School of Computing Kuali PDF Assoc Prog

Catalog 2024 — Indefinite     Academic Level: Graduate

Personnel

Dean: Richard L. Halterman

Graduate Program Coordinator: Willard Munger

Faculty: Scot Anderson, Richard L. Halterman, Willard Munger

Adjunct Faculty: Rebecca Beason, Tyson S. Hall



Mission Statement

The mission of Southern Adventist University's School of Computing is to provide an exemplary Christian learning environment that enables students to become Christian computing professionals, who, in addition to being competent in their chosen profession, realize their responsibility to God, church, family, employer, colleagues, and society.



Degrees Offered

The School of Computing offers a Master of Science in Computer Science and a Master of Science in Applied Computer Science.



Admission

Provisional Admission

A student accepted on provisional basis may be admitted to regular status upon the completion of 12 graduate credit hours taken through Southern with a minimum grade of B- in each course. Students are not permitted to repeat courses in order to satisfy this requirement. Students who do not satisfy this requirement will not be permitted to continue in the program.



Residence

The last 27 hours must be taken through Southern Adventist University School of Computing. Project/Thesis credit hours must be taken in residence.



Transfer Credit

A maximum of six semester hours with a minimum grade of B may be transferred into the program to satisfy graduation requirements provided they are equivalent to courses required for the degree.




Progression

A maximum of two courses may be repeated one time for the purpose of improving the GPA.




Associated Programs


Admission Requirements

An applicant for the Master of Science in Applied Computer Science will comply with the following requirements:

  1. Baccalaureate degree from a recognized accredited institution in any area of study
  2. Cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.00 or higher.
  3. International students must have a minimum TOEFL score of 90 (Internet-based), having taken the test within the past year or demonstrated proficiency in the use of the English language.
  4. Students may be admitted to the program at the beginning of both fall and winter semesters
  5. One year of computer programming coursework or CPTR 502.
  6. Graduate Certificate students in Cybersecurity must fulfill the requirement of CPTR 328 or an equivalent before beginning their Cybersecurity coursework.

Note: some courses have additional pre-requisites that must be satisfied before taking those graduate courses.



Requirements

REQUIRED COURSES (33 Total Credits)
Grand Total Credits: 33


Graduation Requirements

A candidate for graduation must:

  1. Complete an application to graduate, which must be filed with Graduate and Professional Studies at least two months prior to the anticipated graduation date.
  2. Complete all required coursework with a minimum GPA of 3.00, including no more than two courses with a grade below B-. Courses with a grade below a C will not be counted for credit toward the MS in Applied Computer Science degree.
  3. Successfully complete and defend a project or complete an approved field practicum.
    • A project consists of significant individual development work. In the process the student will successfully complete an approved Project Proposal and publicly defend a final Project Report that meets the standards defined on the School of Computing web site.
    • After all coursework has been completed and the student has taken the required 6 hours of project credit, the student must take at least one project credit per semester until the project is completed and accepted.


Sample Degree Plan

Grand Total Credits: 33


Admission Requirements

Students with undergraduate degrees in Computer Science from non-ABET accredited programs and students with an undergraduate degree in an area outside of Computer Science may be required to take specific prerequisite undergraduate courses in computer science prior to admission.


An applicant for the Master of Science in Computer Science will comply with the following requirements:

  1. A BS in Computer Science degree from an ABET-accredited program, or a four-year undergraduate degree in Computer Science or related program with permission.
  2. Cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.00 or higher.
  3. International students must have a minimum TOEFL score of 90 (Internet-based), having taken the test within the past year or demonstrated proficiency in the use of the English language.
  4. Students wishing to study Data Analytics will enter with a Fall Cohort. All other students may be admitted to the program at the beginning of both fall and winter semesters

Permission to Take Classes

Before the end of their junior year students wishing to complete the BS/MS dual-enrollment program should request and be granted permission to take graduate classes. Undergraduate students need to receive at least a B- in each graduate course to continue.



Program Specific Info

Options for Completing the MS in Computer Science

The Master of Science in Computer Science program can be completed in two ways. First, the coursework can be completed in a traditional two-year program following the student's completed undergraduate program. Second, the coursework can be completed in conjunction with the School of Computing's undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Computer Science program. The coursework for both the BS and MS programs can be completed in approximately five years with some summer coursework required. The graduate courses are taken during the fourth and fifth years. Applicants should consult with a Southern Adventist University financial adviser to discuss the financial aid ramifications of these options.



Requirements

Grand Total Credits: 33


Graduation Requirements

A candidate for graduation must:

  1. Complete an application to graduate, which must be filed with Graduate & Professional Studies at least two months prior to the anticipated graduation date.
  2. Complete all required coursework with a minimum GPA of 3.00, including no more than two courses with a grade below B-. Courses with a grade below a C will not be counted for credit toward the MS in Computer Science degree.
  3. Successfully complete and defend a project or thesis.
    • A project consists of significant individual development work. In the process the student will successfully complete an approved Project Proposal and publicly defend a final Project Report that meets the standards defined on the School of Computing web site.
    • The Thesis consists of a body of original scholarly work completed by an individual student. In the process the student will successfully complete an approved Thesis Proposal and publicly defend a thesis that meets the standards defined on the School of Computing web site.
    • After all coursework has been completed and the student has taken the required 6 hours of project/thesis credit, the student must take at least one project/thesis credit per semester until the project/thesis is completed and accepted.


Sample Degree Plan

Grand Total Credits: 33


Program Specific Info

Prerequisites:

  1. One year of programming or CPTR 502
  2. Undergraduate course in databases (equivalent to CPTR 319)
  3. Undergraduate course in data structures and algorithms (equivalent to CPTR 318)
  4. Calculus I (equivalent to MATH 191)
  5. Undergraduate course in discrete mathematics (equivalent to MATH 280)
  6. Undergraduate course in operating systems (equivalent to CPTR 365)


Requirements

Grand Total Credits: 12


Sample Degree Plan

Grand Total Credits: 12


Program Specific Info

Prerequisites:

  1. One year of programming or CPTR 502


Requirements

Grand Total Credits: 12


Sample Degree Plan

Grand Total Credits: 12


Program Specific Info

Prerequisites:

  1. Undergraduate course in statistics (equivalent to MATH 215)
  2. One year of programming or CPTR 502


Requirements

Grand Total Credits: 12


Sample Degree Plan

Grand Total Credits: 12


Program Specific Info

Prerequisites:

  1. One year of programming or CPTR 502


Requirements

Grand Total Credits: 12


Sample Degree Plan

Grand Total Credits: 12