Department of Computer and Information Science

The Master of Science in Computer Science program equips graduates with a broad and in-depth knowledge of computer science by offering a strong core curriculum and a wide selection of elective courses. The program maintains a balance between theory, systems and applications, with an emphasis on software development.

Our students gain the ability and courage to apply their knowledge to realistic scale projects in graduate courses. Their experience includes working with a team and assuming full responsibility for the project, from problem specification to solution completion. Students learn to conduct independent research and present their results in oral and written forms. They graduate with the knowledge and skills required to develop and design high-quality computer systems and application software. They have the ability to follow the rapid changes in the field of Computer Science. As highly qualified professionals, our students are ready to compete for responsible positions in the computer industry, research institutions, government, or to continue their education in PhD programs.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must submit the required application materials to the Office of Graduate Admissions. In addition, they must submit GRE general scores, except for those with a baccalaureate degree from UMass Dartmouth’s undergraduate program in Computer Science or Data Science, or a Graduate Certificate in Computer Science from UMass Dartmouth. The personal statement should explain the candidate’s goals and objectives regarding their professional career.

Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution (applicants who do not meet this criterion may be considered for admission if they can convincingly demonstrate that they have the equivalent of a baccalaureate degree.) In addition, they should demonstrate:

Ability to write programs in high-level programming languages (e.g., C, C++, Java)
Knowledge of computer architecture and operating systems
Knowledge of software engineering
Knowledge of mathematical analysis and theoretical foundations of computer science, as well as analysis of algorithms

The department has established a fast-track BS-MS program permitting UMass Dartmouth Computer Science undergraduate students to progress smoothly to the Master’s level and save some overall credits. See the General Catalogue for information and special admissions procedures.

Financial Assistance

A number of assistantships are available on a competitive basis. Other assistance, such as loans or work study, may be available to admitted students. Please refer to the “Expenses and Financial Assistance” chapter.

Graduate Certificates

A certificate provides the working professionals with recognition of a coherent program of advanced study at the graduate level. Each of our certificate programs is compatible with our MS degree requirements, allowing certificate recipients to transition to a degree program without loss of credit.

Acceptance to a Certificate Program (Onsite / Online)

Applicants must have earned a BS degree in an appropriate field. One applies for acceptance to a graduate certificate program through the Office of Graduate Admissions. Applicants follow the graduate degree admissions process for the MS in Computer Science program, but with a reduced formality. Thus, they submit a shortened application form, an essay and official transcripts of all post-secondary work, as instructed herein. However, they are not required to submit GRE scores and recommendation letters.

A joint faculty committee will review applications for admission to the certificate program. One element in the review will be to assess whether a student meets the stated prerequisites and, in general, has the appropriate combination of background and experience to succeed in the certificate program. It is possible for a student to be admitted with a contingency that the student must take one or more undergraduate prerequisite courses.

Other Certificate Policies

Prospective students can take up to two courses (with permission of the instructor) for the certificate before completing their official acceptance to the certificate program. Other graduate policies, such as those for longevity of credit, acceptable grades, and repeatability of courses, also apply to certificate students as to degree students.

See Computer Science Graduate Certificate for description and requirements.

BS/MS Undergraduate/Graduate Integrated Program Option in Computer Science

The department offers an integrated program that allows qualified UMass Dartmouth undergraduate majors in Computer Science to proceed directly to the Master’s degree program and complete both degrees with a reduction in overall credits required. See the current General Catalogue for information on this option.

Faculty and Fields of Interest

Akhavan Masoumi, Amir Assistant Teaching Professor (2020), BS 2004 Urmia Azad University, MS 2009 University of Science Malaysia, PhD 2015 University of Science Malaysia. Specializations: Information security, complex systems science, data visualization, cognitive load analysis.

Balasubramanian, Ramprasad Professor & Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation (2000), BS 1989 University of Madras, India, MS 1991 University of Toledo, MSOperRes 1993 University of Kentucky, PhD 1999 University of South Florida. Specializations: Autonomous mobile robotics, computer vision, pattern recognition, artificial intelligence.

El-Nasan, Adnan Assistant Teaching Professor (2016), BS 1998 Jordan University of Science Technology, MS 1995 Rochester Institute of Technology, PhD 2003 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Specializations: Operating system optimization and security; cybersecurity, privacy, forensics and reverse engineering, innovation and commercialization in emerging Economies.

Chang, Yuchou Assistant Professor (2020), BE 2003 Northwestern Polytechnical University, ME 2006 Shanghai Jiao Tong University, PhD 2012 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Specializations: Biomedical imaging, intelligent robotics, distributed data analytics, brain-computer interface.

Fang, Hua Julia Associate Professor (2016), BA 1998 Sichuan International Studies University, MA 2006 Ohio University, PhD 2006 Ohio University. Specializations: Machine learning, pattern recognition, computational statistics and wireless health.

Gyeera, Thomas Assistant Teaching Professor (2022), BS 1998 University of Duisburg, MS 2014 Sheffield Hallam University, PhD 2019 The University of Sheffield. Specializations: Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning, Cybersecurity, Cloud/fog/edge computing/IoT and autonomous computing.

Khatib, Firas Associate Professor (2013), BA 2001 University of California, Berkeley, PhD 2008 University of California, Santa Cruz. Specializations: Bioinformatics/computational biology, protein structure prediction, citizen science.

Kul, Gokhan Assistant Professor (2019), BS 2010 TOBB University of Economics and Technology, MS 2012 Middle East Technical University, PhD 2018 University at Buffalo, SUNY. Specializations: Cybersecurity, database security, digital forensics, computer systems.

Liu, Yi Associate Professor (2019) , MEng 1998 Nanjing University, PhD 2005 University of Mississippi. Specializations: Software engineering with specific interests in software architecture, software frameworks, software design patterns and secure software engineering, geospatial data science.

Patel, Ashokkumar Assistant Teaching Professor (2022), M.S. Georgia Southwestern State University, Ph.D. North Gujarat University. Specializations: Big Data security, Cloud security, Machine learning for Digital Forensics, Biometrics-based secure access & trustworthy Cyber Space.

Shao, Ming Daniel Associate Professor (2016), BS 2006 Beihang University, MS 2010 Beihang University, PhD 2016 Northeastern University. Specializations: Transfer learning, social media analytics, graph approximation and clustering.

Valova, Iren T Professor & Associate Dean (2000), BS 1991 Technical University, Sofia, Bulgaria, MS 1993 Technical University, Sofia, Bulgaria, PhD 1997 Tokyo Institute of Technology. Specializations: Artificial intelligence, neural networks, pattern recognition.

Xu, Haiping (Chairperson) Professor (2003), BS 1989 Zhejiang University, MS 1992 Zhejiang University, MS 1998 Wright State University, PhD 2003 University of Illinois Chicago. Specializations: Software engineering, distributed computing, machine learning, cloud computing, cybersecurity, software reliability.

Yuan, Jiawei Associate Professor (2020), BS 2011 University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, PhD 2015 University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Specializations: Cybersecurity, UAV security, network security, Internet of Things.

Zhang, Xiaoqin Shelley Professor (2002), BS 1995 University of Science and Technology of China, MS 1998 University of Massachusetts Amherst, PhD 2002 University of Massachusetts Amherst. Specializations: Multi-agent systems, intelligent agents, e-commerce.

Contact

Graduate Program Director
Computer and Information Science
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
285 Old Westport Road
Dartmouth, MA 02747-2300
cis-grads@umassd.edu

Department of Computer and Information Science

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