Michigan State University Computer Science Programs
Michigan State University appears in our ranking of the Top 50 Master’s in Computer Science Degree Programs.
Michigan State University has three computer science programs at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral level. Programs are administered by the College of Engineering. The undergraduate degree available is a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, and students must complete 120 credits to graduate with their bachelor’s degree. Many students choose to minor in Game Design & Development alongside their major in computer science.
Courses an undergraduate student of computer science might take include Discrete Structures in Computer Science, Object-Oriented Software Design, and Computer Organization & Architecture. Additional courses available as electives include Algorithm Engineering, Computability & Formal Language Theory, and Biometrics and Pattern Recognition.
Some of the industries where graduates of the computer science programs at Michigan State University work include consumer electronics, manufacturing, automotive, communications, and aerospace. Graduates commonly find work as consultants, systems analysts, computer programmers, and software engineers.
Students at the graduate level will enter the Master of Science in Computer Science program, and applicants must already have a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field like electrical engineering or mathematics. In the program, students must complete 30 credits and will choose a thesis or non-thesis curriculum plan.
Students who want to study at the doctoral level will need to graduate in the top 25 percent of their master’s degree class and should have a minimum 3.50 GPA overall in graduate school. Applications require GRE scores. In rare cases, applicants who only have a bachelor’s degree may be considered for the Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science program.
The university also offers a minor in teaching computer science where students take five courses. The minor is offered in cooperation between the Department of Teacher Education and the College of Engineering. Classes required include Introduction to Technical Computing, Introduction to Programming I, and Discrete Structures in Computer Science. Students can also enroll in a Minor in Computer Science without the teaching aspect.
The university’s offerings also feature a linked BS/MS program where students can apply some of their credits earned as an undergraduate student to their graduate-level study. Students who are high achieving undergraduate students can qualify for dual enrollment and will pay graduate-level tuition after having completed 120 credits in undergraduate classes. Students who want to enter dual enrollment should have a 3.5 GPA or higher if they want to qualify for the program.
Students with interest in data science may want to consider the Bachelor of Science in Computational Data Science, which is a related discipline to computer science. A graduate certificate is also available and is called the High-Performance Computing Graduate Certificate. Computer science classes and programs at Michigan State University are offered on campus and aren’t available as online degrees.
About Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public university located in East Lansing. The university was established in 1855 and is also a land grant and sea-grant institution. The suburban campus covers 10,000 acres in East Lansing, and more than 50,000 students attend the university. The school’s official colors are white and green, and students play as the Spartans in NCAA Division I games in the Big Ten Conference.
Some of the most renowned programs at Michigan State University include elementary teacher’s education, industrial and organizational psychology, African history, and supply chain logistics. Other highly regarded programs include secondary teacher’s education, rehabilitation counseling, and nuclear physics. The university belongs to the Association of American Universities, and it’s also the home of the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory.
Michigan State University Accreditation Details
Regional accreditation for Michigan State University comes from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher Learning Commission. Regional accreditation ensures students can enroll in classes with transferrable credits, as well as qualify for entry into advanced college programs. Many of the programs at the university are accredited by organizations that are recognized by the Department of Education for their efficacy.
Accreditations include the professional psychology programs, which are accredited by the American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation, as well as the dietetics program, which is accredited by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics. The university’s Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and its Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering are accredited by ABET.
Michigan State University Application Requirements
Admission standards for first-time students and freshmen are based on several factors that include high school academic performance, the quality of the student’s high school curriculum, and the student’s class rank. Also considered are the most recent scores earned in high school, standardized test results, and ancillary features like conduct, talents, and leadership.
Graduate degree programs at Michigan State University require the official application, application fee, and all additional requirements of the program a student wants to enter. For prospective graduate students, applications are accepted for up to two different majors each semester. Students who apply to more than one program in a semester must pay the application fee for each application.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Undergraduate students who attend Michigan State University will pay $14,524 for tuition if they’re Michigan residents and $39,830 if they’re from outside the state. All students who arrange to live on campus will pay $10,522 for housing and meals. The university estimates the total cost of attendance for in-state students is $25,046, and the total cost for out-of-state students is $50,352.
Tuition for graduate students is charged by the credit hour and is $755.50 for masters programs and is the same for doctoral programs for all core units. Professional credits for the College of Engineering are $842.00 per credit. Graduate Lifelong Education credits are $755.50. Online programs have unique rates. For example, the online foreign language teaching masters program is $695.00 per credit, and the online program evaluation masters program is $721.00.
Students who need financial assistance to attend MSU have many types of aid available that range from scholarships and grants to student and parent loans. Students may also receive Work-Study awards, participate in education savings plans, take advantage of education tax credits, or qualify for veterans benefits. There are also graduate fellowships, resident assistantships, and tuition reduction plans available.
Federal grants that students may receive include Federal Pell Grants and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant. Programs for tuition aid in the State of Michigan include the Michigan Competitive Scholarship and the Tuition Incentive Program. Some Michigan State University programs that offer grants include the MSU Spartan Advantage Program, the MSU Student Aid Grant, and the MSU Program Fee Grant.
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