Wildcat Spotlight

Bryan McKenney

Computer Science Master's Student Creates AI For an Online Card Game

Bryan McKenney is a computer science accelerated master's student. He recieved his undergraduate degree in computer science here at UNH, and his hometown is in Newmarket, NH. 1. Why did you choose UNH for a computer science graduate program? I chose to stay at UNH for my M.S. degree in computer...

Learn More

Wildcat Spotlight

Bryan McKenney

Computer Science Master's Student Creates AI For an Online Card Game

Bryan McKenney is a computer science accelerated master's student. He recieved his undergraduate degree in computer science here at UNH, and his hometown is in Newmarket, NH. 1. Why did you choose UNH for a computer science graduate program? I chose to stay at UNH for my M.S. degree in computer...

Learn More
Lynette Davis

Mapping a New Career

Lynette Davis, a graduate student pursuing dual degrees in computer science and ocean mapping...

Learn More

Lynette Davis

Mapping a New Career

Lynette Davis, a graduate student pursuing dual degrees in computer science and ocean mapping...

Learn More
Alex Brown '20

Mapping the Ocean through Artificial Intelligence

Alex Brown graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a bachelor of science degree in computer science in 2018. The Madison, New Hampshire native was accepted into the accelerated master’s program in the Spring of 2017 and aims to work in artificial intelligence and robotics in the New...

Learn More

Alex Brown '20

Mapping the Ocean through Artificial Intelligence

Alex Brown graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a bachelor of science degree in computer science in 2018. The Madison, New Hampshire native was accepted into the accelerated master’s program in the Spring of 2017 and aims to work in artificial intelligence and robotics in the New...

Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the qualifications the program looks for in a student?

A strong academic background is required. Professional experience is not considered for admission but may be considered for assistantships.

We take a holistic view of all your application materials, so we do not have an absolute GRE or GPA minimum. However, in most cases applicants should have a GRE Quantitative and Verbal scores above the 50th percentile, a GRE Analytic Writing score of at least 3.0, and a GPA above 3.2 on a 4-point scale. For international students, UNH requires that an applicant's TOEFL (Internet Based) score be at least 80, an IELTS score of at least 6.5, or a Duolingo score of at least 105.

What type of funding does the program offer, if any?

The department has a limited number of assistantships available. These assistantships are generally awarded to PhD students and awarded on an academic year basis, beginning in the fall. Any application that is received by March 1, will be considered for funding, there is no separate application process. Applicants will be notified of assistantship offers usually by the end of April.

The majority of our master’s students are self-paying. Computer Science is considered a professional master’s degree at UNH so the tuition rate is the in-state rate + 10%. This makes it much more affordable.

Students who are interested in research assistantships should contact the faculty member with whom they would like to work. Contact information can be found on the CS department website: https://ceps.unh.edu/computer-science

3. When are application decisions typically made?

The department receives a large volume of applications each semester. Application reviews take place January-April for Fall intake and September-December for spring intake.

The department has a rolling application process. For the fall semester, application reviews begin in January and run through April. For the spring semester, application reviews begin in September and run through December. Applications completed after the deadlines (April 1 and December 1) will not be reviewed. Due to the number of applications for our programs, we may close the application window early. We encourage potential students to apply early.

What is the Modality for the Program?

The program is designed to be a full-time and in-person program. Students may complete the program as a part-time student; however, the majority of the classes are between 9-5 so it may not be possible to take classes while working full-time. All courses are in person; there is no remote option.

What additional important information should applicants be aware of?

- Applications must be completed (not just submitted) by the deadline. We recommend that students apply early so as not to miss the deadline for completion.
- Applicants should make sure that all documents are legible. Many of the transcripts we receive are too blurry to read.
- Low GRE scores (less than 150V, 155Q, and 3AW), low GPA, and multiple failing grades on transcripts that demonstrate inadequate academic preparation.
- Students who are interested in research assistantships should contact the faculty with whom they wish to work and plan to apply early (January 1) to increase their funding chances.
- The CS department does not grant GRE waivers. Requests will be denied. English Proficiency waivers may be granted to students who attended a previous institution in a country where the official language is English (not merely the language of instruction).

Curriculum & Requirements

Program Description

The M.S. program is designed to help students increase the breadth and depth of their computer science knowledge, strengthen their software development skills, and build their research skills. Professionally-oriented students often complete industry internships, and the program has an outstanding job placement record for its graduates. Research-oriented students complete an M.S. thesis under the guidance of a faculty mentor, which usually leads to publication and provides clear evidence of the developed research skills useful for obtaining a leadership position in industry or to go on to do a Ph.D. Applications are welcomed from students whose undergraduate degree is not in computer science. In this case, a well-defined set of undergraduate prerequisites must be completed as part of the M.S. program of study.

Requirements for the Program

The M.S. program has three options: thesis, project, and exam.

M.S. Thesis Option

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
CS 900	Graduate Seminar	1
Select eight CS graduate courses of at least 3 credits each ¹		24
CS 899	Master's Thesis ²	6
Total Credits		31

¹

The courses must satisfy the following requirements:

Two courses must be implementation intensive (see list below)
All students must take CS 845 Formal Specification and Verification of Software Systems or CS 858 Algorithms
At least two courses must be above 900
At most one can be CS 998 Independent Study
Students must take courses taught by a minimum of five different faculty

²

The student must complete a thesis under the supervision of a thesis adviser and a thesis committee of at least three members.

M.S. Project Option

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
CS 900	Graduate Seminar	1
Select ten CS graduate courses of at least 3 credits each ¹		30
CS 898	Master's Project ²	3
Total Credits		34

¹

The courses must satisfy the following requirements:

Two courses must be implementation intensive (see list below)
All students must take CS 845 Formal Specification and Verification of Software Systems or CS 858 Algorithms
At least three courses must be above 900
At most one can be CS 998 Independent Study
Students must take courses taught by a minimum of five different faculty

²

The student must complete a project under the supervision of a faculty adviser.

M.S. Exam Option

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
CS 900	Graduate Seminar	1
Select ten CS graduate courses of at least 3 credits each ¹		30
Comprehensive exam that includes four different examination topics (see list below) ²
Total Credits		31

¹

The courses must satisfy the following requirements:

Two courses must be implementation intensive (see list below)
All students must take CS 845 Formal Specification and Verification of Software Systems or CS 858 Algorithms
At least three courses must be above 900
At most one can be CS 998 Independent Study
Students must take courses taught by a minimum of five different faculty

²

One topic must be from the Theory topic area. The other three should be selected from three different topic areas (which can include a second theory topic). The topic areas are as follows: a) Theory: Formal Specification and Verification; Algorithms, b) Distributed Systems, c) Artificial Intelligence, d) Computer Graphics, e) Computer Networks, f) Information Retrieval, g) Machine Learning, h) Computer Security, i) Robotics, j) Parallel and Distributed Programming, k) Cloud computing.

Implementation Intensive Courses

Implementation intensive courses include:

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
CS 812	Compiler Design	3
CS 820	Systems Programming	3
CS 830	Introduction to Artificial Intelligence	3
CS 835	Introduction to Parallel and Distributed Programming	3
CS 870	Computer Graphics	3
CS 953	Data Science for Knowledge Graphs and Text	3

Accelerated Master's

This graduate program is approved to be taken on an accelerated basis in articulation with certain undergraduate degree programs.

General Accelerated Master's policy, note that some programs have additional requirements (e.g. higher grade expectations) compared to the policy.

Please see the Graduate School website and contact the department directly for more information.

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the UNH M.S. CS program will have an ability to:

Apply computer science theory to increase the breadth and depth of their computer science knowledge.
Utilize advance software development skills.
Carry out guided computer science research.
Obtain an advanced position in industry or continue onto a PhD program.

Application Requirements & Deadlines

Apply now

Deadlines

Applications must be completed by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for admission:

Fall: March 1 (for funding); April 1 (final)
Spring: Dec. 1
Summer: N/A
Special: N/A

Applications will be accepted until the deadline or until the program is full.

Application fee: $65

Campus: Durham

New England Regional: No

Accelerated Masters: Yes (for more details see the accelerated masters information page)

New Hampshire Residents

Students claiming in-state residency must also submit a Proof of Residence Form. This form is not required to complete your application, but you will need to submit it after you are offered admission or you will not be able to register for classes.

Transcripts

If you attended UNH or Granite State College (GSC) after September 1, 1991, and have indicated so on your online application, we will retrieve your transcript internally; this includes UNH-Durham, UNH-Manchester, UNH Non-Degree work and GSC.

If you did not attend UNH, or attended prior to September 1, 1991, then you must upload a copy (PDF) of your transcript in the application form. International transcripts must be translated into English.

If admitted, you must then request an official transcript be sent directly to our office from the Registrar's Office of each college/university attended. We accept transcripts both electronically and in hard copy:

Electronic Transcripts: Please have your institution send the transcript directly to grad.school@unh.edu. Please note that we can only accept copies sent directly from the institution.
Paper Transcripts: Please send hard copies of transcripts to: UNH Graduate School, Thompson Hall- 105 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824. You may request transcripts be sent to us directly from the institution or you may send them yourself as long as they remain sealed in the original university envelope.

Transcripts from all previous post-secondary institutions must be submitted and applicants must disclose any previous academic or disciplinary sanctions that resulted in their temporary or permanent separation from a previous post-secondary institution. If it is found that previous academic or disciplinary separations were not disclosed, applicants may face denial and admitted students may face dismissal from their academic program.

Letters of recommendation: 3 required

Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted.

Test Scores: GRE Required

GRE General test scores are normally required but may be waived for students who have taken computer science courses at UNH. If required, request official test scores to be sent directly to the Graduate School by the testing service. Test scores more than five years old are not acceptable. Student copies and photo copies of scores are not considered official. Our CEEB code is 3918.

For general information about test scores required for admission into our programs please visit our Test Scores webpage.

Personal Statement/Essay Questions

Prepare a brief but careful statement regarding:

Reasons you wish to do graduate work in this field, including your immediate and long-range objectives.
Your specific research or professional interest and experiences in this field.

Important Notes

All applicants are encouraged to contact programs directly to discuss program-specific application questions.

International Applicants

Prospective international students are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent examination scores. English Language Exams may be waived if English is your first language. If you wish to request a waiver, then please visit our Test Scores webpage for more information.

International applicants to this program with low TOEFL scores may be eligible for our Bridge Program.

Prerequisite requirements for students without a Computer Science degree

The computer science graduate program is designed for students with a B.S. degree in computer science. However, applications from students whose undergraduate degree is not in computer science are also welcome. In this case, a well-defined set of undergraduate prerequisites must be completed as part of the M.S. program of study. The prerequisites include an introduction to computer science, object-oriented programming, data structures, machine organization, operating systems, and computer science theory.

These prerequisites can be satisfied at UNH by the following undergraduate courses:

CS 415, Introduction to Computer Science I
CS 416, Introduction to Computer Science II
CS 515, Data Structures
CS 520, Assembly Language Programming and Machine Organization
CS 620, Operating System Fundamentals
CS 659, Introduction to the Theory of Computation
Some students may need to take additional mathematics classes.

Students without a B.S. or M.S. in computer science are not normally admitted directly into the Ph.D. program, but it is possible to transfer from the M.S. program to the Ph.D. program.

Applicants must submit current scores (within five years) for the general test of the GRE. Students who have taken computer science courses at UNH can request a waiver of this requirement.