| |  | | Computer Science | Link to a list of faculty for this program.
Contact Information—Department of Computer Science and
Engineering, University of Minnesota, 4-192 Electrical Engineering/Computer Science,
200 Union Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612-625-4002; fax 612-625-0572;
admissions@cs.umn.edu; www.cs.umn.edu).
Along with the program-specific requirements listed below, please read the General
Information section of this catalog for Graduate School requirements that
apply to all major fields.
Curriculum—The graduate program in computer science offers coursework from across a broad spectrum of theoretical and applied computer science, combined with research opportunities in nearly all areas of the field. The faculty of the graduate program advise students in such areas as algorithms and theoretical computer science; numerical, parallel, and high-performance computing; distributed computing and systems; artificial intelligence, robotics, and computer vision; databases and data mining; human-computer interaction and information systems; graphics and visualization; software engineering and programming languages; computer architecture and compilers; networking; bio-informatics and computational biology; and computer security. In addition, students may choose a course of study that integrates research in computer science with applications in other fields.
The computer science degrees include an M.C.S., M.S. (Plan A with thesis, Plan B with project or Plan C—coursework only with coursework-based projects), and a Ph.D. The M.C.S. is a coursework-only degree and is intended to be a terminal degree.
The Department of Computer Science and Engineering also supports a master of science in software engineering (M.S.S.E.) degree. Many faculty from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering also participate in the graduate program in scientific computation.
Prerequisites for Admission—A degree in any major with a substantial background in computer science is required; a computer science major is preferred. Applicants with an inadequate background must resolve any deficiencies before applying to the program.
Special Application Requirements—The program requires that all applicants complete the department online application as well as the Graduate School online application. The names and e-mails of three recommenders are required and they will be requested to upload their letters of recommendation to the CSE online application only. Scores from the General (Aptitude) Test of the GRE are required for M.S. and Ph.D. program applicants. The Subject Test is optional, although highly recommended, especially for those seeking financial assistance. If taken, it should be in the undergraduate major field or, if it is not offered in that field, in computer science, mathematics, or engineering. Master’s and Ph.D. students are accepted for fall admission only. The application deadline is April 1. Students seeking financial aid must apply by December 15.
Key to test abbreviations (GRE, TOEFL, GMAT, MELAB).
 For an online application or for more information about Graduate School admissions, see the General Information section in this catalog, or visit the Graduate School Web site.
Research Facilities—Graduate students have access to a wide range of computing facilities and equipment from the powerful supercomputers in the Minnesota Supercomputer Institute and Army Research Laboratory Department of Defense Supercomputing Resource Center to handheld and portable computers used in research on mobile and location-aware computing. Specialized laboratories provide support for advanced graphics and visualization, virtual reality, computer networking, and distributed robotics. More general-purpose dedicated laboratories support a wide range of research activities, and shared graduate student laboratories provide extra computing for class work and other studies.
Courses—Ref | | |
