- This concentration focuses on creating scalable systems to manage, interpret and analyze large amounts of data. You’ll also learn how to draw conclusions from data that enables organizations to make informed decisions.
- In this concentration, you’ll gain the skills needed to safeguard information systems, develop solutions and mitigate risk.
Professional certification and nondegree enrollment opportunities
- As a nondegree-seeking graduate student, you can take master’s-level computer science courses without being admitted to the program. This provides you the opportunity to establish a high graduate GPA, try out courses, meet the English proficiency requirement or earn a professional certification credential.
Those who complete three courses with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 after the first attempt can use this GPA and the credit hours earned when applying for the Master of Computer Science program. You must also meet all prerequisite requirements to be admitted.
Will my diploma say ‘online’?
No, Arizona State University’s diplomas don’t specify whether you earn your degree online or in person. All diplomas and transcripts simply say “Arizona State University.”
Earn a Master of Computer Science online from anywhere.
Watch videoComputer science master’s courses
You’ll choose one course in each of three primary areas of study: theoretical foundations, systems and applications. You’ll also take several elective courses on topics ranging from statistical machine learning and mobile computing to data mining and information assurance. This program culminates with a project portfolio, allowing you to demonstrate what you’ve learned.
The roles a master’s in computer science prepares you for
This program can give you a leg up and advance your career in a variety of technical disciplines. Upon graduating, you’ll be equipped to pursue career paths ranging from software engineering, cloud computing and machine learning information security to application development, software QA and web development. Roles you may pursue include, but aren’t limited to:
Study with award winning faculty members in the field of computer science
Of the 350+ faculty members in Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, the majority have been honored with the highest awards in their fields. Faculty milestones include:
- National Academy of Engineering members.
- National Academy of Sciences member.
- National Academy of Inventors members.
- National Academy of Construction members.
Study with award winning faculty members in the field of computer science
Of the 350+ faculty members in Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, the majority have been honored with the highest awards in their fields. Faculty milestones include:
- National Academy of Engineering members.
- National Academy of Sciences member.
- National Academy of Inventors members.
- National Academy of Construction members.
How to apply
This program has a highly competitive admission process.
Application deadlines
Applicants with international credentials have an application deadline of six weeks prior to the selected session start date. All other applicants have an application deadline of four weeks prior to the selected session start date.
This degree is offered in A and B sessions for fall and spring, and in C session for summer. You can view upcoming start dates in the academic calendar.
How to complete an application
- Submit online application and pay application fee.
- Send official transcripts to ASU’s graduate admission services.
- If needed, send proof of English proficiency.
- If you’re not a U.S. citizen but are living in the U.S., send a copy of your U.S. visa to gograd@asu.edu.
- If you’re based outside of the U.S., select "JN" under Visa.
For questions, call 1-844-353-7953 or email mcsenrollment@asu.edu.
Admission requirements for computer science undergraduate majors
You must have completed an undergraduate degree in computer science from an accredited university. Please review the necessary CS pre-requisite courses in the section below to confirm eligibility.
GPA requirements
A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 in the last 60 credit hours (last two years) of a four-year undergraduate degree. If your degree was completed in the U.S., it must be from a regionally accredited university.
Applicants who have previously completed graduate-level coursework must have a minimum post-baccalaureate/graduate GPA of 3.00.
English proficiency
If all college degrees are from a country outside of the U.S., you may need to demonstrate English proficiency.
Note that the MCS degree requires higher English proficiency scores.
- TOEFL: 575 paper-based / 90 internet-based.
- IELTS (academic version): 7.
- PTE: 65.
- Duolingo: 115.
Don’t yet meet this requirement? If you complete the pathway with a 3.00 or higher, you’ll have demonstrated English proficiency. Click on the nondegree tab below to learn more.
Admission requirements for non-computer science undergraduate majors
GPA requirements
A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 in the last 60 credit hours (last two years) of a four-year undergraduate degree. If your degree was completed in the U.S., it must be from a regionally accredited university.
Applicants who have previously completed graduate-level coursework must have a minimum post-baccalaureate/graduate GPA of 3.00.
Math course requirements:
You must have two semesters of advanced math in Calculus I and Calculus II, as well as a background course in discrete math.*
Applicants with an undergraduate degree in a STEM field have likely completed the math requirement.
*Discrete math is not always a separate class at all universities. Taking a course that covers data structures and algorithms may also fulfill this requirement. If you’ve never done algorithms, you may not have the proper background for the program.
Pre-requisite course requirements:
To be eligible for this program, you must have programming knowledge in a variety of languages, including C/C++, Java, Python and HTML, as well as courses in calculus and discrete math.
CS course information:
CSE 230: Computer Organization and Assembly Language Programming
- Register-level computer organization, instruction set architecture, assembly language, processor organization and design, memory organization, IO programming and exception/interrupt handling.
CSE 310: Data Structures and Algorithms
- Advanced data structures and algorithms, including stacks, queues, trees (B, B+, AVL), graphs and searching for graphs, hashing and external sorting.
CSE 330: Operating Systems
- Operating system structure and services, processor scheduling, concurrent processes, synchronization techniques, memory management, virtual memory, input/output, storage management and file systems.
Principles of Programming Languages OR Introduction to Theoretical Computer Science
CSE 340: Principles of Programming Languages
- Formal syntactic and semantic descriptions, compilation and implementation issues, and theoretical foundations for several programming paradigms.
CSE 355: Introduction to Theoretical Computer Science
- Introduces formal language theory and automata, Turing machines, decidability/undecidability, recursive function theory and complexity theory.
CS competency exams
If you don’t have these topics on your transcript but have a strong understanding of them, you can take the prerequisite knowledge exams. If you complete the exams with the grade outlined in the respective syllabi, you’ll satisfy that prerequisite knowledge requirement.
English proficiency
If all college degrees are from a country outside of the U.S., you may need to demonstrate English proficiency.
Note that the MCS degree requires higher English proficiency scores.
- TOEFL: 575 paper-based / 90 internet-based.
- IELTS (academic version): 7.
- PTE: 65.
- Duolingo: 115.
Don’t yet meet this requirement? If you complete the pathway with a 3.00 or higher, you’ll have demonstrated English proficiency. Click on the nondegree tab below to learn more.
Professional certification and nondegree enrollment opportunities
As a nondegree graduate student, you can begin taking graduate-level computer science courses without being admitted to the master’s program.*
Professional certification
If you’re not sure you want to pursue the full degree or only want to focus on a specific topic, you can earn a professional certification for ASU credit.
To receive a professional certification, you must successfully complete at least three courses from that topic area with a grade of “B” or better. Available certifications include:
- AI and machine learning.
- Big data.
- Cybersecurity.
- Software engineering.
Learn more about professional certifications.
General pathway
This pathway provides an opportunity to take a variety of courses as a nondegree-seeking student to explore topics or meet this program’s GPA and English proficiency admission requirements. Completing nine graduate credits with a “B” or better (3.00 GPA) will demonstrate English proficiency.
Through this pathway, you can choose and complete any three 500-level courses that are part of the Master of Computer Science program as a nondegree-seeking student. The courses you complete with a “B” or higher, up to 12 credits, will apply to the Master of Computer Science if you’re admitted to the program within three years of completing the courses.
Begin your application for one of the four professional certifications or the general pathway.
The ASU graduate admission office will review the application and notify you by email if any additional steps are required upon admission. All official emails will go to your ASU student Gmail account.
Please note:
- If you don’t enroll in the semester in which you are admitted, you must submit a new application and pay the application fee.
- Completing the pathway or professional certification does not waive the requirement for all applicants to the Master of Computer Science program to demonstrate mathematics and computer science topic prerequisite knowledge. See the admission requirements sections above for more information.
*If you do not have the prerequisite knowledge outlined in the master’s admission criteria for mathematics and computer science, you should be aware that you may not have the necessary background for graduate CSE courses and are enrolling at your own risk. You are responsible for acquiring that knowledge before and during the course.
