Master in Applied Computer Science

Master in Applied Computer Science

Welcome to Masters in Applied Computer Science

At Northwest, we are dedicated towards the development of future leaders in the information technology (IT) industry. Our highly qualified faculty members collaborate and work together to educate students who come to obtain a quality education. We provide appropriate technological and instructional resources for our students to help them succeed in the IT job market worldwide. Northwest is also committed towards the personal and social development of its students by providing opportunities for our students to interact with others in a successful, ethical way.

About The MS-Applied Computer Science Program

The Program

The Master of Science in Applied Computer Science offers students with a strong undergraduate background in a technical computing discipline an opportunity to increase their technical expertise and to complement that expertise with fundamental business concepts related specifically to information technology.

The term Applied Computer Science was carefully chosen. The practical skills developed for a wide variety of high-demand areas, as well as the firm conceptual foundation provided by the program, combine to create graduates that are well-prepared to succeed in a very competitive job market.

Overview of Program, School, and University

• The average class size at Northwest is 27.
• Student to faculty ratio is 22 to 1.
• Between 75 and 375 graduate students are normally enrolled in the M.S. in Applied Computer Science program.
• Northwest Missouri State University is home to the Missouri Arboretum, providing a beautiful environment for all members of the university community.
• Northwest is considered one of the safest campuses in the nation.

Computing Facilities

The Electronic Campus gives students access to the Internet and to the Missouri Research and Education Network. Computer languages supported on the network include Java, C#, C++, Perl, Smalltalk, and Swift. Databases include SQL, SQL Server, MongoDB and Oracle 12c. All students have access to specialized computer laboratories housed in the Colden Hall Computing Complex. In addition, every full-time student is provided with a laptop by the University. There are multiple wireless access points on campus.

Graduate Research

All graduate students in the MS-Applied Computer Science program are required to complete a two-trimester software development project during their last two trimesters of their study. For a list of recent projects, see our projects page.

M.S. in Applied Computer Science

The Master of Science in Applied Computer Science offers students with a strong undergraduate background in a technical computing discipline an opportunity to increase their technical expertise and to complement that expertise with fundamental business concepts related specifically to information technology.

By increasing students' knowledge in high demand areas, such as web services, software development on multiple platforms, human-computer interaction, mobile computing, data warehousing, project management, IT management, and network security, graduates of this program will be well-prepared to succeed in a very competitive job market. A year-long, six-credit hour Master's Project will give students an opportunity to apply their knowledge. Graduates of this program will:

• have a high degree of competence in areas of high-demand and emerging technologies;
• have good project management skills and will understand fundamental business concepts, as related specifically to information technology;
• have experience in design and implementation of a large project;
• know how to work in teams;
• have good written communication and presentation skills.

Full-time students with no prerequisites can expect to complete this program in two academic years.

School Admission Requirements

Candidates for the M.S. in Applied Computer Science should meet the following requirements:

1.Compliance with all of the eligibility requirements of the Graduate School as set forth in this catalog.

2.Acceptance to graduate study by the Dean of the Graduate School.

3.Completion of a four-year undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university with an undergraduate grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale. Applicants are expected to have an undergraduate major or minor in a technical computing discipline, including coursework in:

• data structures
• computer networks (or) network fundamentals
• database systems
• discrete mathematics
• statistics

Applicants who do not satisfy these requirements may take undergraduate level courses to remove any prerequisites except for Data Structures. The applicant must satisfy the requirement for Data Structures to be admitted.

4.Minimum GRE and TOEFL scores as described here.

Applicants who do not meet these requirements may be admitted provisionally.

The School of Computer Science and Information Systems reserves the right of final decision in accepting students to graduate degree candidacy in the school. Criteria for admittance to the program and acceptance to degree candidacy may include academic qualifications and performance, letters of recommendation, number of applicants, and available resources.

Advisement

The program coordinator and the assistant program coordinator of the MS-ACS will serve as the primary and the secondary advisors. Weekly advising sessions will be conducted to monitor the students progress towards their completion of the degree.

Comprehensive Examination

The comprehensive examination will be scheduled, administered, and evaluated by members of the graduate faculty in the School of Computer Science and Information Systems. The degree candidate must pass the examination with a minimum of 60%.

Degree Requirements

Thirty-three hours of graduate credit are required for completion of the M.S. in Applied Computer Science, with at least 16 hours at the 600-level.

For more details of the courses, check our website.

For more information about this program, contact us.

Requirements for Admission

Candidates for the M.S. in Applied Computer Science should meet the following requirements:

Compliance with all of the eligibility requirements of the Graduate School as set forth in the Graduate Catalog. Acceptance to graduate study by the Dean of the Graduate School. Completion of a four-year undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university with an undergraduate grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale. Applicants are expected to have an undergraduate major or minor in a technical computing discipline, including coursework in: data structures computer networks (or) network fundamentals database systems discrete mathematics statistics Applicants who do not satisfy these requirements may take undergraduate level courses to remove any prerequisites except for Data Structures. The applicant must satisfy the requirement for Data Structures to be admitted. Minimum GRE and TOEFL scores, as described below. Before the program director is allowed to review your application, the Graduate school must verify your TOEFL score. The acceptable TOEFL score is set by the University as:

• 213 for computer-based TOEFL
• 71 for the Internet-Based TOEFL
• 550 for pencil-and-paper-based TOEFL
• 6.0 overall for IELTS

Applicants not meeting the TOEFL/IELTS requirement are not forwarded to the school for consideration.

A student is more likely to be admitted to the school if:

The student's undergraduate degree is in Computer Science or a closely related field AND the student has successfully completed a course in data structures AND *total GRE >=290 AND undergraduate GPA >=3.0, on a 4.0 scale AND number of backlogs <=7

*Undergraduate courses in computer networks/network fundamentals and database management systems are required. Students admitted without these courses can take them at Northwest upon arrival for graduate study. However, students must have successfully completed a course in data structures prior to being admitted to the program.

Applicants who do not meet these requirements may be admitted provisionally.

The School of Computer Science and Information Systems reserves the right of final decision in accepting students to graduate degree candidacy in the school. Criteria for admittance to the program and acceptance to degree candidacy may include academic qualifications and performance, letters of recommendation, number of applicants, and available resources.

Financial Assistance

Northwest’s tuition is much less than that of many other institutions. New international students who are admitted receive a $1,000 scholarship for their first semester of study. After the first semester of study at Northwest, full-time students earning a 3.3 grade-point-average, or better, will receive an out-of-state tuition scholarship, which enables the student to pay in-state, rather than out-of-state tuition, saving approximately 40% on the cost of tuition. This scholarship continues as long as a 3.3 grade-point-average or better is maintained.

Established in 1905, Northwest Missouri State University is a state-assisted, comprehensive four-year regional university that also offers a broad range of undergraduate and selected graduate programs on its Maryville campus as well as its Northwest-Kansas City location at the Northland Innovation Center and through Northwest Online.

Northwest offers 127 undergraduate programs and 40 graduate programs. Career Services offers an "Exploring Majors" fair where students may learn about different majors and find a major that is the perfect fit for them. Northwest advocates for profession-based experience in every area of study. At Northwest's Horace Mann Laboratory School, students majoring in education begin observing and practicing in the teaching profession immediately. Other profession-based experiences include work at Northwest's R.T. Wright Farm, radio and television stations, and a variety of internships.