M.A. in Computer Science

There are a variety of schedules from which students can choose, depending on their level and the number of courses they wish to take. It is advisable to see the Graduate Deputy Chair before planning each semester’s program. Students who enter with background in computer science will generally be able to go directly into 7000-level courses. Students without such a background will need to take selected undergraduate courses, described below, before taking any 7000-level courses.

Beginning M.A. Students with Limited Background in Computer Science

  1. Students just beginning to study computer science must take CISC 1115 (Programming in Java) in their first semester. This course is a prerequisite to all other CIS courses.
  2. Students who know another language (e.g., C++) and who have some mathematics background, may take CISC 2210 (Discrete Structures) at the same time as CISC 1115.
  3. Students who already know Java may take CISC 2210 and CISC 3115 (Modern Programming Techniques).
  4. Students who have begun their study of computer science in C++ (CISC 1110) may complete the CISC 1110 / 3110 / 3130 sequence, but they must be aware that CISC 3110 will be offered for the last time in Spring 2018, and CISC 3130 will be offered in C++ for the last time in Fall 2018.
  5. Students who have completed CISC 2210 may take CISC 3310 (Principles of Computer Architecture). CISC 3310 can be taken at the same time as CISC 3115 or 3130.
  6. Students who have completed CISC 3115 must continue on to take CISC 3130 (Data Structures), which is a prerequisite for almost all CISC 7000-level courses.
  7. Students must demonstrate knowledge of basic calculus. If necessary, the student should take the first undergraduate calculus course (MATH 1201).
Students who have already mastered the material covered in any of these courses may apply for a waiver for that course from the Graduate Deputy Chair. Students who request such a waiver must be prepared to demonstrate their mastery.

M.A Students Who Have Completed All Undergraduate Prerequisite Courses or Who Have an Undergraduate Degree in Computer Science

Students who have completed all undergraduate prerequisite courses (or who were not required to take any of these courses) have a wide variety of 7000-level courses available. Currently, the CIS Department offers about 15 7000-level courses per semester, selected in a rotating fashion from a list of more than 40 such courses. The complete list of all CIS Department graduate courses appears in the Brooklyn College Graduate Bulletin and in Section VIII.

All degree requirements, prerequisites, exclusions, and general Brooklyn College regulations are listed in the Brooklyn College Graduate Bulletin. Students should make sure that they receive a copy of the Graduate Bulletin, since they are responsible for satisfying the various rules and regulations.

First Level and Advanced Level Courses

The 7000-level courses are divided into two basic groups: first level and advanced level courses. In the M.A. program in computer science, students are required to complete three advanced level courses. With a few exceptions, courses that have a graduate-level prerequisite are advanced level, while those without such a prerequisite are not. Advanced level courses are marked with an asterisk in the Graduate Bulletin and in Section VIII.

Prerequisites and Exclusions

Among first level courses, some cover the same material (in somewhat more depth) as advanced undergraduate courses. These graduate courses are not open to students who have already had a corresponding course, whether at Brooklyn College or at another school. For example, the course CISC 7410X (Artificial Intelligence) is not open to a student who has already had a course, graduate or undergraduate, in artificial intelligence. The following CIS courses are in this category: 7310X, 7110X, 7410X, 7510X, and 7360X. Students who have taken the undergraduate course CISC 3220 (Analysis of Algorithms) or its equivalent can take either CISC 7200X or 7214X, but it is recommended that they take CISC 7214X.

On the other hand, a number of first-level courses are open to students even if they have already had an undergraduate course in the area. For example, CISC 7302X (Computer Architecture) is open to students who have had an undergraduate course in architecture.

Counseling

With the aid of the Graduate Deputy Chair, a student should determine exactly which courses are available to him or her, and which are excluded. At that point, the student can select up to four courses to take in a given semester, depending upon the student’s job status, time available, and so on.

Students who must maintain full-time status either to satisfy the requirements of their visa or the rules of a loan program or for some other reason should make sure that they take sufficient courses each term to be considered a full-time student.

M.S. in Information Systems

There are a variety of schedules from which students can choose, depending on their level and the number of courses they wish to take. Several of these courses have prerequisites and students are expected to meet these requirements before registering for these courses. It is advisable to see the Program Director or Graduate Counselor before planning each semester’s program. Students who enter with background in computer science will generally be able to go directly into 7000-level courses. Students without such a background will need to take selected undergraduate courses, described below, before taking any 7000-level courses.

Beginning M.S. in IS Students with Limited Background in Computer Science

  1. Students just beginning to study computer science must take CISC 1115 (Programming in Java) in their first semester.
  2. Beginning students can also take CISC 1050 (Introduction to Computer Applications). This course covers the fundamentals of Windows, Microsoft Word (word processing), Excel (spreadsheet), and Access (database).
  3. Students who know another language (e.g., C++) and who have some mathematics background may take CISC 2210 (Discrete Structures) at the same time as CISC 1115 and/or CISC 1050.
  4. Students who have begun their study of computer science in C++ (CISC 1110) may complete the CISC 1110 / 3110 / 3130 sequence, but they must be aware that CISC 3110 will be offered for the last time in Spring, 2018, and CISC 3130 will be offered in C++ for the last time in Fall, 2018.
  5. Students who know Java may take CISC 3115 (Modern Programming Techniques) at the same time as CISC 2210.
  6. Students who have completed CISC 3115 must next take CISC 3130 (Data Structures), which is a prerequisite for almost all 7000-level courses.
  7. Students who have completed CISC 2210 may take CISC 3310 (Principles of Computer Architecture). CISC 3310 can be taken at the same time as CISC 3115 or 3130.
  8. Students must demonstrate knowledge of basic calculus. If necessary, the student should take the first undergraduate calculus course (MATH 1201). Students who have already mastered the material covered in any of these courses may apply for a waiver for that course from the Graduate Deputy Chair. Students who request such a waiver must be prepared to demonstrate their mastery.
  9. Students must demonstrate knowledge of basic probability and statistics. If necessary, the student should take an undergraduate probability and statistics course (MATH 2501 or a similar course in another department).
Students who have already mastered the material covered in any of these courses may apply for a waiver for that course from the Graduate Deputy Chair. Students who request such a waiver must be prepared to demonstrate their mastery.

M.S. in IS Students Who Have Completed All Undergraduate Prerequisite Courses or Who Have an Undergraduate Degree in Computer Science

Students who have completed all undergraduate prerequisite courses (or who were not required to take any of these courses) have a wide variety of 7000-level courses available. Currently, the CIS Department offers about 15 7000-level courses per semester, selected in a rotating fashion from a list of more than 40 such courses. The complete list of all CIS Department graduate courses appears in the Brooklyn College Graduate Bulletin and in Section VIII of this brochure.

All degree requirements, prerequisites, exclusions, and general Brooklyn College regulations are listed in the Brooklyn College Graduate Bulletin. Students should make sure that they receive a copy of the Graduate Bulletin, since they are responsible for satisfying the various rules and regulations.

Prerequisites and Exclusions

Most of the 7000-level courses have prerequisites and students are expected to meet these prerequisites before registering for these courses. For example, CISC 7330X, 7332X, and 7334X each have a prerequisite of CISC 7310X and 7302X.

A number of 7000-level courses are open to students even if they have already had an undergraduate course in the area. For example, CISC 7302X (Computer Architecture) is open to students who have had an undergraduate course in architecture.

On the other hand, several of the 7000-level courses cover the same material (in somewhat more depth) as advanced undergraduate courses. These graduate courses are not open to students who have already had a corresponding course, whether at Brooklyn College or at some other school. For example, CISC 7410X (Artificial Intelligence) is not open to a student who has already had a course, graduate or undergraduate, in this area. The following CIS courses are in this category: 7310X, 7110X, 7410X, 7510X, and 7360X.

Counseling

With the aid of the Graduate Deputy Chair, a student should determine exactly which courses are available to him or her, and which are excluded. At that point, the student can select up to four courses to take in a given semester, depending upon the student’s job status, time available, and so on.

Students who must maintain full-time status to satisfy the requirements of their visa or because of the rules of a loan program or for some other reason should make sure that they take sufficient courses each term to be considered a full-time student.