience take CPSC 5110.  Students with software engineering experience take CPSC 5200.

MSCS – Software Engineering

The set of “core / elective” courses consists of three core courses (see below) and one elective (any 5 credit MSCS course):

• Algorithms: CPSC 5610 (fall) or CPSC 5600 (winter)
• Systems: CPSC 5520 (fall) or CPSC 5510 (spring)
• Software Development: choice of five courses; at least one is offered each quarter (except summer)

Students can participate in internships beginning in their second enrolled quarter. F-1 students must be in enrolled status on their visas for 1 academic year before they are eligible for CPT. It is not permitted to participate in an internship in the first enrolled quarter. Internship credits do not count toward any MSCS degree requirements or the total number of credits required for graduation.

Students are responsible for securing their own internship opportunities. It is not required to register an internship for credit. 

Internships are not required for the program, but students with suitable opportunities can receive academic credit for an internship. Please visit the Graduate Advising page for information on registering an internship for credit.

Please contact the International Student Center for details on Optional Practical Training and Curricular Practical Training regulations. Please note that academic faculty are generally not familiar with OPT or CPT regulations.

Students interested in CPT are required to have their internship offer approved by the department in order to register for CPT. Please visit the Graduate Advising page to access the Internship Guide Book.

Course registration is done on a quarter-by-quarter basis. Please check the Academic Calendar for the the dates that registration opens for the next quarter.

Students are assigned a specific registration time based on the number of credits they've earned. You can begin registering for classes online from that assigned registration time. 

Once registration time has opened, you should log in to MySeattleU & Student Planning to register for courses. Please add courses to their course plan and click the "Accept Terms & Register" button. Please visit the MySeattleU Student Planning page for detailed instructions on course registrations and using the MySeattleU portal.

Students can make changes to their schedule through the end of Week 1 of the quarter.

If the course section is full, or if you are blocked from registration because of uncleared prerequisites, please complete the WISE form to inquire about enrolling the course.

If you have equivalent coursework or experience then these courses can be waived. 

Please visit the Computer Science Student Resources page to access the waiver forms for these courses. These waiver forms are in the 'Graduate' section.

Graduate students on F-1 visas are required to be enrolled in 6 credits per quarter to stay in status.

Please contact the International Student Center for details on Optional Practical Training and Curricular Practical Training regulations. Please note that academic faculty are generally not familiar with OPT or CPT regulations.

Students interested in CPT are required to have their internship offer approved by the department in order to register for CPT. Please visit the Graduate Advising page to access the Internship Guide Book.

Yes, all of the MSCS program options are designated as STEM programs.

International students are eligible for College scholarships. Please see these pages for information on tuition and scholarships. Please note that we do not offer assistantships in our College.