| Degree: | Master of Science (M.S.) |
| Specializations: | Computer Science (CS) Database Systems (DB) Software Engineering (SE) |
| Department: | Building 4, Room 423 (850) 474-2542 http://uwf.edu/computerscience/ |
| College: | Arts and Sciences |
The Computer Science Department offers three graduate specializations: Computer Science (CS), Database Systems (DB), and Software Engineering (SE).
Numerous local and regional companies and governmental agencies employ computer science students in cooperative education programs (co-op).
The department annually awards several scholarships, fellowships, and out-of-state tuition waivers to new and returning students. The department also has limited opportunities for teaching/research assistantships for new and returning students. Please see the departmental website for additional information.
In addition to the University graduate admission requirements described in the Admissions section of the catalog, the department bases decisions for regular admission on a holistic review of credentials in which the following criteria are used to assess the potential success of each applicant:
Students entering the Computer Science specialization normally have an undergraduate degree in Computer Science but may come from another scientific discipline. A graduate of this specialization is a software and hardware specialist with a deep understanding of the nature of algorithms in terms of expression, development, resource usage, and limitations. Students are prepared to develop software at any level of abstraction, from machine code to distributed processes and for a career as a programmer or advanced software developer and may consider continuing on to doctoral studies. All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better.
| CDA 6415 | Advanced Computer Systems | 4 |
| COP 6025 | Advanced Programming Languages | 4 |
| 6000 level advisor approved elective | 3 | |
| 5000/6000 level advisor approved electives | 15 | |
| Choose one of the following: | 6 | |
| Thesis | ||
| Computer Science Project (normally 3 sh in two consecutive semesters) | ||
| Total Hours | 32 | |
Students entering the Database Systems specialization may have an undergraduate degree in CS or CIS but may also come from another discipline. A graduate of this specialization is a database specialist, prepared to plan, configure, implement and maintain large database systems. He/she will have significant programming as well as database programming skills, and may also be familiar with a specific problem domain, for example, developing and working with medical databases, biological databases, chemical databases, etc. He/she will also be able to identify and utilize tools to be able to work with the vast amounts of information provided by large data groups. Graduates of this specialization may consider continuing on to doctoral studies. All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better.
| CAP 5771 | Data Mining | 3 |
| CEN 6016 | Software Engineering Process | 4 |
| CEN 6095 | Software Engineering Practice and Tools | 4 |
| COP 5725 | Database Systems | 3 |
| COP 5775 | Database Administration | 3 |
| COP 6727 | Advanced Database Systems | 3 |
| 5000/6000 level, advisor approved electives | 6 | |
| Choose one of the following: | 6 | |
| Thesis | ||
| Computer Science Project (normally 3 sh in consecutive semesters) | ||
| Total Hours | 32 | |
Students entering the Software Engineering specialization may have an undergraduate degree in CS or CIS but may also come from another discipline. A graduate of this specialization is a system specialist, prepared to perform various activities within a software life-cycle such as requirements analysis, design, implementation, testing, maintenance, project management, process improvement, quality assurance, etc. in support of the development of high-quality software systems that meet client needs. He/she may also be deeply familiar with a specific problem domain (e.g. medical software, chemistry, data acquisition systems, computer games) and with software development issues associated with that domain. Graduates are also prepared to continue on to doctoral studies.
Representative electives for Software Engineering students include courses regarding Software Specifications, Software Design, Software Testing and Verification, Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) in Software Engineering, Data Mining, and Database Administration. All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better.
| CEN 6016 | Software Engineering Process | 4 |
| CEN 6064 | Software Design | 3 |
| CEN 6095 | Software Engineering Practice and Tools | 4 |
| COP 5725 | Database Systems | 3 |
| 5000/6000 level advisor approved electives | 12 | |
| Choose one: | 6 | |
| Thesis | ||
| Computer Science Project (normally 3 sh in consecutive semesters) | ||
| Total Hours | 32 | |
