Program Structure and Requirements
Overall Program Structure
The M.Sc. COSC program is equivalent to 30 credit hours, distributed as follows: 12 credit hours of Program Core courses, 9 credit hours of Program Elective courses and 9 credit hours of Master’s Thesis. The components of the program are summarized in the table below.
| Program Component |
Credit Hours |
| Seminar in Research Methods |
0 |
| Program Core |
12 |
| Program Electives |
9 |
| Master’s Thesis |
9 |
| Total |
30 |
Program Requirements
Students seeking the degree of M.Sc. in Computer Science must successfully complete 30 credit hours as specified in the program requirements detailed below, with a minimum CGPA of 3.0. Course selection should be made in consultation with the student’s Main Advisor. All courses have a credit rating of three credits each, except the Seminar in Research Methods and the Master’s Thesis.
Program Core (12 credit hours)
The M.Sc. in CS degree program core requires a minimum of 12 credits, consisting of 12 credits of computer science core courses, and the research seminar course which has zero credit rating. The courses are specified below.
Core Courses
Select at least four COSC Core courses from the list below:
Program Electives and Concentrations (9 credit hours)
Students must select three courses from the list below, or from any core courses listed above that are not used to meet the Program Core requirement. Subject to approval of the Main Advisor, students can select up to two elective courses (6 credit hours) from the M.Sc. in Computational Data Science at KU.
Program Elective Courses
| COSC 603 | Multi-agent Systems | 3 |
| COSC 605 | Strategic Requirements Engineering | 3 |
| COSC 606 | Machine Learning | 3 |
| COSC 620 | Algorithms in Bioinformatics | 3 |
| COSC 621 | Data Science and Generative AI | 3 |
| COSC 635 | Deep Learning System Design | 3 |
| COSC 636 | Human Computer Interaction | 3 |
| COSC 638 | Artificial Intelligence Techniques for Cyber-Security | 3 |
| COSC 694 | Selected Topics in Computer Science Engineering | 3 To 4 |
Concentration in Artificial Intelligence
The M.Sc. COSC program offers an optional concentration in Artificial Intelligence. In addition to program specific core courses, students who opt for the Artificial Intelligence concentration must complete a minimum of three courses (9 credit hours) from the list below and a thesis in the general domain of artificial intelligence. The concentration will be specified on the student’s official transcript.
Concentration Courses
Master’s Thesis (minimum 9 credit hours)
Students must complete a Master’s Thesis that involves creative, research-oriented work within the field of Computer Science, under the direct supervision of a faculty advisor from the Computer Science Department, and at least one other full-time faculty member who acts as a co-advisor. The outcome of research should demonstrate the synthesis of information into knowledge in a form that may be used by others. The research findings must be documented in a formal thesis and defended successfully in a viva voce examination. Furthermore, the research should lead to publishable quality scholarly articles.
Thesis
Total Credit Hours: 30