Michtom School of Computer Science

The Master of Science program in computer science is a two-track program designed for outstanding students with undergraduate degrees in any field. Students graduating from the master's program in computer science are expected to:

1. Attain programing and software engineering skills sufficient for building large scale applications and web-based applications.
2. Demonstrate a graduate-level understanding of at least two of three basic areas of computer science: systems, artificial intelligence and applied interdisciplinary computer science, and theory.
3. Follow the social, legal and ethical behaviors of the field and its practice.
4. Be prepared to enter the job market.

Admitted students with an undergraduate degree in Computer Science must satisfactorily complete an approved schedule of nine courses, which includes:

• Elective courses of at least nine COSI courses numbered 100 or greater of which at most three may be chosen from the following courses: COSI 152aj, COSI 152bj, COSI 153aj, COSI 153bj, COSI 154aj, COSI 293aj, COSI 210aj, COSI 200ab and COSI 210a.

Admitted students with an undergraduate degree in a field other than Computer Science must satisfactorily complete an approved schedule of 12 courses, which includes:

• Three core courses providing fundamental background in Computer Science: COSI 12b, COSI 21a, and COSI 29a. At most, two core courses can be taken a semester. Students must maintain a minimum average of a B+ in the three undergraduate courses required. At the end of each semester in the program, students who have an average of less than a B+ for the subset of these courses that they have taken thus far will be subject to probation or withdrawal from the program.
• Elective courses: At least nine additional COSI courses numbered 100 or greater of which one must be COSI 131a; only one course may be chosen from the following: COSI 152aj, COSI 152bj, COSI 153aj, COSI 153bj, COSI 154aj, COSI 293aj, COSI 210aj, and COSI 200ab. Only one JBS course may count as an 100 level elective. Two Independent Studies (210a) may be counted as an 100 level elective(s). Students who have previously taken the equivalent of any core course may petition the graduate program director for an exemption allowing them to substitute an additional COSI course numbered 100 or greater.

Available only to Brandeis students who have completed all requirements for the undergraduate bachelor's degree and have performed well in the computer science major and have completed three 100-level COSI electives in addition to those required for their undergraduate degree.

Students should apply in their senior year, at which time they should propose a course of study for the fifth year that typically consists of six graduate-level courses of which at most three may be chosen from the following courses: COSI 152aj, COSI 152bj, COSI 153aj, COSI 153bj, COSI 154aj, COSI 293aj, COSI 210aj, COSI 200a,b and COSI 210a.

All students whether they have had prior programming experience or not, will enroll in COSI 12b. We ask that students take the online Placement Test to determine their programming ability. Students that do not pass are required to attend a supplementary recitaion, including the regular 12b recitation, to help establish a solid foundation in programming. 

The minimum residency requirement for the MS3 and MS4 is at least three semesters. Residency requirements for the BS/MS or BA/MS is one year after completing the BS or BA at Brandeis.

Our computer science course offerings for Fall 2024 are listed here.

Please see full listing of computer science learning goals, course requirements, and courses offered in this year's bulletin.