MS in Computer Science & Systems Program Overview

MASTER OF SCIENCE

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND SYSTEMS Offered by the Institute of Technology

THE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY THE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON TACOMA was launched in 2001 to provide focus for the rapid development of high-technology academic programs in Washington state. The Institute serves as home for the Computer Science and Systems program, as well as programs in computer engineering and information technology . The Institute of Technology benefits from a close relationship with our local high-tech industry partners.

Our internationally recognized faculty and researchers, are committed to the highest quality educational experience possible for our students, with small class sizes and personalized interaction. We provide a resource-rich, collaborative environment dedicated to discovery and innovation that reflects an applied and cross-disciplinary nature, where students engage in enabling computer science tools, techniques and theory to address real-world problems.

The Institute is home to the CENTER FOR DATA SCIENCE (CDS), whose current projects include a mobile dietary data recording system, special needs education data management, social topic modeling, predicting hospital risk of readmission, and massively distributed data analysis of health data sets. The Center provides funding to several graduate students as research assistants, and enables ground-breaking research with world renowned faculty, post-docs and visiting researchers. Several other collaborative research labs focus on cybersecurity, cloud computing, information assurance, GIS, bioinformatics, embedded systems, and wireless sensor networks.

THE CENTER FOR INFORMATION ASSURANCE AND CYBERSECURITY (CIAC) is a collaboration of all three UW campuses at Tacoma, Bothell and Seattle. CIAC partners with academia, government, and industry to conduct research, provide education programs and advance the understanding of information-assurance and cybersecurity issues among the public in general.

CIAC is designated a Center for Academic Excellence in both education and research by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency.

M.S. IN COMPUTER SCIENCE AND SYSTEMS THE MASTER OF SCIENCE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE AND SYSTEMS (MSCSS) includes a short core curriculum and a broad variety of electives to study state-of-the-art subjects including bigdata management, cybersecurity, data mining, distributed-and cloud-computing, systems theory, and wireless sensor networks, to name a few.

The MSCSS degree builds a solid foundation for advanced careers in computer science.

Develop your breadth of understanding of the latest applied and theoretical concepts within computer science through study and research guided by renowned faculty and industry fellows. You may choose to pursue a thesis or capstone project, or expand your learning by exploring a variety of electives.

WHY STUDY COMPUTER SCIENCE AT UW TACOMA?

n Globally-recognized quality of

the University of Washington’s faculty and instruction

n Career advancement opportunities n Multiple degree options n Opportunity to participate in faculty research projects

n Proximity to high tech employers n Internship opportunities n Chance to study with computer

science students from around the world

n Small campus, located in vibrant

downtown Tacoma, in the beautiful Puget Sound region

UW Tacoma’s Center for Data Science and MSCSS students win “Best Demo” award at the ACM SIGSPATIAL GIS Conference 2014.

For more about the center and current projects: cwds.uw.edu

CURRICULUM CORE COURSES / The MSCSS curriculum provides an excellent foundation in computer science as well as an opportunity to explore a variety of emerging areas within computing. Students often work on individual and team development projects, providing hands-on and practical exposure to real-world challenges. Students also may engage in collaborative research, tool-building and publications with faculty members during their time at the Institute.

DEGREE CONCENTRATIONS / Students have the option of adding a concentration to their degree. By completing two electives, with a focus in one specific research area, your master’s degree will indicate that you are trained with a very particular set of skills.

Learning objectives are achieved with:

Cybersecurity: The process of applying security measures to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data.

n Core courses to emphasize theoretical

(conceptual) as well as practical (embodied) knowledge

n Electives for breadth of knowledge n Thesis, capstone design project

or course-only option to strengthen confidence, leadership ability and communication skills

Students completing the degree will attain the following competencies:

n Familiarity with the software

development life cycle, both in theory and application

n Skill in developing distributed and web

based applications, along with the ability to learn new technologies rapidly

n The opportunity to learn additional

concepts and technologies in greater depth through a capstone project

n A foundation for self-directed

learning to stay at the leading edge of this fast-changing field

MSCSS students take three core courses.

Required prerequisites must be completed BEFORE enrolling in the core:

n TCSS 543: Advanced Algorithms

or TCSS 540: Theory of Computing

n TCSS 558: Applied Distributed

Computing

n TCSS 598: Research Seminar

typically taken over two quarters

Bioinformatics: Combines computer science, statistics, mathematics, and engineering to study and process biological data.

Data Science: Using automated methods to analyze massive amounts of data and to extract knowledge from them.

GIS: Computerized data management system used to capture, store, analyze, and display spatial information.

Cyber-Physical Systems: Creating systems that rely on the integration of physical, computational, and communication processes For more information on courses, visit: tacoma.uw.edu/mscss/courses THESIS AND CAPSTONE PROJECT COURSES / Students who choose to complete a thesis or project enroll in 10 credits of capstone courses, taken over two to three quarters. These courses are taken in place of 15 elective credits.

Capstone credits cannot be applied to elective requirements if a student chooses to switch options after beginning the courses.

COURSE-ONLY OPTION / Students may choose to complete the requirements for the degree by taking 15 additional credits of elective courses instead of a capstone thesis or project.

Students may choose to attend full or parttime. The program can be completed in five full-time quarters and requires a minimum of 40 to 45 credits.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS To pursue graduate study at the Institute of Technology, you must satisfy both the UW Graduate School and UW Tacoma’s MSCSS admissions requirements, which include:

n A four-year baccalaureate degree

from an accredited institution with at least a 3.0 GPA

n A degree in computer science or

another related field or

n Demonstrated knowledge in the

following prerequisite subjects: object-oriented programming,

discrete mathematics, data structures, algorithms, computer organization and architecture, and software engineering/project management.

Students who are missing the prerequisites listed should plan to complete them as a post-baccalaureate (undergraduate) student at the University of Washington or in their studies at another institution. The post-baccalaureate application is found at: tacoma.uw.edu/admissions/ postbaccalaureate-admission

APPLICATION DEADLINES AUTUMN QUARTER SPRING QUARTER

Priority: April 15 Priority: January 15

The MSCSS program admits most students for autumn quarter, then for spring quarter on a space-available basis.

HOW TO APPLY / Application

materials are available online. Only complete applications will be considered for admission. Application instructions and requirements: tacoma.uw.edu/mscss/apply Please review the application instructions carefully prior to submitting your application. ___ A UW Graduate School Application ___ Application to the MSCSS Program ___ Personal Statement ___ Résumé ___ Transcripts ___ Recommendations ___ Graduate Record Exam (GRE) / Required for all applicants. The test must have been taken within the last five years. Request ETS (www.ets.org) to send your scores directly to the University of Washington at code 4854.

Visit www.ets.org/gre to learn more about the test and to find a testing center near you. Please notify the Graduate School at uwgrad@uw.edu if your official scores are missing from your admissions profile more than a month after you’ve requested them; if you tested under an alternate name or spelling of your name, please include this in your message.

Competitive applicants score in the top percentiles for quantitative and midpercentiles for verbal.

TUITION & FUNDING / MSCSS program tuition rates can be found at: tacoma.uw.edu/tuition. The Graduate School offers resources to assist students in finding fellowships, assistantships and other funding. Most MSCSS students must come up with their own funds for tuition: grad.washington.edu/students/fa/ In addition, the MSCSS program has research assistantship positions available for students depending on skills and research interests. These typically include a tuition waiver and a monthly stipend. The number and duration of research assistantship positions is dependent on grant funding, which varies from year to year. Most positions are awarded for autumn quarter. Application materials will be available in April.

TACOMA WASHINGTON is a city full of history, culture and charm, nestled on the Puget Sound in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. To learn more about Tacoma, visit: tacoma.uw.edu/admissions/tacoma-south-sound

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS / Students planning to begin their studies on an H-4 visa do not need to apply for an I-20 but must satisfy the English Proficiency requirement.

ENGLISH All non-native PROFICIENCY students must REQUIREMENT provide proof of English proficiency.

TOEFL 580 Applicants must TOEFL iBT 92 submit scores IELTS 7.0 from an approved English proficiency

exam unless their degree was instructed in English. Students who do not meet the minimum scores must retest or take an English course in Seattle during their first quarter.

Financial documentation isn’t required as part of the admissions process. Please visit our website for complete instructions. H-4 students who have lived in Washington state for 12 months usually qualify for resident tuition.

INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY MOHAMED ALI

Associate Professor; Computer Science; Ph.D., Purdue, 2007

YA N B A I

Assistant Professor; Computer Engineering; Ph.D., University of British Columbia, 2003

ORL ANDO BAIOCCHI

Professor; Electrical Engineering; Ph.D., University College in London, 1976

PA O L O S . L . M . B A R R E T O

Assistant Professor; Computer Science; Ph.D., University of São Paulo, 2003

SENJUTI BASU ROY

Assistant Professor; Computer Science; Ph.D., University of Texas at Arlington, 2011

DONALD CHINN

Associate Professor; Computer Science; Ph.D., University of Washington, 1995

MARTINE DE COCK

Associate Professor; Computer Science; Ph.D., Ghent University, 2002

B R YA N G O D A

Professor; Computer Engineering; Ph.D., Rensselaer Polytechnic,2001

ANDERSON NASCIMENTO

Assistant Professor; Computer Science; Ph.D., University of Tokyo 2004

SAMAH MOHAMED AHMED SAEED

Assistant Professor; Computer Engineering; Ph.D., New York University Polytechnic School of Engineering, 2015

J I E “J E N N Y ” S H E N G

Assistant Professor; Electrical Engineering; Ph.D., University of Alberta, 2002

JOSH TENENBERG

Professor; Computer Science; Ph.D., University of Rochester, 1988

ANKUR TEREDESAI

Professor; Computer Science; Ph.D., SUNY University at Buffalo, 2002

M AT T H E W T O L E N T I N O

Assistant Professor; Computer Engineering; Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic School of Engineering, 2015

K A YEE YEUNG-RHEE

Associate Professor; Information Science and Technology; Ph.D., University of Washington, 2001

GEORGE MOBUS

Associate Professor; Computer Science; Ph.D., University of North Texas, 1994

INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

UW GRADUATE SCHOOL

University of Washington Tacoma Campus Box 358426 1900 Commerce Street Tacoma, WA 98402-3100

University of Washington Campus Box 353770 G-1 Communications Building Seattle, WA 98195-3770

INTERIM DIRECTOR Raj Katti

206-543-5900 grad.uw.edu

GRADUATE PROGRAM COORDINATOR Ankur Teredesai ADVISOR Curtis Black 253-692-5860 uwtech@uw.edu tacoma.uw.edu/tech

tacoma.uw.edu/mscss More graduate study options / tacoma.uw.edu/graduate Financial aid and scholarships / tacoma.uw.edu/finaid Contact / uwtech@uw.edu or 253-692-4647

THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON TACOMA is accredited as a part of the University of Washington by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Individual academic programs may have additional accreditations. The University of Washington reaffirms its policy of equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, or status as a disabled veteran or Vietnam era veteran in accordance with university policy and applicable federal and state statutes and regulations. The University of Washington is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at least 10 days in advance at 253-692-4522 or dssuwt@uw.edu.

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