MSCS GRAD ADVISING

APPLICATION INQUIRIES

We are pleased that you are interested in our Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS) degree at California State University, Long Beach. This page provides some general information about the application process.

Please note that the CECS Department only handles the final part of your application where your academic preparation is evaluated. Please carefully review the included information, before you contact the appropriate department/person at CSULB (contact information is included below).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)


Q: How is the Admission process handled?

A: Admission is handled through a two-tiered process:

  1. All application materials should be submitted to the appropriate CSULB unit: For US residents, all application materials and application questions should be directed to CSULB Enrollment Services. For International students, all application materials and application questions should be directed to the CSULB Center for International Education (CIE) (Note: this includes all Visa, English requirements, pricing, etc.
  2. For academic/MSCS questions ONLY contact CECS Graduate Advisor, Dr. Tracy Bradley Maples. Before you contact Dr. Maples, please read this entire email and check our website links listed below. All requirements for the degree are available on-line at the following links:

Q: What are the Application Deadlines for Spring 2015?

A: All Application Deadlines for Spring 2015 are now past. No late applications will be accepted.

Q: What are the Application Deadlines for Fall 2015?

A: There are three important Application Deadlines:

  1. For US residents, the Application Deadline is April 15, 2015. 
  2. For International students,
    • The Application Deadline is April 1, 2015.
    • All application materials must be received by April 15, 2015. 

Q: What is the minimum GPA required for admission?

A: A 2.7/4.0 GPA or higher in your undergraduate work is required.

Q: Is the GRE Required for admission?

A: The GRE is recommended for all students and strongly recommended for International Students.

Q: What is the minimum GRE score required for admission?

A: There is not a set minimum for the GRE. Admission depends on a combination of your educational background, GPA and GRE scores, and your academic preparation. 

Each semester, we evaluate our resources and determine a target number of students to admit to the MSCS program. From the large pool of students who meet our minimum qualifications, we select what we feel are the "best" qualified candidates based on a number of factors, including: GPA, rankings of the University where the bachelors degree was awarded, previous field of study, completion of the MSCS prerequisites and GRE scores. We offer those students on this list of the “best" qualified admission to our program. The specifics of the GPA and GRE scores of those admitted may vary from semester to semester; thus, we do not report any hard numbers of our process. For our Fall 2014 entering class, we received over 1400 applications and were only able to admit approximately 20% of those applying.We will fill available slots in our incoming class with the most qualified applicants on a first-come, first-served basis.

Q: Are Letters of Recommendation required for admission?

A: No, Letters of Recommendation are not required. If you wish to send them anyway, you may send them to the Computer Engineering and Computer Science Department, CSULB, Attention: Graduate Advisor.

Q: Is it possible to Transfer into the MSCS Program?

A: No, transfers into the MSCS program are not allowed. You must apply to the MSCS program as any other student. If accepted it may be possible to have up to 6 units of previous work counted toward your degree. This previous work must be approved by the Graduate Advisor after admission.

Q: If I am accepted to the MSCS Program, may I defer my admission to a future semester?

A: CSULB does not allow you to defer admission to another semester. If you wish to be admitted for a future semester, you will need to reapply.

Q: What are the Prerequisites required for admission?

A: You must have all of your MSCS prerequisites completed by the time you begin our MSCS program with one exception: You may complete three of your courses (9 units) during the first year of your MS program. For students who did not major in Computer Science, these prerequisites are essential to success in the Graduate Students. 

The MSCS Prerequisites are as follows:

1. A bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or other appropriate discipline from an accredited college or university, with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.7 in the last 60 semester units or 90 quarter units attempted.

2. Students are required to have taken the following prerequisite courses (or their equivalents) in their undergraduate or post-baccalaureate study (Note: any deficiencies must be removed prior to Advancement to Candidacy):

A. One year (two semesters) of instruction in an object-oriented programming language.

B. All of the following courses:

  • CECS 228 Discrete Structures with Computing Applications (3) Prerequisites: CECS 174 and MATH 113 or equivalent all with a grade of "C" or better.
  • CECS 285 Computer Organization and Assembly Language Programming (3) Prerequisites: CECS 201, 274 all with a grade of "C" or better.
  • CECS 323 Database Fundamentals (3) Prerequisites: CECS 228, 277 all with a grade of "C" or better.
  • CECS 326 Operating Systems (3) Prerequisites: CECS 282 and either 285 or 346 all with a grade of "C" or better.
  • CECS 328 Data Structures and Algorithms (3) Prerequisite: CECS 228 with a grade of "C" or better.  Corequisite: CECS 277.
  • CECS 341 Computer Architecture and Organization (3) Prerequisites: CECS 285 with a grade of "C" or better.
  • CECS 343 Introduction to Software Engineering (3) Prerequisites: CECS 277 or 282 all with a grade of "C" or better.
  • EE 380 Probability, Statistics and Stochastic Modeling (3) [or MATH 380 (3)] Prerequisites: MATH 122; (CECS 100 or equivalent) with a grade of "C" or better.

C. One of the following:

  • CECS 419 Theory of Computation (3) Prerequisite: CECS 328 with a grade of "C" or better.
  • CECS 424 Organization of Programming Languages (3) Prerequisites: CECS 326 and 328 all with a grade of "C" or better.
  • CECS 444 Compiler Construction (3)  Prerequisites: CECS 285 and 328 with a grade of "C" or better.

FAQs for International Students ONLY

Q: I have a question about the English Language requirement?

A: Please consult the CSULB Center for International Education website for information about the English Language Requirement (e.g., TOEFL). Our department is not responsible for that part of the enrollment process.