Online Master of Computer Science

Students who complete the program will earn a Master of Computer Science degree - the exact same Master of Computer Science degree that is earned on campus.‎

Students may tailor their degree through electives to focus on a variety of in-demand computer science topics, including AI, cloud computing, IoT, and machine learning.‎

No, the GRE is not required for admission.‎

You can upload unofficial transcripts as part of your application. All unofficial transcripts must be submitted as one document. Unofficial transcripts are only accepted when uploaded directly in the application.

If you are admitted to the university, you will be required to send official transcripts to the university.‎

The number of transfer credits allowed for students pursuing a master's degree varies by program and is subject to review and approval. Please review the handbook for your program regarding how many transfer credits are permitted.‎

You can. We offer four short self-paced non-credit courses that allow you to learn and demonstrate knowledge of foundational computer science topics. Depending on your undergraduate degree, you may still need to complete math courses.‎

Prerequisites do not need to be taken from ASU.‎

If students have professional or personal experience in these areas, they can complete four short, non-credit courses to demonstrate knowledge of foundational computer science topics, and satisfy this admission requirement. ‎

No, we do not offer academic credit for work experience in the field.‎

The total cost of this degree will be $15,000, or $1,500 per 3-credit course. There are no textbooks required for the courses.‎

No. You need to pay tuition when you enroll in each individual course. That means you’ll only pay for your courses as you take them. There is also a payment plan available at https://students.asu.edu/paymentplan.‎

Completing Coursera courses alone does not waive a prerequisite, but completing the courses and working through the material can be an excellent way to prepare for the exams offered in the four short, non-credit courses available through Continuing and Professional Education.‎

Completing each MasterTrack course with an 80% or higher passing grade provides you three credits on an ASU transcript. To receive the university-issued certificate from Arizona State University, you must complete all three courses with a cumulative GPA of 3.0. Successfully completing your entire MasterTrack Program with a 3.0 GPA on the first attempt is a pathway to the Master of Computer Science (MCS), where only an additional 21 credits will be needed to receive your degree. You must have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution in the U.S. or the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree from an international institution that is officially recognized by that country in order to be eligible for the MCS.‎

Yes. You can now pursue a concentration in Cybersecurity or in Big Data.‎

These courses follow an accelerated format. As such, you should expect to spend 15 – 20 hours per week on each course.‎

The completion time is based on the number of courses you enroll per semester. You must complete 30 credit hours to get your masters degree.‎

You can apply as a non-degree student by completing the link provided on the Pathway tab here: https://asuonline.asu.edu/online-degree-programs/graduate/computer-science-mcs/‎

No, letters of recommendation are optional.‎

You will need to submit a new application to transfer your credits. If accepted, you can transfer up to 12 credits between programs from the online program to the same on campus program, as long as your grades are "B" or better.‎

Your diploma and transcript will not indicate that the degree was completed online. It will appear identically to the diploma and transcript of a student who completes his or her studies on campus. The onground and online programs have the same courses, same syllabi taught by the same faculty.‎

To reduce the barriers to entry, ASU is providing applicants an option to prove their computer fundamental understanding through a series of four short, non-credit courses of which each will have a proctored exam. Passing the proctored exam will provide completion of the prerequisite.

To begin, enroll in your courses here: https://courses.cpe.asu.edu/browse/mcs‎

No. Academic credit cannot be given for work experience in the field.‎

Completing Coursera courses alone does not waive a prerequisite, but completing the course and working through the material can be an excellent way to prepare for the exam in the ASU offered non-credit computer science courses.‎

The statement of purpose should include your reasons for undertaking graduate work and an explanation of your academic interests, including their relation to your professional goals. There is no specific length for a statement of purpose. A resume will be accepted as a personal statement. Students are welcome to submit a resume or a personal statement or both.‎

No. You can take courses in any order. However, you must take at least one Applications, at least one Systems, and at least one Foundations course as part of the graduation requirements. You can pick seven courses from any area.‎

As the courses are taught in English, it is required that students prove that they have a strong grasp of the language. Requirements for English proficiency can be found here.

Another option would be to earn the English Proficiency for Graduate Studies Certificate from ASU, available on Coursera. This Certificate proves your proficiency in English to enroll in graduate level programs.‎

The Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, ranked 9th for online graduate engineering programs, is the largest and most comprehensive engineering program in the United States. With more than 22,400 students, Ira A. Fulton students represent 135 countries, all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering offers 25 undergraduate programs and 44 graduate programs in its six schools, including the School of Computing, Informatics, and Decision Systems Engineering (CIDSE). CIDSE is a community of students, faculty and staff on a mission to benefit society through accessible world-class education, transformative research and cutting-edge innovation to advance knowledge and solve complex problems. With expertise spanning artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, software and enterprise systems, CIDSE provides support for a “smart” and data-rich world.‎

We have a conversion rubric that we use depending on the country of origin for the transcript. Students should not try to convert their GPA on their application.‎

If you are a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident, you do not need to demonstrate English proficiency.

We require all international applicants from a country whose native language is not English or applicants whose undergraduate degree was not at a U.S institution to provide the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or Pearson English PTE scores. The MCS program requires a minimum score of 575 (paper-based) or 90 (internet-based) on the TOEFL exam, or a 7 for IELTS, or a 65 for PTE.

English proficiency waivers are offered for degrees from certain countries. English proficiency will also be waived if you have completed at least 9 credit hours of graduate course work with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale or higher (all credits must be earned in the U.S. and official transcripts must be mailed to ASU). If you need to take an English proficiency test for your application but are unable to take the TOEFL or IELTS, please contact us toll-free at 1-844-353-7953 or email mcsenrollment@asu.edu for options.

To see a full list of ways to demonstrate English Proficiency, go here: https://admission.asu.edu/international/graduate/english-proficiency‎

ASU has partnered with Flywire to provide a payment option for students to send international payments by wire transfer. See the International Wire Transfer Payments section on this page: https://students.asu.edu/paymentoptions‎

A student must have the equivalent of a four-year bachelor’s degree to be eligible to apply for a graduate program. Students who have a three-year bachelor’s degree can take one year of a master’s degree program in their home country to be equivalent to a four-year bachelor’s degree.‎

There are limited scholarships available for this program. Learn more here: https://scholarships.asu.edu/.

Financial aid options are also available. Learn more here: https://students.asu.edu/financialaid/types.‎

1. Bring the original document into the admissions office in person. You can bring your original transcripts to the admissions counter in SSV M-F (M 8 am-4 pm, T-F 8 am-5pm) on the Tempe campus and we will view the document to determine authenticity, make a copy of the original and provide the original back to you.

2. Provide an attestation from the issuing institution or Ministry of Education. Usually this is in the form of a copy of the transcript with a stamp indicating it is an attested true copy of the original. The stamp would be the seal of the office doing the attestation along with the signature of the authorizing authority. You can submit this to us once received. It does not need to come directly from the entity doing the attestation.
   NOTE: We don’t accept a notarized copy.

3. Credentials from India and China can be sent to ASU electronically through our parchment feed. Applicants from Chinese institutions can request and submit official transcripts directly through CHESICC. Requests are processed by CHESICC and will be sent electronically to Arizona State University admissions office. You will not need to submit a paper copy of your transcript. Go here to get started.

Applicants from institutions in India can request and submit official transcripts directly through TrueCopy Credentials. Requests are processed by Truecopy Credentials and will be sent electronically to the Arizona State University admissions office. You will not need to submit a paper copy of your transcript.

Please note that TrueCopy can take between 2-8 weeks to send transcripts. ‎