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DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE |
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Dr.
Terrence Mizell, Chairperson
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MISSION
The graduate program in
Computer Science is consistent with the mission of the University and
prepares students for careers at the forefront of computer research,
teaching and industry.
Computer Science has become a highly active and fast changing
discipline and students at Alabama A&M University have the opportunity
to work at the cutting edge of this fundamental and exciting
field.
The computer science
graduate faculty is composed of researchers in many vital areas of
computer science. Areas of
current faculty interests are database and knowledge-base systems,
software engineering, object-oriented programming and design, pattern
recognition, image processing computer vision, computer simulation,
artificial intelligence and expert systems, fuzzy and neural network
system, virtual reality, operations research, algorithms and complexity of
programming languages, computer networks, and computer
architecture.
Graduate students work
closely with computer science faculty on research and applied
projects. The department
maintains a wide range of labs with state-of-the-art computing
equipment. These include
work-stations running Unix, Windows XP, and Windows NT. Graduate students in computer
science can also have access to the Alabama State Super Computer and
specified mainframe computers.
OBJECTIVES
The graduate program is
designed to equip students with advanced knowledge, both in theory and
application, in the field of computer science; including ample
opportunities through funded research, seminars, lab-work, and field trips
to acquire hands-on experience on a wide variety of state-of-the-art
computer hardware and software systems.
The department offers a
rigorous Master of Science degree in Computer Science, providing basic
competence in the central areas of Computer Science. On this foundation, the student
has the opportunity to build expertise in one among a number of practical
and theoretical subjects, working toward a deeper understanding under the
guidance of a faculty member.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Admission to the Graduate
Program in Computer Science must follow criteria set forth by the School
of Graduate Studies.
Prospective students should have a substantial background in
computing and mathematics.
The typical computing background includes: competence in programming using
C/C++; discrete structures, computer organization, architecture and
assembly language programming; programming language theory; and operating
systems. The minimum mathematical background includes the first two
courses in calculus, a linear algebra course, and exposure to mathematical
logic. A student must have a
GPA of 3.00 in these, as well as an overall GPA of 3.00; otherwise the
student must take foundation courses and required undergraduate background
courses as specified by the graduate advisory
committee.
To be admitted to the
Master's program, the applicant must have approximately the equivalent of
an undergraduate degree in Computer Science from a program comparable to
the one at Alabama A&M University. In addition to a sufficient
mathematical and computer science background to support graduate study in
computer and information sciences, the candidate must have obtained a
minimum score of 500 on the quantitative portion of the
GRE.
GENERAL
REQUIREMENTS
The Program provides for
thesis and non-thesis options:
Master's degree with
Non-Thesis Option: The Master's student who decides
to take the non-thesis option must complete 36 hours of course work. The
coursework must consist of 18 hours of core courses and 18 hours of
computer science (CMP) electives. The student must take a comprehensive
examination with this option and pass it within two attempts. A student must complete all core
courses prior to taking the comprehensive exam.
Master's Degree with Thesis
Option: The Master's student who
decides to take the thesis option must complete 30 semester hours of
course work plus 6 hours of thesis.
The course work consists of 18 hours of core courses and 12 hours
of computer science (CMP) electives. The Master's research and thesis must
be an original work that (l) offers a theoretical contribution to the
field or (2) provides a new methodology or techniques for solving
practical problems in the area of computer science.
STRUCTURE
OF THE COURSES
Foundation
Courses*: The following courses are intended
for students who wish to enter the graduate program, but have deficiencies
in specific areas of computer science. These courses are assigned at the
time of admission based on the student's background and cannot be waived
or substituted with any other course. The student is required to
complete these courses with a grade of B or better before registering for
the regular graduate courses (core and elective courses). The foundation courses cannot be
used for graduate requirement in Computer Science Department, but can be
used by the other departments toward credit for their graduate
programs.
Core Courses**: The following graduate courses are
offered as the core curriculum and every student must take all of these
core courses to fulfill the breadth-first requirement. It is important to take the core
courses before subsequent specialty courses that use the core course
material. A minimum GPA of
3.00 must be earned in the core courses, with a grade of C in no more than
one of the courses.
Elective
Courses***:
A number of elective courses are provided for the student to master in
interested field(s) of specialization, and they are listed in the course
descriptions section.
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