The Department of Computer Science of Rutgers University - Camden has recently created a graduate program leading to a Master of Science degree in Computer Science (MS CS). The program started in the Fall semester of 2007. The program is targeted to traditional and non-traditional students who want to deepen their knowledge of CS, advance their careers, or prepare for further doctoral studies.

The program is an evening Master's program designed for working professionals. It can be completed in between three semesters of full-time study to five semesters of part-time study. The program also has an accelerated track that admits particularly promising undergraduates. The program also admits non-matriculated students. This MS CS program is offered by Rutgers-Camden. Note that Rutgers has three independent units, that should not be confused: &emsp&emspRutgers New Brunswick , &emspRutgers Newark , and Rutgers Camden, all with their own schools and degree programs. Applications to different units have to be done separately.

More information on the MS CS program (courses, regulations, admission requirements, graduation requirements) is available in pdf.

Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree with substantial background in basic computer science and mathematics. A computer science degree is preferred but not required. The computer science background should include knowledge of a contemporary programming language, data structures and algorithms, and fundamentals of computer architecture and operating systems. The mathematics background should include knowledge of calculus, discrete mathematics, and probability and statistics. Applicants must have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 (B average).

Application material (to be submitted on-line whenever possible, at http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu ):

1. Transscripts (documenting that the applicant has a bachelor's degree with a GPA of at least 3.0, with adequate computer science and mathematics background);
2. three letters of recommendation;
3. a personal statement (of at most two pages) about academic interests and career goals; the application may include other supporting information, such as academic or work experience and special skills;
4. TOEFL scores, for students who are not native English speakers (recommended minimum scores: 79 for internet-based, 213 for computer-based, 550 for paper-based); the IELTS can substitute for the TOEFL (recommended minimum score: 7); scores should be at most two years old.
5. GRE General Test scores. Rutgers University-Camden GRE test code is 2092.

The application should be done on-line at   http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu   .
Contact information for Rutgers-Camden graduate admissions:

Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
406 Penn Street
Camden, NJ 08102, U.S.A.
Phone:   +1 856 225-6104

Application deadlines for all application material:

• Fall admission application deadline:   31 May   (31 March from abroad).
• Spring admission application deadline:   31 Oct.   (30 Sept. from abroad).

Applications received after the deadline will also be reviewed, but admission might only be granted for the following semester.

For information on tuition and fees, see   http://studentabc.rutgers.edu/billing/ .   Unfortunately, the CS Department cannot provide financial support to students. For more information on graduate admissions at Rutgers, see   http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/ .   To determine your residency status, see   http://admissions.rutgers.edu/0208.asp#1/ .

A candidate for the MS CS degree must complete at least 30 credits and must choose between the project option and the thesis option. Projects and theses will be supervised by faculty members; the thesis option will be highly selective and based on a minimum GPA requirement and faculty recommendation.

All students must satisfy a breadth requirement for course work, viz. at least two regular courses must be taken from each of three areas: Software/Systems, Applications, and Theory. A cumulative GPA of at least 3.0   (B average) is necessary for graduation.

For more details, consult the Computer Science portion of the graduate catalog   http://catalogs.rutgers.edu/generated/cam-grad_current/index.html . More information on the MS CS is available in pdf.   For more information on schedules, catalogs, calendars, see the Rutgers scheduling pages at   http://scheduling.rutgers.edu/ .

The department will offer a variety of graduate computer science courses, grouped under three areas:

• Theory: Algorithms, Computational Geometry, Cryptography and Computer Security, Theory of Computation, Computational Complexity, Combinatorial Optimization, Computational Mathematics.
• Software/Systems: Program Transformation and Optimization, Software Engineering, Compiler Construction, Computer Systems Architecture, Operating Systems, Computer Networks, Mobile and Wireless Computing.
• Applications: Parallel and Distributed Computing, Database Systems, Advanced Database Systems, Computer Graphics, Introduction to Computational Biology.

Undergraduate students who demonstrate exceptional academic performance in the BS program in Computer Science at Rutgers-Camden may apply during their junior year to enter a dual-degree BS/MS program. This program will enable students in the BS program to begin graduate work, thus speeding the completion of the master's degree.

Contact for the MS CS Program:
J.C. Birget,   Computer Science Graduate Program Director
birget@camden.rutgers.edu   ,     (856) 225-6653.

Last updated: 1 July, 2008