Graduation Requirements
The M.S. in Computer Science program at Western Kentucky University requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of coursework plus the research tool. Both thesis and non-thesis options are available. A minimum of six 500-level computer science courses is required. If any of the required courses have been completed for undergraduate credit, approved electives will be substituted. The research tool, under both options, must be met by successful completion of CS 500.
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CS 500 Research Tool The passing grade for the course is a 'B' or above. To pass the course, you will take an Evaluation Exam, requiring students to write and implement a program to solve a given problem. The exam is given in the second week of the semester. This exam covers variable type and declarations, file input and output, functions (methods), conditional statements, loop processing of arrays (sorting, searching, finding minimum/maximum/average), string manipulation, mathematical operations, and classes and objects (aggregate types). In this exam, students should use meaningful variables, inline comments and method descriptions, and appropriate classes and methods in those classes. |
If the student decides to do a thesis and has a thesis advisor, the thesis advisor will guide the student for the rest of the semester to determine thesis topics, work toward the thesis, or do a project, etc. The thesis advisor will give the grade for the courses at the end of the semester. The student does not have to attend regular lectures for CS 500.
If the student decides on the non-thesis option, the student needs to find a suitable project topic, which is verified by the instructor. The student will then work on the project for the rest of the semester. The student will give a presentation in the class at the end of the semester and will submit a report to the instructor before the presentation. The instructor determines meetings for the project but the student does not need to attend the CS 500 lectures.
If the student decides to do a thesis but does not have a thesis advisor, the student will work on the project explained in the previous step.
The student must attend lectures. The instructor will determine the attendance policy. The instructor will cover all topics listed above so that the student will have problem-solving techniques and skills for computer-based systems including solution design and implementation.
- Complete core courses.
- Five elective computer science courses approved by the graduate advisor.
- A minimum of six 500-level computer science courses.
- Comprehensive exam.
All graduate degree candidates at WKU must pass a comprehensive examination. There is a written exam covering material from our 500-level courses. We have prepared an outline of topics to be covered including chapters from some popular books. If a student is writing a thesis, the student will not take the comprehensive exam.
Students typically take the exam in their last semester. It is administered once each semester, typically on the first Saturday in November (fall semesters) and the first Saturday in April (spring semesters). Students who do not pass on their first attempt will be given a second opportunity in the same semester, typically 2-3 weeks after their first attempt.
If a student fails the second attempt, they have one more chance in a later semester. If a student fails three times, they will not receive a graduate degree in Computer Science from WKU.
Resources for Comprehensive Examinations
- Automata Theory and Compiler
- Database Systems
- Analysis of Algorithms
- Software Engineering and Project Management
Some of the links on this page may require additional software to view.