Scientists and Engineers

37 program units.

33 degree applicable units.

Preparatory Programming Requirement:

1 course required - 4 units total.

• CSCI 455x - Introduction to Programming Systems Design (4)

CSCI 455x is a preparatory requirement for this program and must be completed in the first semester.  The units for this course do not count toward the 33 units required for the degree.

Foundational Requirements:

2 courses required - 8 units total.

• CSCI 402 - Operating Systems (4)
• EE 450 - Computer Networks (4) OR EE 457 - Computer Systems Organization (4)

CSCI 402 should be taken in either your 2nd or 3rd semester, after CSCI 455x.

Core Requirement:

• CSCI 570 - Analysis of Algorithms (4)

Computer Science Elective Courses (21 units):

Select the remaining units from approved 500-to-600-level course work from Computer Science.

Recommended Electives for CS Scientists & Engineers:

• CSCI 561 - Foundations of Artificial Intelligence (4)
• CSCI 571 - Web Technologies (4)
• CSCI 585 - Database Systems (4)
• CSCI 576 - Multimedia Systems Design (4)
• CSCI 577a - Software Engineering (4)
• CSCI 577b - Software Engineering (4)
• CSCI 580 - 3D Graphics and Rendering (4)

Remaining units can be completed with the following:

• CSCI 590 - Directed Research (1-2, max 2)
• CSCI 591 - Computer Science Research Colloquium (1, max 2)

A maximum of 2 units of CSCI 590 and a maximum of 2 units of CSCI 591 may be applied.

Thesis courses (CSCI 594a, CSCI 594b, CSCI 594z) and Internship courses (ENGR 595a, ENGR 595b, ENGR 595z) are not eligible for elective credit.

• There is no cumulative examination required for the degree.
• A minimum grade point average of 3.00 must be earned on all course work applied toward the M.S. degree and all graduate course work taken at USC.
• A maximum of 8 units of 400-level courses from the foundational requirements (CSCI 402, EE 450 OR EE 457, and excluding the preparatory course CSCI 455x) can be counted toward the degree; the remaining units must be approved courses at the 500 or 600 level.
• One approved non-CSCI course may be used in the elective requirement only with department approval.
• Only one doctoral (600-level) course can be counted in the degree.
• Internship and Thesis credits cannot count as elective units toward the degree. The thesis option is not available for this program.
• CSCI 590 Directed Research is a variable unit course, and can be taken for one or two units. A maximum of two units can apply toward the degree.
• CSCI 591 Research Colloquium can be taken a maximum of two times for one unit each.
• Other requirements for the M.S. degree are the same as set forth in the general requirements for graduate degrees.