Master of Science in Computer Science

Work with life-changing technologies in jobs in computer science

Master of Science - Computer Science (30 credits)

Gain the specialized skills you’ll need to solve tomorrow’s problems in a variety of jobs in computer science with the master of science in computer science from Davenport University. You’ll advance through the computer science program in Davenport’s College of Technology, designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE) by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Davenport is one of only a select number of Michigan schools to achieve both designations.

Recognized in industry and in computer science research, Davenport’s expert faculty will engage you in meaningful learning across multiple platforms and with small class sizes for one-on-one attention. So regardless of the industry or organization you pursue, you will be well prepared. To ease your progression through the computer science program, Davenport offers the master of computer science online through our Global Campus, as well as in person at our W.A. Lettinga Campus in Grand Rapids.

Focus on what aligns with your goals with one of two concentrations in the Davenport computer science master’s degree program: customary computer science content or a deeper dive into security applications. You can complete a research thesis as part of your capstone to prepare for a Ph.D. or choose a significant project relevant to your desired career path if you plan to apply for in-demand jobs in computer science following your graduation.

What is a master of science in computer science?

A computer science master’s degree grows knowledge and skills beyond the undergraduate degree with advanced classes and hands-on experiences in one or more technology areas. A graduate from a master’s-level computer science program can enter the fast-growing computer science field in positions such as technology specialist, researcher and leader, which often require a graduate degree.

Davenport’s master of computer science online or in-person will qualify you for some of the most in-demand, highest-paying jobs in computer science. Work with the latest technologies in innovative areas such as machine learning, computer forensics, information security analysis, computer network architecture and computer programming.

Explore classes for Davenport’s computer science master’s degree

Refine your master of computer science online or in-person with one of two concentrations: customary computer science or security. Classes in the computer science concentration include artificial intelligence as well as pattern recognition and machine learning, while security concentration classes include reverse engineering malware and advanced computer forensics.

Graduate coursework in the computer science program includes a two-semester master project class that will develop your analytic, research and data presentation abilities to solve a specific problem using computer science. Choose the two-semester master research thesis if you plan to pursue a Ph.D. after graduating with your master of science in computer science.

Whether you take computer science program classes on campus or as part of the MS in computer science online, all courses align with Quality Matters (QM) and undergo evaluation through Instructional Design to ensure the highest instructional quality.

See Full Course List

Core Courses		18 Credits
CSCI635	Operating Systems General topics in computer architecture, memory systems design and evaluation, pipeline design techniques, RISC architectures, vector computers, VLSI systems architecture, bootloader, device drivers and I/O. Advanced topics may include: processes and threads, CPU scheduling; process synchronization; deadlock, threads, memory management; cache; main memory; virtual memory; virtual machine; shared-memory and message-passing based parallelism; clusters; database concepts; security and protection; authentication; and cloud computing. Applicable Course Fees can be found at https://my.davenport.edu/financial-aid/how-much-does-du-cost/tuition-and-fees.	3
CSCI655	Data Communications & Network	3
CSCI672	Theory of Computation This course covers the theory of computer science emphasizing automata, grammars computation and their applications in the specification of languages and computer systems, models of computation and complexity. Finite-state machines, pushdown automata, Turing machines, regular expressions, decidability, computational complexity, including classes P, NP, NP-complete, NP-hard, and PSPACE will be explored. Applicable Course Fees can be found at https://my.davenport.edu/financial-aid/how-much-does-du-cost/tuition-and-fees.	3
CSCI728	Design/Analysis of Algorithms This course will study the design and analysis of algorithms, their correctness, their limitations and their relationship to other algorithms. Students will learn how to analyze a problem and determine its reducibility to a common problem with a current solution. Topics covered may also include Computational Geometry, NP-Completeness, Approximation Algorithms, Dynamic Programming, Greedy Algorithms and Reductions. Applicable Course Fees can be found at https://my.davenport.edu/financial-aid/how-much-does-du-cost/tuition-and-fees.	3

Thesis/Project (More details on the Master Research Thesis or Master Project may be found in the Capstone Guidebook available from your faculty advisor)		(6) Credits
CSCI794 or CSCI798	Master Project or Master Research Thesis CSCI794 - Research and design a project approve by advisor that furthers the knowledge or has a practical application to the computer science field. This is a two-semester course sequence. The student will register for this course for 2 consecutive semesters (3 credits each semester). CSCI798 - Research topic in computer science selected by the student and approved by thesis advisor. Students will learn methods for reading technical papers, selecting research topics, devising research questions, reviewing current literature and proposal writings. This is a two-semester course sequence. The student will register for this course for 2 consecutive semesters (3 credits each semester).	6

Choose one of the following Concentrations:		12 Credits

Computer Science Concentration [CSCC]		(12) Credits
CSCI678	Artificial Intelligence This course will look at algorithms and concepts that are popular in the artificial intelligence field. Topics covered may include knowledge representation, constraint satisfaction problems, classical search, adversarial search, probabilistic reasoning, reinforcement learning, and robotics. Applicable Course Fees can be found at https://my.davenport.edu/financial-aid/how-much-does-du-cost/tuition-and-fees.	3
CSCI744	Pattern Recog & Machine Learn This course will look at the algorithms and concepts that are popular in the fields of data mining and machine learning. Topics covered may include deep learning, convolutional neural networks, linear and nonlinear models for classification, kernel methods, support vector machines and dimensionality reduction techniques. Applicable Course Fees can be found at https://my.davenport.edu/financial-aid/how-much-does-du-cost/tuition-and-fees.	3
CSCI756	Computer Vision This course will look at current research progress and trends in the Computer Vision field. Topics covered may include scene analysis, object detection and tracking, segmentation, texture and texture based recognition, 2D and 3D object description, and biologically inspired recognition schemes. Applicable Course Fees can be found at https://my.davenport.edu/financial-aid/how-much-does-du-cost/tuition-and-fees.	3
CSCI784	Secure Software Analy & Design This course takes a close look at software as a mechanism for attack, as a tool for protecting resources, and as a resource to be defended. Topics covered include the software design process; choices of programming languages, operating systems, databases and distributed object platforms for building secure systems; common software vulnerabilities, such as buffer overflows and race conditions; auditing software; proving properties of software; software and data watermarking; code obfuscation; tamper resistant software; and the benefits of open and closed source development. Students will demonstrate their ability to produce defect free code from well-known classes of vulnerabilities, including but not limited to design errors, implementation errors, timing errors, and trust. Applicable Course Fees can be found at https://my.davenport.edu/financial-aid/how-much-does-du-cost/tuition-and-fees.	3

Security Concentration [SCCC]		(12) Credits
CSCI784	Secure Software Analy & Design This course takes a close look at software as a mechanism for attack, as a tool for protecting resources, and as a resource to be defended. Topics covered include the software design process; choices of programming languages, operating systems, databases and distributed object platforms for building secure systems; common software vulnerabilities, such as buffer overflows and race conditions; auditing software; proving properties of software; software and data watermarking; code obfuscation; tamper resistant software; and the benefits of open and closed source development. Students will demonstrate their ability to produce defect free code from well-known classes of vulnerabilities, including but not limited to design errors, implementation errors, timing errors, and trust. Applicable Course Fees can be found at https://my.davenport.edu/financial-aid/how-much-does-du-cost/tuition-and-fees.	3
IAAS667	Legal/Ethical Security Topics This course provides students with real-world ethical issues facing public and private institutions involving privacy, data integrity, authentication, and internal malicious activity. Professional decision-making requires a thorough understanding and respect for intellectual property, corporate governance, and legal restrictions and regulations. This class will give students the framework to make legal, ethical decisions in their careers. Applicable Course Fees can be found at https://my.davenport.edu/financial-aid/how-much-does-du-cost/tuition-and-fees. Prerequisite(s): IAAS600	3
IAAS686	Reverse Engineering Malware This course analyzes malware analysis tools and techniques in depth. This training has helped forensic investigators, incident responders, security engineers, and IT administrators acquire the practical skills to examine malicious programs that target and infect Windows systems. Understanding the capabilities of malware is critical to an organization’s ability to derive threat intelligence, respond to information security incidents, and fortify defenses. This course builds a strong foundation for reverse-engineering malicious software using a variety of system and network monitoring utilities, a disassembler, a debugger, and other tools useful for turning malware inside-out. Applicable Course Fees can be found at https://my.davenport.edu/financial-aid/how-much-does-du-cost/tuition-and-fees.	3
IAAS735	Advanced Computer Forensics This course will provide the framework for the techniques and tools used for the extraction of information from digital equipment. Computer forensic tools will be used to gain a thorough understanding of the processes and techniques used in acquiring information and evidence. Topics include federal guidelines for search and seizures, investigating network intrusions, software forensics, and audit logs. Applicable Course Fees can be found at https://my.davenport.edu/financial-aid/how-much-does-du-cost/tuition-and-fees. Prerequisite(s): IAAS715	3

Which class should I take? When should I take it?

See our Recommended Program Sequences:

$4M

Qualify for a graduate scholarship through our $4 million NSF grant

31%

Be an information security analyst in a field with 31% growth

$127,178

Earn the $127,178 national average annual income for someone with an MS in computer science degree

Graduate from a designated CAE-CDE school, one of 14 in Michigan

Why pursue a Davenport master of science in computer science?

Distinguish yourself from other applicants for the highest salary, most competitive jobs in computer science with your on-campus or online MS in computer science from Davenport. Our College of Technology is designated by the NSA and DHS as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education — one of only a select number of Michigan schools to achieve this recognition.

In addition to the two computer science program concentrations of computer science and security, Davenport further focuses your on-campus or online MS in computer science with one of three emerging specialties: artificial intelligence, computer architecture and algorithms, and gaming and simulation. You’ll gain the specialized skills to qualify for some of the most exciting, highest paying jobs in computer science.

Getting involved beyond the classroom is easy at Davenport through student clubs such as the Association for Computing Machinery, the Cyber Defense Organization and Women in Technology.

Experience the Davenport difference:

Three specialties

Focus your computer science master’s degree on artificial intelligence, computer architecture and algorithms or gaming and simulation to prepare for your preferred jobs in computer science.

Hands-on practice

Design a project where you’ll analyze, research and present a problem, then solve it with your knowledge and skills in the computer science program’s two-semester master’s capstone.

Graduate scholarships

Qualify for scholarships specific to your master of science in computer science with Davenport funding from the U.S. Department of Defense and the National Science Foundation.

State-of-the-art computer science labs

Work with the latest technology in Davenport computer labs as you explore subjects in your computer science program specialty, such as artificial intelligence, computer algorithms and gaming.

Credit for your certifications

Receive transfer credit in Davenport’s computer science program for qualifying classes you’ve taken or certifications you hold from Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco, CompTIA, Oracle, EC Council and more.

CAE CDE designation

Earn your in-person or online MS in computer science from a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education, one of only a select number of schools in Michigan to achieve this designation.

Get started on your master of computer science online or in-person

Explore the admissions requirements and then take the next step toward your Davenport in-person or online MS in computer science.

Talk to an admissions advisor

Davenport’s admissions team is here to answer your questions. Please call us at 800.686.1600 or email us at info@davenport.edu.

Apply now or request more information

Start on the road to being in high demand for top jobs in computer science. Request more information or begin your application now.

Programs related to the computer science master’s degree

Computer Information Systems Certificate

Master of Science in Data Analytics

Master of Science in Information Assurance and Cyber Security

Master of Science in Technology Management

Networking Technology Certificate

About Davenport University

Davenport is a private, not-for-profit university with more than 150 years of experience preparing students for successful careers.

Offering over 80 degree and certificate programs, we align with top employers to design degree programs that help you gain the skills and real-world experience you need to rise above the rest. With small class sizes and campuses across Michigan or online, you’ll earn a quality education on your schedule at Davenport University.*

Additional resources

Davenport offers NSF computer science program scholarships

A $4 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) is helping Davenport computer science master’s degree students become high-performing cybersecurity experts. See if you qualify.

Young woman with red headphones looking at laptop

4 trends that are emerging right now

With an in-person or online computer science degree, you’ll position yourself for computer science jobs, which are proving exceptionally good at meeting a quickly reordered set of societal needs during the pandemic crisis and are likely to stay resilient into the future.

Preadmission Requirements

Students without a BS in Computer Science may need to complete the following courses
• CSCI531 Introduction to Programming
• CSCI534 Object Oriented Programming with C#
• CSCI545 Data Structures and Algorithms
• MATH515 Calculus I

Certification Course Credit

Davenport offers course credit for specific certifications you may hold. Obtaining a certificate demonstrates your knowledge in a specific technology area. In addition, it also indicates your dedication and motivation to professional development. For these reasons, certification exams are highly recommended after completing certificate related courses in Davenport's technology programs.

Certifications Page

Some programs require a student to complete a portion of their degree plan off-campus.
View a full list of those programs and courses

Sources:

U.S. Dept. of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Davenport University, 2023/2024 Catalog
National Security Agency (NSA) & Department of Homeland Security (DHS)