Jun 15, 2026

2026-2027 University Catalog

Computer Science, MS

Location(s): West Lafayette, Online

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About the Program

Students pursuing a graduate degree in Computer Science can further their knowledge of computer science and conduct critical research in the Department of Computer Science’s many varied areas of research. Faculty’s expertise spans across many areas of computer science.

Research areas include: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing; Bioinformatics and Computational Biology; Computer Architecture; Computational Science and Engineering; Databases and Data Mining; Distributed Systems; Graphics, Visualization, and Geometric Modeling; Human-Computer Interaction; Information Security and Assurance; Networking and Operating Systems; Programming Languages and Compilers; Robotics and Computer Vision; Software Engineering; Theory of Computing, Algorithms, and Quantum Computing.

Opportunities for graduate funding are abundant. The flurry of growth in computer science at Purdue means numerous fellowships, research assistantships, and teaching assistantships are available.

Master’s students can pursue a thesis or non-thesis option. Requirements described below.

Program Website

Program Requirements - Thesis & Non-thesis

30 Credits Required

Required Courses (21 credits)

Core Courses (9 credits)

CS 50200 - Compiling And Programming Systems Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 56000 - Reasoning About Programs Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 56500 - Programming Languages Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 50300 - Operating Systems Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 53600 - Data Communication And Computer Networks Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 55100 - Cloud Computing Fundamentals Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 63600 - Internetworking Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 63800 - Multimedia Networking And Operating Systems Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 58000 - Algorithm Design, Analysis, And Implementation Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 58100 - Algorithmic Game Theory Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 58800 - Randomized Algorithms Credit Hours: 3.00

Selectives (12 credits)

Choose four.

CS 50500 - Distributed Systems Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 51000 - Software Engineering Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 52500 - Parallel Computing Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 54300 - Introduction To Simulation And Modeling Of Computer Systems Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 57900 - Bioinformatics Algorithms Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 58400 - Theory Of Computation And Computational Complexity Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 54100 - Database Systems Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 54200 - Distributed Database Systems Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 64100 - Multimedia Database Systems Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 57300 - Data Mining Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 54701 - Information Retrieval Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 57100 - Artificial Intelligence Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 57700 - Natural Language Processing Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 57800 - Statistical Machine Learning Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 53000 - Introduction To Scientific Visualization Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 53100 - Computational Geometry Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 53500 - Interactive Computer Graphics Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 51400 - Numerical Analysis Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 51500 - Numerical Linear Algebra Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 52000 - Computational Methods In Optimization Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 61500 - Numerical Methods For Partial Differential Equations I Credit Hours: 3.00 (when taught by a professor whose primary appointment is in Computer Science)
CS 52600 - Information Security Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 52700 - Software Security Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 52800 - Network Security Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 55500 - Cryptography Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 55600 - Data Security And Privacy Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 62600 - Advanced Information Assurance Credit Hours: 3.00 or
CS 65500 - Advanced Cryptology Credit Hours: 3.00

Electives (3-9 credits)

The 500/600-level elective courses do not necessarily need to be in Computer Science.

For students pursuing a thesis, only one elective course is required. Individual study courses may not be used.

For students pursuing the non-thesis option, three elective courses are required. At most, two may be individual study courses.

For each individual study course, students must identify a CS faculty member willing to offer the course and submit a detailed, one-page course description signed by the CS instructor to the graduate office (csgrad@purdue.edu) before the course can be approved on a plan of study. The course must be titled and taken in regular grade mode (not P/NP).

CS Courses

Students can choose CS courses for their electives from the list below. Generally, any CS courses at the 500 level or above is allowed, when taught by a faculty member whose primary appointment is in the CS department (except CS 50100, 50010, 50011, 50023, 50024, 50025 and certain CS 59000, 59200 and 59300 courses).

CS 50200 - Compiling And Programming Systems Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 50500 - Distributed Systems Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 51400 - Numerical Analysis Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 52000 - Computational Methods In Optimization Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 52300 - Social, Economic, And Legal Aspects Of Security Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 52500 - Parallel Computing Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 52700 - Software Security Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 52800 - Network Security Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 53000 - Introduction To Scientific Visualization Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 53600 - Data Communication And Computer Networks Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 55500 - Cryptography Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 55600 - Data Security And Privacy Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 55800 - Introduction To Robot Learning Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 56500 - Programming Languages Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 57300 - Data Mining Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 57700 - Natural Language Processing Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 57800 - Statistical Machine Learning Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 58000 - Algorithm Design, Analysis, And Implementation Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 58400 - Theory Of Computation And Computational Complexity Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 58500 - Theoretical Computer Science Toolkit Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 58700 - Foundations Of Deep Learning Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 59100 - Seminar Credit Hours: 1.00
CS 61500 - Numerical Methods For Partial Differential Equations I Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 63500 - Capturing And Rendering Real-World Scenes Credit Hours: 3.00
CS 65500 - Advanced Cryptology Credit Hours: 3.00

Non-CS Courses

Besides CS courses, students can choose from other departments to fulfill their degree requirements. The list below is non-exhaustive. Other courses, including courses at other institutions, may be approved on an individual basis.

BIOL 51700 - Molecular Biology: Proteins Credit Hours: 2.00 (If taken for the Computational Life Sciences concentration)
BIOL 54100 - Molecular Genetics Of Bacteria Credit Hours: 3.00 (If taken for the Computational Life Sciences concentration)
CHM 69600 - Special Topics In Chemistry Credit Hours: 1.00 to 3.00 Title: Quantum Information and Computation
ECE 51012 - Electromechanics Credit Hours: 3.00
ECE 54700 - Introduction To Computer Communication Networks Credit Hours: 3.00 (must also take CS 53600)
ECE 56300 - Programming Parallel Machines Credit Hours: 3.00
ECE 56500 - Computer Architecture Credit Hours: 3.00
ECE 57000 - Artificial Intelligence Credit Hours: 3.00
ECE 60000 - Random Variables And Signals Credit Hours: 3.00
ECE 60872 - Reliable And Secure Computer Systems Credit Hours: 3.00
ECE 62900 - Introduction To Neural Networks Credit Hours: 3.00
ECE 63700 - Digital Image Processing I Credit Hours: 3.00
ECE 66100 - Computer Vision Credit Hours: 3.00
ECE 67300 - Distributed Computing Systems Credit Hours: 3.00
IE 53500 - Linear Programming Credit Hours: 3.00
IE 53800 - Nonlinear Optimization Algorithms And Models Credit Hours: 3.00
IE 58000 - Systems Simulation Credit Hours: 3.00
IE 63500 - Theoretical Foundations Of Optimization Credit Hours: 3.00
IE 67400 - Cyber Methods For Advanced Production Control Credit Hours: 3.00
LING 59300 - Special Topics In Semantics Credit Hours: 3.00 Title: Natural Language Knowledge Representation
MA 51100 - Linear Algebra With Applications Credit Hours: 3.00
MA 51400 - Numerical Analysis Credit Hours: 3.00
MA 51800 - Advanced Discrete Mathematics Credit Hours: 3.00
MA 52000 - Boundary Value Problems Of Differential Equations Credit Hours: 3.00
MA 52300 - Introduction To Partial Differential Equations Credit Hours: 3.00
MA 52500 - Introduction To Complex Analysis Credit Hours: 3.00
MA 53200 - Elements Of Stochastic Processes Credit Hours: 3.00
MA 57500 - Graph Theory Credit Hours: 3.00
MA 58500 - Mathematical Logic I Credit Hours: 3.00
MA 59800 - Topics In Mathematics Credit Hours: 1.00 to 5.00 Titles: Elliptic Curves & Cryptography; Mathematical Aspects of Neural Networks
MA 61100 - Methods Of Applied Mathematics I Credit Hours: 3.00
MA 61500 - Numerical Methods For Partial Differential Equations I Credit Hours: 3.00
ME 53500 - Design And Modeling Of Fluid Power Systems Credit Hours: 3.00
STAT 51900 - Introduction To Probability Credit Hours: 3.00
STAT 52200 - Sampling And Survey Techniques Credit Hours: 3.00
STAT 52600 - Advanced Statistical Methodology Credit Hours: 3.00
STAT 52800 - Introduction To Mathematical Statistics Credit Hours: 3.00
STAT 52900 - Applied Decision Theory And Bayesian Statistics Credit Hours: 3.00
STAT 53200 - Elements Of Stochastic Processes Credit Hours: 3.00
STAT 54600 - Computational Statistics Credit Hours: 3.00
STAT 59800 - Topics In Statistical Methods Credit Hours: 0.00 to 6.00 Titles: Introduction to Machine Learning; Probabilistic Graphical Models
STAT 69500 - Seminar In Mathematical Statistics Credit Hours: 1.00 to 3.00
Titles:
- Bayesian Statistical Modeling
- Bayesian Statistics
- Data Visualization
- Bayesian Nonparametrics

Thesis Research (6 credits)

Only students pursuing a thesis will take CS 69800. Otherwise, students will take extra elective course credit. The thesis must be presented in an oral defense before the advisory committee.

CS 69800 - Research MS Thesis Credit Hours: 1.00 to 18.00 (Credits: 6.00)

Concentrations

Departmental concentrations:

Interdisciplinary concentrations:

Program Learning Outcomes

GPA Requirements

All courses included in the plan of study must have a student evaluation component, and they must be graded in the usual manner so they can be used to compute the GPA. In particular, courses graded on a pass/no pass or satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis cannot be included in the plan of study. A student receiving a grade lower than C- in a course on the plan of study will have to repeat or replace the course. If a course is repeated, only the last grade, even if lower, is used to compute all GPAs involving that course.

Graduate Programs Disclaimer

The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements. Students should consult with their advisor/department for more information.
Not all graduate programs may be actively recruiting students and course modality availability may vary.
Please refer to the Explore Graduate Programs website for a list of currently available graduate programs.
Transfer credit policy: Credits earned for graduate study at other universities (both domestic and international) may be applied toward an advanced degree. Only credit hours associated with graduate courses for which grades of B- or better were obtained will be eligible for transfer. Any additional conditions under which credit transfers may be made are determined by the various departments.
Comparative information about Purdue University and other U.S. educational institutions is also available through the College Navigator tool, provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, and through the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

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