Computer Science - Master of Science

The Master of Computer Science degree has two tracks, one with thesis or project track and a course-work only track. For all master's students, the following apply:

Each master's student must complete 12 credits of the basic requirements (see table below).

Each master's student is expected to register for C S classes numbered 500 or above, except for C S 469 Data Structure and Algorithms Transition or deficiencies.

Courses not in Computer Science can be included in the student’s program of study only if prior written approval has been obtained from the student’s advisor and the departmental Graduate Committee. Further details can be found in the on-line Graduate Handbook (http://www.cs.nmsu.edu/).

For Thesis/Project track's students: each student following this track needs to complete the following three requirements:

Courses: each student needs to take, in addition to the basic requirement, 15 credits of Computer Science graduate courses (courses numbered > 500) with the following restrictions:

One course can only be used to satisfy one requirement (e.g., if C S 510 Automata, Languages, Computability is used to satisfy the requirement for the Theories category, it cannot be counted towards satisfying the requirements on Courses).

At most 6 credits of C S 579 Special Topics with different topics (i.e., with different subtitles) can be counted towards the degree program of the student.

At most 6 credits of C S 589 Special Research Problems can be counted towards the degree program of the student.

No credit of course numbered > 599 can be counted towards the degree program.

Thesis/Project: each student must write a thesis (C S 599 Master's Thesis) or undertake a research project (C S 598 Master's Project) for 6 credits.

Master Final Exam: each student is required to sustain a final exam, covering the thesis/research project and the graduate course-work. The two parts of the exam bring equal weight.

For Course-Work Only track's students: Each student following this track needs to take, in addition to the basic requirement, 24 credits of Computer Science graduate courses (courses numbered > 500) with the following restrictions:

One course can only be used to satisfy one requirement (e.g., if C S 510 Automata, Languages, Computability is used to satisfy the requirement for the Theories category, it cannot be counted towards satisfying the requirements on Courses).

At most 6 credits of C S 579 Special Topics with different topics (i.e., with different subtitles) can be counted towards the degree program of the student.

No credit of course numbered > 588 can be counted towards the degree program.

Mission

The College of Arts and Sciences provides the foundational education for every NMSU student and a wide array of degrees preparing students to be knowledgeable and responsible citizens of our world. We promote life-long discovery and improvement of society through cutting edge research and creative activity and by fulfilling our land grant mission through outreach and engagement with the larger community.

Values

• Central to the College of Arts and Sciences land-grant mission are our core values as described in the following value statements.
• Accessibility: We value being accessible to the diverse people of New Mexico and beyond. We value education that is inclusive, available, and affordable. We are the gateway to learning for all students, which provide us both an opportunity and responsibility to impact their learning experience in a positive way.
• Learning and Knowledge: We value learning and knowledge for their own sake, and creating broadly educated members of society who can think critically and improve their communities. We strive to model a love of learning and to instill a desire for a lifetime of learning. We value providing advanced education and scholarship through strong graduate and undergraduate programs.
• Rigor & Excellence: We believe the best education is rigorous, challenging, and demands perseverance. We believe that the best creative and scholarly work demands the same efforts. Those who excel in these endeavors should be recognized, cultivated, rewarded, and celebrated.
• Continuity & Stability: We believe continuity and stability are critical for excellence in our programs and activities. Tenured, tenure track, and college faculty who are committed to NMSU and its students are essential for continuity and stability.
• Purpose & Place: We value fitting into our unique purpose and place. We value serving the citizens of New Mexico, achieving a sustainable existence in the environment we occupy and integrating ourselves into the community and region of the border Southwest.
• Transparency: We value and strive for transparency in the activities of the people and organizations in our college. We believe this produces an environment of cooperation and open dialog that best enables us to fulfill our mission to the university.