M.S. in Scientific/Technical Computing
This program is only for students who joined the MS in Scientific and Technical Computing program by the beginning of Spring 2008. Students who start in Summer 2008 and later may not join this version of the program, but may enter the new MS in Computer Science program, with many of the same options.
In collaboration with the Science Departments
Scientific and technical computating is a major research and development area that is replete with professional opportunity; most professional science careers require knowledge of computational modeling techniques. In the industry, technologies such as grid computing, cluster computing, utility computing, and on-demand computing are gaining in industrial significance. This degree is focused on students who are interested in the application of computer science to science and engineering problems. The MS in Scientific/Technical Computing (MS-STC) is designed for students who have scientific/engineering background and an interest in computing to explore emerging areas such as computational biology, chemistry, physics, and applied areas (e.g. climate modeling, finance) through independent study or programming projects.
Students enrolled in this degree program must complete the following:
- One course from each of the three required areas: Theoretical Foundations, Software Development, and Scientific Programming.
- Six courses may be chosen from any of the required areas or at the 400-level within any of the component departments (COMP, MATH, BIOL, and CHEM). Courses with the CSIS code (offered to MS IT students) may also be elected by students in the MS STC program.
- One required course addressing ethical and social issues in the computing field.
Prerequisites
You can be admitted into the graduate program and then take the prerequisites given below either before or concurrently with your graduate courses. It is also possible to have some or all of these prerequisites waived based on what you've learned since getting your undergrad degree.
- COMP 271: Data Structures
- COMP 264: Introduction to Computer Systems
- COMP 363: Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms
Ethics Requirement
Theoretical Foundations
Choose one or more of the following:
- COMP 460: Algorithms and Complexity
- MATH 409: Advanced Numerical Analysis
- MATH 423: Combinatorics
Software Development
Choose one or more of the following:
- COMP 439: Distributed Systems
- COMP 464: High-Performance Computing
- COMP 473: Object Oriented Programming
- MATH 421: Mathematical Modeling, Simulation, and Performance
Scientific Programming
Choose one or more of the following: