Many people go back to school to pursue graduate-level computer science degrees because they want to stand out from the crowd when applying for jobs. Some students in Master of Science in Computer Science programs are there not to advance careers, however, but to launch them. Fortunately, there are great Master of Computer Science programs for non-CS majors out there. If you’ve been thinking seriously about going all-in on comp sci, don’t let your non-techy background deter you. Do your research with your eyes wide open, however. Enrolling in a master’s in computer science program when you don’t have a strong CS background can mean having to admit exactly how much you don’t know.

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UNIVERSITIES OFFERING MASTERS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE FOR NON CS MAJORS IN USA

1. Wright State University Dayton, Ohio – Master of Science in Computer Science : The Masters in Computer Science for non CS majors in this university is very flexible. Those students who are from non CS background is required to take an exam upon enrollment, OR, take a preparatory course consisting of 6 credit hours.
2. Gannon University Erie, Pennsylvania – Master of Science in Computer and Information Science : It is a private catholic university offering the Masters in Computer Science without Bachelors degree in Computer Science.
3. Harrisburg University of Science and Technology Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – Master of Science in Computer Information Sciences.
4. University of Massachusetts Lowell, Massachusetts – MS in Computer Science – Entrepreneurship option
5. Bradley University Peoria, Illinois – Master of Science in Computer Science
6. Lawrence Technological University Southfield, Michigan – Master of Science in Computer Science.
7. California State University Fresno, California – Master of Science in Computer Science : This is one of the best public universities offering Masters in Computer Science for non CS majors in USA.
8. National University San Diego, California – Master of Science in Computer Science :It is San Diego’s largest private nonprofit university offering Masters in Computer Science in USA. Foundation courses are required for those from the non CS background to get admitted to the program.
9. Missouri State University Springfield, Missouri – Master of Science in Computer Science : Students without Bachelors in CS must complete undergraduate courses prior to registration in graduate courses.
10. Montana State University Bozeman, Montana – Masters in Computer Science : It is one of the best private universities offering the Masters in Computer Science in USA. The students from non CS background need to take some provisional courses in order to get admitted to the program.
11. University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas – Masters in Computer Science : The students from non CS background are required to take some undergraduate coursework prior to admission.
12. West Virginia University Morgantown, West Virginia – Masters in Computer Science : Provisionally admitted students from non CS background should attend remedial coursework in the first year of study.
13. Monroe College Bronx, New York – Masters in Computer Science : This university provides the most affordable Masters in Computer Science in USA. Foundation courses are required for those from the non CS background to get admitted to the program.
14. Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, Missouri – MS in Applied Computer Science : The students from non CS program should have a pre-requisite knowledge in Data structure. The rest of the requirements can be satisfied by doing an undergraduate coursework prior to admission.
15. SUNY Polytechnic Institute Utica, New York – MS in Computer and Information Science : Students without Bachelors in CS should attend some bridge courses as required.
16. Texas A & M University Corpus Christi, Texas – MS in Computer Science : The MS in Computer Science in this university is offered via a thesis option or a course only option.
17. Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado – MS in Computer Science : The Masters in Computer Science program is offered either oncampus or online.
18. Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, Louisiana – MS in Computer Science : It is one of the best universities offering the Masters in Computer Science in USA.
19. Purdue University Northwest, Indiana – MS in Computer Science : It is one of the best universities offering the Masters in Computer Science in USA.
20. University of Nevada Reno, Nevada – MS in Computer Science : Only those extraordinary students from non CS background will be admitted to the program.
21. University of South Florida Tampa, Florida – MS in Computer Science : The Masters in Computer Science in this university is offered in thesis and non-thesis option.
22. Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida – MS in Computer Science : Students from non CS background are expected to take additional courses.
23. New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, New Jersey – MS in Computer Science : It is one of the best universities offering the Masters in Computer Science in USA. The students from non CS background are required to take required bridge courses.
24. New York Institute of Technology New York City, New York – MS in Computer Science : The students from non CS background are required to take some required courses from the list of wavable and pre-requisite courses.
25. University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida – MS in Computer Science : The students from non CS background are required to have a deeper understanding on the list of undergraduate courses such as Operating System, Computer Architecture, etc.
26. University of Colorado Denver, Colorado – MS in Computer Science : The students from non CS background are required to take some foundation courses and earn a minimum of B grade in the first year of study.
27. University of Illinois Chicago, Illinois – MS in Computer Science : Outstanding students from non CS background with substantial coursework in CS will be considered for admission.
28. University of New Hampshire Durham, New Hampshire – MS in Computer Science : The students from non CS background are required to take an undergraduate coursework as specified.
29. University of Vermont Burlington, Vermont – MS in Computer Science : Provisionally admitted students from non CS background should attend remedial coursework in the first year of study.
30. Drexel University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – MS in Computer Science : The students from non CS background are required to take a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Computer Science
31. American University Washington D.C – MS in Computer Science : It is one of the best universities offering the Masters in Computer Science in USA.
32. Arkansas State University Jonesboro, Arkansas – MS in Computer Science : This university offers the nationally ranked Masters in Computer Science in USA. The students from non CS background should attend a remedial coursework after attending a mock test.
33. California State University Channel Islands, California – MS in Computer Science : Students from non CS background need to do some foundation courses in Computer Science or Mathematics as prescribed by the university.
34. California State University Dominguez Hills, California – MS in Computer Science : Students from non CS background should take a levelling course prior to admission.
35. City University of Seattle Seattle, Washington – MS in Computer Science : The students from non CS background are required to take some bridge courses.
36. College of Charleston Charleston, South Carolina – MS in Computer Science : Students from non CS background should attend the pre-requisite courses and earn a minimum grade of ‘B’.
37. DePaul University Chicago, Illinois – MS in Computer Science : This university offers the nationally ranked Masters in Computer Science in USA.
38. Georgia State University Atlanta, Georgia – MS in Computer Science : Foundation courses are required for those students from non CS background.
39. International Technological University San Jose, California – MS in Computer Science.
40. Lewis University Romeoville, Illinois – MS in Computer Science : Foundation courses of atleast 13 credit hours are required for those students from non CS background.
41. Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design Lakewood, Colorado – MS in Computer Science
42. Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau, Missouri – MS in Computer Science
43. The State University of New York New Paltz, New York – MS in Computer Science.
44. The State University of New York Albany, New York – MS in Computer Science : This university offers the nationally ranked Masters in Computer Science in USA. Students from non CS background are required to take some undergraduate courseworks in the first year of study.
45. Troy University Troy, Alabama – MS in Computer Science : Students from non CS background are required to take necessary pre-requisite courses.
46. University of Alabama Birmingham, Alabama – MS in Computer Science : The students from non CS background are required to take the pre-requisite courses in Computer Science and Calculus.
47. University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL) St. Louis, Missouri – MS in Computer Science : It is one of the best universities offering the Masters in Computer Science in USA. The highly talented students from non CS background are required to take some pre-requisite courses.
48. University of Tulsa Tulsa, Oklahoma – MS in Computer Science : Students from non CS background are required to take some pre-requisite courses as prescribed by the university.
49. University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah – MS in Computer Science : This university offers the nationally ranked Masters in Computer Science in USA. Students from non CS background are required to take some pre-requisite courses.
50. Midwestern State University Wichita Falls, Texas – MS in Computer Science – Software Development : Students from non CS background are required to take undergraduate preparatory courses.
51. Long Island University Brooklyn, New York – MS in Computer Science (Blended) : This university offers the Masters in Computer Science in hybrid format. Students from non CS background are required to pass the competency waiver exam or completing two preparation courses

PRE-REQUISITES FOR MASTERS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE FOR NON CS MAJORS

• GRE score
• Attend the foundation course and earn required credits
• An average GPA of 3
• Work experience in the related field (if required)

Masters in Computer Science with Unrelated Bachelors

You need to major in comp sci to earn a master’s in computer science, right? Wrong. There are lots of programs that welcome non-CS majors. They set the bar pretty high, though, so getting in can be a challenge.“The ONE THING that people need to remember when starting to learn CS is: don’t give up, even when you feel like you don’t understand or you don’t belong.” Image by Roozbeh Eslami from Unsplash

Christa Terry

Author

August 11, 2020

Many people go back to school to pursue graduate-level computer science degrees because they want to stand out from the crowd when applying for jobs. Some students in Master of Science in Computer Science programs are there not to advance careers, however, but to launch them.

Fortunately, there are great Master of Computer Science programs for non-CS majors out there. If you’ve been thinking seriously about going all-in on comp sci, don’t let your non-techy background deter you. Do your research with your eyes wide open, however. Enrolling in a master’s in computer science program when you don’t have a strong CS background can mean having to admit exactly how much you don’t know.

“You’re going to be pitted against people who already know light-years of computer science stuff beyond your knowledge,” wrote one Quora commenter in a thread about what it’s like to enter a CS program without a programming background. “People whip out their CS Vocabulary of closures, variable scope, block scope, streams, memoize (I swear the first time I saw this I thought it was a spelling mistake), reserved words… so on and so forth. But the ONE THING that people need to remember when starting to learn CS is: don’t give up, even when you feel like you don’t understand or you don’t belong. Everyone was there once.”

That’s precisely why so many computer science master’s programs are willing at least to consider applicants who haven’t studied computer science or worked in the tech industry. In this article about master’s in computer science programs for non-CS majors, we answer the following questions:

• Don’t you need a bachelor’s degree in computer science to apply for MSCS programs?
• What are the other prerequisites for master’s in computer science programs?
• Are MSCS programs that allow students from other backgrounds less rigorous?
• Do non-CS majors have to take a lot of extra courses to catch up?
• What are the best comp sci schools that allow non-CS majors?
• How can I prepare to excel in a computer science master’s program?
• Will I struggle to find a job after graduate school because of my non-CS background?

Don’t you need a bachelor’s degree in computer

science to apply for MSCS programs?

It may come as a surprise, but quite a few colleges and universities don’t require that MSCS applicants have bachelor’s degrees in comp sci.

However, that doesn’t mean that incoming students enroll in programs with no computer science knowledge whatsoever. Some schools expect applicants to demonstrate strong quantitative and analytical skills and to have majored in a discipline like engineering, math, or physics.

You won’t need a bachelor’s degree in computer science to apply to some schools. Still, you’ll need to show that you have the skills and knowledge you’d get in an undergraduate CS program. Tufts University’s application guidelines for its on-campus and online Master of Science in Computer Science programs, for instance, don’t explicitly state that applicants must have CS degrees, but do require that students “demonstrate core competence as expected from a high quality undergraduate program in computer science” in the areas of:

• Computer architecture and assembly language
• Data structures and analysis of algorithms
• Programming languages (specifically, functional programming and object-oriented programming with inheritance)
• Theory of computation

Finding a school that offers a true master’s in computer science for non-CS majors involves more than just googling. Many top computer science colleges and universities technically offer a master’s in computer science for non-CS majors. However, when you dig deeper, you’ll discover these schools are looking for students with technical backgrounds that overlap with computer science (like electronics or information technology) or years of professional experience in computer science.

That doesn’t mean students without tech backgrounds or work experience are necessarily shut out of most strong MSCS programs. If they’re willing to put in the work to learn programming and undergraduate-level comp sci concepts, they have a shot. Some schools, including Tufts, even offer bridge programs. Tufts University’s is a 10-course post-baccalaureate in computer science that prepares students for the coursework in its graduate CS program.

What are the other prerequisites for master’s in computer science programs?

Although there are several on-campus and online master’s in computer science programs without GRE requirements, the majority of master’s in computer science programs for non-CS majors require applicants to submit GRE results. If the GRE is optional, it is nevertheless advisable to submit your scores if you are applying to an MSCS degree without a background in computer science. Outstanding quantitative reasoning scores will be taken into consideration while evaluating your application.

Many CS master’s degree programs have a list of prerequisite courses that applicants must pass before they’re eligible for acceptance. You can usually find this list in the computer science department’s list of application requirements or in the program FAQ. Be aware that you don’t necessarily need to take those specific courses. It can’t hurt to complete them at the school you’re hoping to attend, but you can usually meet this requirement by taking comparable classes at another college or university. Many may be offered at your local community college, likely your most affordable option.

Some MSCS programs demand that applicants demonstrate intermediate coding proficiency in popular languages like Python, JavaScript, and Java. Transcripts from your undergraduate courses or professionally built software or apps could serve as proof (or independently). Even while you might not need professional expertise in information systems administration or software development, it can’t hurt. And if you don’t have any experience with technology, be ready to create an engaging personal statement outlining why you want to study computer science at the master’s level despite having an undergraduate degree in a completely other field.

Are MSCS programs that allow students from other backgrounds less rigorous?

Not at all, which should come as no surprise given that most programs still want to see evidence that incoming students will be able to handle the work. That said, landing a spot in a top computer science school will be a lot harder without a bachelor’s degree in computer science. Computer science programs don’t necessarily rule out non-CS majors by default, but they are looking for applicants with proven mathematics, sciences, or engineering knowledge and skills.

Consider Georgia Institute of Technology (Main Campus) with its preferred qualifications that include “an undergraduate degree in computer science or related field (typically mathematics, computer engineering or electrical engineering).” Not meeting that requirement won’t lead to automatic rejection, but your application better include some compelling evidence that you belong in their elite program.

Do non-CS majors have to take a lot of extra courses to catch up?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. There are master’s in computer science programs that are really geared toward non-CS majors and include core classes in computer science fundamentals in the curriculum. University of Pennsylvania offers an online Master of Computer and Information Technology degree that it bills as the “only online Ivy League master’s degree in Computer Science designed for students without a Computer Science background.”

Other schools, like Tufts, have created mini post-bacc programs designed to get students up-to-speed, either before they apply or after they’re accepted. Boston University’s general MSCS program, for instance, accepts students without CS degrees provided they have extremely strong grades and are willing to complete a five-course sequence designed for incoming students with non-technical backgrounds. New York University has something similar in the form of a two-course program that fulfills the minimum prerequisites for the school’s master’s degree program in computer science.

It’s possible to replicate these prerequisite sequences through extension programs at other schools or by taking community college courses. However, if you’re genuinely committed to enrolling in a CS program at a specific school (whether Tufts, NYU, Boston University, or another institution), you can increase your chances of acceptance by completing that school’s prereq program. Doing so enables you to cultivate champions among the school’s faculty, which can only help come admissions time.

What are the best comp sci schools that allow non-CS majors?

There are very few computer science master’s degree programs that explicitly state that they won’t consider applicants from non-CS backgrounds. That means you probably don’t need a bachelor’s degree in computer science to apply to:

• Brown University
• Columbia University
• Georgia Tech
• Johns Hopkins University
• North Carolina State University at Raleigh (NCSU)
• NYU
• Stanford University
• The University of Texas at Austin
• Tufts University
• University of Chicago

Keep in mind that just because these schools are willing to consider applications from students who did not major in comp sci doesn’t mean that the bulk of students in the MSCS programs in those schools weren’t computer science majors. It merely means that you won’t be rejected automatically for not having a bachelor’s degree in computer science.

How can I prepare to excel in a computer science master’s program?

On the one hand, you might not have to do anything in particular to prepare to excel in an MSCS program if you enroll in one like that offered by the University of Pennsylvania. On the other hand, even the bridge programs and preparatory course sequences offered by some colleges and universities can’t teach all the foundational skills and competencies master’s-level comp sci students need to succeed. If you’re serious about getting accepted into an MSCS program at a top school, you should brush up on particular subjects.

NCSU accepts graduates from various fields, including “business, other branches of engineering and science, the liberal arts, etc.,” and states in its program description that the program’s purpose “is not to keep people out of computing or discourage pursuit of a graduate degree. It is just the opposite!” It does, however, require that students take undergraduate courses in:

• Algorithm analysis or automation theory
• Calculus (two or three semesters)
• Computer organization
• Discrete math
• Linear algebra
• Object-oriented programming like Java and C++ (two semesters)
• Operating systems
• Probability and statistics

You can boost the chances that you’ll be accepted into a master’s in computer science program without a bachelor’s degree in comp sci by completing a couple of computer science projects on your own time. You’ll gain some valuable experience and get a chance to explore your passions, which can help you choose a master’s degree concentration once you’re accepted into an MSCS program.

Will I struggle to find a job after graduate school because of my non-CS background?

Given that plenty of high-ranking full-time and part-time MSCS programs accept students without CS backgrounds, you shouldn’t have any issue getting a job after graduation. MSCS graduates are already in high demand, and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that computer and information technology jobs will grow by 16 percent over the next decade. That’s a lot of new jobs in many fascinating fields, including data engineering, artificial intelligence, cloud services, robotics, cyber security, and others.

Maybe the better question would be ‘Is as master’s in computer science worth it?’ After all, you could try breaking into comp sci by taking online courses, enrolling in a boot camp, or earning one or more relevant certificates. You might even consider going back to school for a second bachelor’s degree in comp sci.

What none of those options can do that an MSCS program can, however, is give you the kind of valuable post-graduation career support that a good computer science school delivers. According to the Department of Computer Science at Northern Illinois University “Even if you have no background in computer science, earning a master’s degree (as opposed to a second undergraduate degree) will prepare you for jobs that are often more interesting, command higher salaries, and usually offer a better career advancement path. Time and cost are comparable to a second undergraduate degree.”