Computer Science (MS)

M.S. in Computer Science Program

The Master of Science (M.S.) program is intended for students with a bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a strongly related field who wish to broaden and deepen their understanding of computer science. Columbia University and the New York City environment provide excellent career opportunities with multiple industries. The program provides a unique opportunity to develop leading-edge in-depth knowledge of specific computer science disciplines.

Students in the M.S. program must complete a total of 30 points (including at least 6 credits at the 6000 level) with a GPA of at least 2.7. Every student completes Breadth and selects a track that focuses on a particular field of computer science. There are currently eight predefined M.S. tracks: Computational Biology; Computer Security; Foundations of Computer Science; Machine Learning; Natural Language Processing; Network Systems; Software Systems; Vision, Graphics, Interaction, and Robotics. Every track has a set of required courses and a wide range of elective courses that allow the students flexibility in designing their program according to their interests, under the guidance of a faculty adviser. Besides the eight predefined tracks, there is also the option, under the supervision of a faculty member, of a M.S. Personalized track for students who want to study an area of computer science that is not covered by one of the eight tracks, and the option of the M.S. Thesis track for students who want to do extensive research in a subfield and write an M.S. thesis. Students in all the tracks are encouraged to pursue research if they wish, and many participate in research projects with the faculty. The faculty in the department conduct research in all areas of computer science. For detailed information on the M.S. program, please see cs.columbia.edu/education/ms.