School of Information Technology & Engineering
- Computer Science
- Undergraduate Programs
- Graduate Programs
Computer Science
Faculty
Professors: DeJong, Denning, Hamburger (chair),
Menasce, Michalski, Rine, Sood, Tecuci, Wechsler
Associate professors: Carver, Norris, Pullen,
Quammen, Richards, Setia, Wang
Assistant professors: Chen, Duric, Huang, Simon, White
Instructors: Maney, Marchant, Nordstrom
Adjunct professors: Ashton, Berlin, Bloedorn,
Doughty, Erwin, Howes, Jamison, Mukherji, Nada, Shoukat
Course Work
Computer science is the discipline concerned with
the design, implementation, and maintenance of the
computer systems used in almost all other professions. Computer
scientists must be well grounded in the technologies
needed for the acquisition, representation, storage,
transmission, transformation, and use of information in digital form
and must be capable of working closely with members of
other professions associated with computing.
The Computer Science Department offers courses
designated CS in the "Course Descriptions" chapter of this catalog.
The computer science program is accredited by the
Computer Science Accreditation Board.
Undergraduate Programs
-
In addition to the general IT&E degree requirements for
a B.S. degree, the following courses are required:
- Computer science core: CS 105, 112, 211, 265,
310, 330, 365, 421, and 483. Total credits: 26.
Students should take CS 105 during their first semester.
- Senior computer science: Any four of the
following: CS 440, 450, 451, 455, 471, 475, 480,
490. Total credits: 12
- Mathematics: MATH 113, 114, 125, 203, 213;
OR 481; STAT 344; and ECE 301 for a total of 26 credits.
- Computer science-related courses: six credits
chosen from STAT 354; OR 435, 441, 442; ECE 285, 431, 442, 511, 512; SYST 471; PHIL 371,
376, 422; any MATH or CS course numbered above 300. Students may need to choose electives to
satisfy the prerequisites of these courses.
- Natural sciences: 12 credits in natural
science courses intended for scientists and engineers.
Two of the courses for this requirement must have
laboratory components and must constitute a
sequence. A list of relevant courses can be obtained from
the department office.
- COMM 100: Computer science students in
this course must make a technical presentation.
The course counts for three credits of humanities
within the humanities and social science requirement
of IT&E.
Students are strongly encouraged to obtain and follow
the sample schedule published by the department to ensure
that course prerequisites are satisfied. Students must file a
formal plan of study with the department and confer with
their advisors each semester to ensure that degree
requirements are met.
Change of Major
Students requesting a change of major to computer
science must have a GPA of at least 2.750 and have
successfully completed two of these courses: CS 112, 211; MATH
113, 114, or 125.
Advanced Placement and Credit by Examination
Some students may receive credit for CS 103, 112, 211,
or 265 by passing departmentally administered
examinations. In addition, a score of 3 on the Advanced Placement
(AP) Computer Science examination qualifies the student
for credit in CS 112. An AP score of 4, together with
demonstrated competence in the programming language used
in CS 211, qualifies for credit in that course.
Writing-Intensive Requirement
Computer science majors complete the
writing-intensive requirement through a planned sequence of projects
and reports integral to the following computer science
courses: CS 105, 211, 332, 421, 471, 480, and 490. In all
these courses, faculty provide feedback from the perspective
of professional expository writing.
Grades
A student must earn a C or better in any course intended
to satisfy a prerequisite for a computer science course.
A student may not use more than one course with a grade
of D toward the requirements for a computer science major.
Cooperative Education
A computer science major may participate in the
George Mason cooperative education program or in a
work-study program in the Washington, D.C.-Northern Virginia area.
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The combined B.S./M.S. in Computer Science program
is for those interested in immediately continuing on to
graduate studies in computer science.
Admission Requirements
Students in the B.S. program can apply for the
combined B.S./M.S. in Computer Science program if they have
earned 90 undergraduate credits with an overall GPA of at
least 3.000. Criteria for admission to the combined
B.S./M.S. program are identical to the criteria for admission to
the M.S. program.
Degree Requirements
- Students have to complete 144 credits that satisfy
both the requirements for the B.S. program and those for
the M.S. program, with six credits overlap.
- Students register for six credits of CS 500-level
core courses in place of the corresponding CS
400-level courses. That is, students must register for two of
the following courses: CS 540, 571, 580, or 583, in place
of the corresponding 400-level courses.
- Students in the combined B.S./M.S. program are
permitted to take additional graduate core courses in their
undergraduate program. In such cases, the students must
satisfy the core requirements for the M.S. by taking more
advanced courses from the same areas of emphasis. For example,
if CS 580 and CS 583 are the two overlapping core
courses, and the student also takes CS 540 as part of his or
her B.S. program, then the student needs to take a
more advanced course from the concentration area
corresponding to CS 540 Systems, to satisfy the core
requirements for the M.S.
Degree Conferral
- Students in the combined B.S./M.S. program may
apply to have the B.S. degree conferred during the semester
in which they expect to complete the B.S. requirements.
- At the completion of the M.S. requirements, a
master's degree will be granted.
-
A minor in computer science requires the completion
of 17credits. Required courses are CS 105, 112, 211, and
310. In addition, two computer science courses are
needed, selected from CS 265, 330, 332, 362, 363, 365, 421,
440, 450, 451, 455, 471, 475, 480, and 483.
-
Computer science majors can earn a double major in
computer science and computer engineering if they complete
an additional 17 credit hours of courses, beyond the 120
credits required for the computer science degree, according
to an approved plan of study. Details are available through
the George Mason website at http://www.gmu.edu.
Graduate Program
-
The M.S. in Computer Science is for those interested
in computer software technology. The program
encompasses the depth of knowledge needed to pursue more
advanced work in computer science or allied areas. Graduate
classes are offered in the late afternoon and evening to
accommodate the professionally employed student. Financial aid
in the form of graduate assistantships may be available for
full-time, degree-seeking students.
The department offers courses in the core areas of
computer science with optional M.S. emphases in artificial
intelligence, software engineering, parallel/distributed
computing, image processing/graphics, computer systems, and
networks. A list of the courses in each of these emphases is
obtainable in the department office. A student can specialize by
taking at least 12 noncore credits, including M.S. thesis
or project from one emphasis area.
A certificate in software systems engineering is also
available with an M.S. in Computer Science. For
information on this certificate, please refer to the software
systems engineering program. Appropriate courses may be
transferred, with advisor approval, into the George Mason
degree program. Students may take courses through the
Commonwealth Graduate Engineering Program.
The department actively participates in the program
leading to the Ph.D. in Information Technology in IT&E.
Admission Requirements
Students seeking admission to the M.S. in Computer
Science program must satisfy the following requirements:
- Fulfill admission requirements for graduate study
at George Mason University.
- Hold a baccalaureate degree that includes CS 310
Computer Science III, CS 330 Formal Methods and
Models, CS 265 Assembly Language Programming, and CS
365 Computer Systems Architecture. Students also should
have completed one year of mathematics beyond
first-year calculus, including a substantial course in discrete
mathematics (e.g., MATH 125). Students with some
deficiencies in preparation may be admitted provisionally
pending completion of foundation courses in mathematics or
computer science. Undergraduate credit earned for this
purpose may not be applied toward the graduate degree.
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.000 for the last two years
of undergraduate work, preferably with a major in a
technical field such as computer science, mathematics,
physics, engineering, or information systems.
- Submit transcripts of all postsecondary education; a
self-assessment form (normally included in the
application package or available from the department); three
letters of recommendation; and an official Graduate
Record Examination (GRE) report.
Degree Requirements
In addition to the general requirements of the
university, completion of this program requires the following:
- Thirty credits of graduate courses, including
the following:
- Twelve credits comprising the following core courses:
CS 540 Language Processors
CS 571 Operating Systems
CS 580 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
CS 583 Analysis of Algorithms
- Twelve credits or more of computer science courses at the 600 level or above, which
have at least one graduate computer science course as a prerequisite (excluding CS 798 and 799)
- Either three credits of CS 798, or three to
six credits of CS 799, or one additional computer science course at the 600 level or above, which has at least one graduate computer science course as a prerequisite
- . Additional graduate courses in computer science or in closely related fields, chosen with the written consent of the advisor. Three of the noncore courses should be taken from three of the five areas of emphasis. Courses listed under more than one emphasis count only once for satisfying this requirement.
- For students electing the project or thesis
option, presentation of the project or thesis at an
appropriate forum approved by the department
graduate committee
George Mason University:1999-2000 University Catalog: Catalog Index: School of Information Technology & Engineering:Computer Science |
