Computer Science, Software Development Concentration, M.S.

Zhijiang Dong, Program Director
(615) 904-8428
Zhijiang.Dong@mtsu.edu

The Software Development concentration prepares students to design, build, test, and maintain software systems across various domains, including web applications, mobile applications, and systems software. Students gain experience with modern tools and frameworks, as well as best practices used in the IT industry.

The Software Development concentration is designed for currently enrolled undergraduate students planning to continue into graduate study. This concentration is also well-suited for local professionals and international students, with or without a computer science background, who want to strengthen their knowledge in these specific areas or plan to change their career paths.

Admission Requirements

Students with or without a computer science background are welcomed to apply. Applicants must provide evidence to demonstrate that they have potential to be successful in our graduate program. Applicants must complete the following undergraduate courses before or during their study in our graduate program:

CSCI 1170, 2170, 3080, 3110, 3130, and 3240 or equivalent of each course;
MATH 1910 and 2050 or equivalent of each course.

Application Procedures

All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.

Applicant must

submit an application with the appropriate application fee (online at http://mtsu.edu/graduate/apply). Once this initial application has been accepted, the applicant will receive instructions on how to enter the graduate portal to submit additional materials.
submit official transcripts showing an acceptable GPA in previous academic work.
The GRE is waived for all applicants to the Master’s program; however, applicants with either a weak computer science background or an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or lower are encouraged to submit GRE scores.
International applicants should check with the Office of International Affairs for the requirement of proof of English proficiency.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Science in Computer Science, Software Development concentration requires completion of 30 semester hours (thesis option) or 36 hours (non-thesis option). Students may take no more than 30% of coursework at the 5000-level while earning a Master’s degree.

Curriculum: Computer Science, Software Development

The following illustrates the coursework requirements.

Thesis Option (30 hours)

Completion of 30 hours of graduate coursework is required in the thesis option. A minimum of 3 hours of CSCI 6640 must be taken for this option. Candidates must present an oral defense of the thesis.

Required Courses (6 hours)

CSCI 6620 - Research Methods in Computer Science 3 credit hours
CSCI 6640 - Thesis Research 1 to 6 credit hours (3 credit hours required)

Software Development Concentration (15 hours)

CSCI 6100 - Analysis of Algorithms 3 credit hours
CSCI 6180 - Software Design and Development 3 credit hours
CSCI 6700 - Selected Topics in Software Engineering 3 credit hours

Choose two concentration electives (6 hours):

CSCI 5160 - Compiler Design and Software Development 3 credit hours
CSCI 5250 - Computer Graphics 3 credit hours
CSCI 5410 - Web Technologies 3 credit hours
CSCI 5560 - Database Management Systems 3 credit hours
CSCI 5700 - Software Engineering 3 credit hours
CSCI 5710 - Secure Software Systems 3 credit hours
CSCI 6250 - Advanced Operating Systems 3 credit hours
CSCI 6450 - Operating System Design 3 credit hours
CSCI 6560 - Selected Topics in Database 3 credit hours
CSCI 6700 - Selected Topics in Software Engineering 3 credit hours *
*CSCI 6700 is repeatable for up to 6 hours. It will be counted as a concentration elective if it is taken the 2^nd time and the topic is different.

Program Electives (9 hours)

Students may complete remaining elective course requirements by taking additional concentration electives listed above or program elective options below.

CSCI 5300 - Data Communication and Networks 3 credit hours
CSCI 5350 - Introduction to Artificial Intelligence 3 credit hours
CSCI 5360 - Intelligent Robot Systems 3 credit hours
CSCI 5400 - Network Security 3 credit hours
CSCI 5450 - Blockchain and Smart Contracts 3 credit hours
CSCI 5460 - Cryptography and Applications 3 credit hours
CSCI 5800 - Software Testing 3 credit hours
CSCI 5820 - Natural Language Processing 3 credit hours
CSCI 5850 - Neural Networks 3 credit hours
CSCI 5860 - Computer Vision 3 credit hours
CSCI 5900 - Selected Topics in Computer Science 3 credit hours
CSCI 6260 - Advanced Computer Graphics 3 credit hours
CSCI 6300 - Networks 3 credit hours
CSCI 6330 - Parallel Processing Concepts 3 credit hours
CSCI 6350 - Selected Topics in Artificial Intelligence 3 credit hours
CSCI 6430 - Selected Topics in Parallel Processing 3 credit hours
CSCI 6600 - Selected Topics in Computer Science 3 credit hours
CSCI 6900 - Independent Study in Computer Science 1 to 6 credit hours
CSCI 7300 - Scientific Visualization and Databases 3 credit hours
CSCI 7350 - Data Mining 3 credit hours
CSCI 7400 - Cloud Computing for Data Analysis 3 credit hours
CSCI 7850 - Deep Learning 3 credit hours

Non-Thesis Option (36 hours)

Completion of 36 hours of graduate coursework is required in the non-thesis option. Candidates must successfully complete a comprehensive examination. Credit for CSCI 6640 may not be included in the 36 hours (thesis option only).

Program Electives (18 hours)

Students may complete remaining elective course requirements by taking additional concentration electives listed above or program elective options below.

CSCI 5300 - Data Communication and Networks 3 credit hours
CSCI 5350 - Introduction to Artificial Intelligence 3 credit hours
CSCI 5360 - Intelligent Robot Systems 3 credit hours
CSCI 5400 - Network Security 3 credit hours
CSCI 5450 - Blockchain and Smart Contracts 3 credit hours
CSCI 5460 - Cryptography and Applications 3 credit hours
CSCI 5800 - Software Testing 3 credit hours
CSCI 5820 - Natural Language Processing 3 credit hours
CSCI 5850 - Neural Networks 3 credit hours
CSCI 5860 - Computer Vision 3 credit hours
CSCI 5900 - Selected Topics in Computer Science 3 credit hours
CSCI 6260 - Advanced Computer Graphics 3 credit hours
CSCI 6300 - Networks 3 credit hours
CSCI 6330 - Parallel Processing Concepts 3 credit hours
CSCI 6350 - Selected Topics in Artificial Intelligence 3 credit hours
CSCI 6430 - Selected Topics in Parallel Processing 3 credit hours
CSCI 6600 - Selected Topics in Computer Science 3 credit hours
CSCI 6900 - Independent Study in Computer Science 1 to 6 credit hours
CSCI 7300 - Scientific Visualization and Databases 3 credit hours
CSCI 7350 - Data Mining 3 credit hours
CSCI 7400 - Cloud Computing for Data Analysis 3 credit hours
CSCI 7850 - Deep Learning 3 credit hours

Computer Science, Software Development Concentration, M.S.

Admission Requirements

Application Procedures

Degree Requirements

Curriculum: Computer Science, Software Development

Thesis Option (30 hours)

Required Courses (6 hours)

Software Development Concentration (15 hours)

Choose two concentration electives (6 hours):

Program Electives (9 hours)

Non-Thesis Option (36 hours)

Required Course (3 hours)

Software Development Concentration (15 hours)

Choose two concentration electives (6 hours):

Program Electives (18 hours)