Advance your expertise and leadership potential in the ever-evolving field of computer science with our rigorous Master of Science (MS) program.

At a Glance

  • Flexibility
    Part Time | Full Time
  • Delivery Options
    On Campus
  • Degree
    MS

MS in Computer Science Overview

UMass Lowell's Master's in Computer Science is designed for tech professionals and recent graduates seeking to deepen their knowledge in the general area of computer science or specialize in cybersecurity. 

Through a blend of advanced course work, research opportunities and practical applications, our Computer Science master's degree will provide you with the skills and qualifications to tackle the most pressing challenges in the industry while expanding your career options and increasing your earning potential.

Program Quick Facts

  • GRE Waiver Available
  • High Return on Investment
  • STEM-OPT Eligible
  • Scholarships & Financial Aid Available

Computer Science Curriculum

The M.S. in Computer Science is a 30-credit master's degree, with an optional master's thesis. You can focus your degree by choosing an option that fits your career goals and academic interests: General Option or Cybersecurity Option. 

For a complete list of courses and academic requirements, please visit the Academic Catalog.

Each degree candidate will be required to pass with an average of B or better, and not more than two grades below the B, the following minimum number of credits, distributed to include core courses and electives.
Every student is required to take COMP.5030 Algorithms, and one course from Group II, III, and IV classes. Once the 12 required credits are completed, students may take six graduate level courses selected from the groups below.
Required Courses
Course NumberCourse NameCredits
Total12
COMP.5030Algorithms3
Group IIone course3
Group IIIone course3
Group IVone course3
Group I (Foundations)
Course NumberCourse NameCredits
Total3
COMP.5020Foundations of Computer Science3
COMP.5030Algorithms3
COMP.5310Designs of Programming Languages3
COMP.5340Compiler Construction3 
COMP.7100Approximation Algorithms3
Group II (Choose 1 Course)
Course NumberCourse NameCredits
Total3
COMP.5150Operating Systems I3
COMP.5160Operating Systems II3
COMP.5300Special Topics0-3
COMP.5610Computer & Network Security I3 
COMP.5620Computer & Network Security II3
COMP.5630Data Communications I3
COMP.5640Data Communications II3
COMP.5660Malware Analysis3
COMP.5670loT Security and Analysis3
COMP.5690Computer and Network Forensics3
COMP.6610Advanced Topics in Network Security3
Group III (Choose 1 Course)
Course NumberCourse NameCredits
Total3
COMP.5230Computer Vision I3
COMP.5270Human Computer Interaction3
COMP.5280Evaluation of Human-Computer Interaction3 
COMP.5495Robot Learning3
COMP.5410Data Visualization3
COMP.5420Natural language Processing3
COMP.5430Artificial Intelligence3
COMP.5440Data Mining3
COMP.5450Machine Learning3
COMP.5460Computer Graphics I3
COMP.5470Computer Graphics II3
COMP.5480Robot Design3
COMP.5490Mobile Robots3
COMP.5500Topics3
COMP.5520Foundations in Digital Health3
COMP.6440Advanced Topics in Data Mining3
Group IV (Choose 1 Course)
Course NumberCourse NameCredits
Total3
COMP.5130Internet and Web Systems I3
COMP.5140Internet and Web Systems II3
COMP.5510Bioinformatics for CS3 
COMP.5730Database I3 
COMP.5740Database II3
COMP.5800Topics in Computer Science (information related topics)3
COMP.6730Advanced Database Systems3
Total credits after required course and Groups = 12 credits.
Electives (Choose 6, 18 credits)*
Course NumberCourse NameCredits
Total18
COMP.5XXX
or 
COMP.6XXX
18

*An optional Master's Thesis can be substituted for at most 6 credits, and can be used to substitute for two elective courses. Students who wish to do a thesis must file a Proposed Thesis Committee form with the Graduate Coordinator to begin working on a thesis.

Total Credits = 30

Last updated: 6/24/2020

Each degree candidate will be required to pass with an average of B or better, and not more than two grades below the B, the following minimum number of credits, distributed to include core courses and electives.
Core Courses
Course #Course NameCr.
Total12
COMP.5030Algorithms3
Group IIone course3
group IIIone course3
Group IVone course3

Required Courses for the Option (can be counted as either core or elective, but cannot be double counted)
Course #Course NameCr.
Total12
COMP.5610Computer & Network Security I3
COMP.5630Data Communication3
COMP.5660Malware Analysis3 
COMP.5730Database I3

Group I (Foundations)
Course #Course NameCr.
Total3
COMP.5020Foundations of Computer Science3
COMP.5030Algorithms3
COMP.5310Designs of Programming Languages3
COMP.5340Compiler Construction3 
COMP.7100Approximation Algorithms3
Group II: Systems & Networks
Course #Course NameCr.
Total3
COMP.5150Operating Systems I3
COMP.5160Operating Systems II3
COMP.5300Special Topics3
COMP.5610Computer & Network Security I3 
COMP.5620Computer & Network Security II3
COMP.5630Data Communications I3
COMP.5640Data Communications II3
COMP.5660Malware Analysis3
COMP.5670IoT Security and Privacy3
COMP.5690Computer and Network Forensics3
COMP.6610Advanced Topics in Network Security3
Group III: Human-Computer Interaction, Visualization, Robotics & AI
Course #Course NameCr.
Total3
COMP.5230Computer Vision I3
COMP.5270Human Computer Interaction3
COMP.5280Evaluation of Human-Computer Interaction3 
COMP.5410Data Visualization3
COMP.5420Natural Language Processing3
COMP.5430Artificial Intelligence3
COMP.5440Data Mining3
COMP.5450Machine Learning3
COMP.5460Computer Graphics I3
COMP.5470Computer Graphics II3
COMP.5480Robot Design3
COMP.5490Mobile Robots3
COMP.5495Robot Learning3
COMP.5520Foundations in Digital Health3
COMP.5500Topics3
COMP.6440Advanced Topics in Data Mining3
Croup IV: Information Management & Analysis
Course #Course NameCr.
Total3
COMP.5130Internet and Web Systems I3
COMP.5140Internet and Web Systems II3
COMP.5510Bioinformatics for CS3 
COMP.5730Database I3 
COMP.5740Database II3
COMP.5800Topics in Computer Science3
COMP.6730Advanced Database Systems3
Group V: Interdisciplinary (at least 3 credits)
Course #Course NameCr.
Total3
CRIM.5740Overview of Homeland Security3
CRIM.6130Law and Public Policy3
CRIM.6580Issues in Computer Crime and Cyber Security3 
MIST.5410Information Security, Privacy and Regulatory Compliance3
MIST.5430Intrusion Detection Systems3
MIST.5450Designing and Building a Cybersecurity Program3 
MIST.6010Introduction to MIS3
Others (At Most 6 credits)*
Course #Course NameCr.
Total6
COMP.7010Computer Science Research3
COMP.7030Computer Science Research3
EECE.5560Fundamentals of Robotics3
EECE.5821Computer Architecture and Design3

Master's Thesis

An optional Master's Thesis can be substituted for at most 6 credits, and can be used to substitute for two elective courses. Students who wish to do a thesis must file a Proposed Thesis Committee form with the Graduate Coordinator to begin working on a thesis.

Total Credits = 30

Last updated: 6/24/2020

Why Study Computer Science at UMass Lowell?

A person wearing a portable VO2 measurement device walking on an instrumented treadmill with motion capture cameras.

Research Opportunities

Work on industry-sponsored research projects in well-funded research centers and labs.

male-faculty-female-student-computer-modeling

Rigorous Curriculum

Taught by renowned computer science faculty and industry professionals, our program offers a comprehensive curriculum covering computer science's theoretical foundations alongside real-world applications.
Two students in the UMass Lowell Cybersecurity program work at a computer.

Student Collaboration

Work with peers on projects and field competitive teams, like the one that developed the "Rover Hawk" robot that took first place at a NASA competition.

Computer Science Career Outlook

  • +25%

    Projected job growth for software engineers between 2022-2032

    (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024)

  • $146,580

    Mean annual wage for software developers in Massachusetts 

    (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023)

Two students look at a laptop computer screen

Where Our Graduates Work

  • Amazon
  • BAE
  • Cisco
  • EMC
  • Facebook
  • Fidelity
  • Google
  • HP
  • IBM
  • Intel
  • iRobot
  • MITRE
  • Microsoft
  • Oracle
  • Raytheon

Hear from UMass Lowell Graduates

John Kilgo smiling in front of MITRE signage
John Kilgo '19
Computer Science

John Kilgo VI began working at MITRE Corporation more than three years ago as an intern, when he was a UMass Lowell undergraduate. Now, he’s employed there full time as a software systems engineer, while enrolled part time in the master’s program in computer science.

The flexibility of the program allows the courses to sync up with what I’m doing at work.
Read More About John Kilgo 
Shruti Jain sits at a desk with her supervisor at University Relations, Sarah Eisenklam
Shruti Jain '19
Computer Science

Shruti Jain came to UMass Lowell for its hands-on teaching approach. She’s gotten lots of opportunities to apply what she’s learning – as well as a coveted internship with Red Hat.

Once recruiters knew that I was a student at UMass Lowell, you could just see it in their faces – they were really interested in talking to me. People know what UMass Lowell is, and it’s all really positive.
Read More About Shruti Jain 
Surbhi Kanthed (center) and two other students pictured at Technica 2019, a hackathon.
Surbhi Kanthed '19
Computer Science

Surbhi Kanthed’s team won a huge hackathon for women students – and now she is working at Red Hat.

The professors help you, they groom you and they teach you so many things.
Read More About Surbhi Kanthed 
Rupal Trivedi poses with her family at UMass Lowell commencement
Rupal Trivedi ’94, ’95, ’22
Computer Science, MBA

Software engineer Rupal Trivedi returned to her college roots when the time came to get an MBA.

An MBA is the key. It has opened my eyes to a world I didn’t know about before.
Read More About Rupal Trivedi 

Tuition and Aid

Eligible students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be considered for financial assistance.

Complete the FAFSA

View Estimated Annual Tuition and Fees for the 2024 - 2025 Academic Year

As a graduate student, you may qualify for federal student aid and other need-based scholarships. To be considered for financial assistance, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Learn more at UMass Lowell Graduate Aid.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and certain eligible non-citizens. Please visit Financial Aid if you have questions about your eligibility.

Take the Next Step — Apply

Learn about admissions requirements and start your online application.

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Questions? Contact Us!

Phone:
800-656-4723 (U.S. Students)
978-934-2390 (International Students)

Email: 
Graduate_Admissions@uml.edu