Baccalaureate to Master of Science in Computer Science / 4+1 Option
Computer Science
The Baccalaureate to Computer Science Master’s 4+1 Program option allows qualified undergraduates to complete the Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS) program in just one year rather than 18 months to two years. Upon completion of at least 75 credit hours including (if necessary) the following foundation courses: CPSC 20000, CPSC 21000, CPSC 28100, CPSC 34000, CPSC-35000, and MATH 21000; and achieving a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, a student becomes eligible to apply for a Baccalaureate to Master’s 4+1 Program option by completing the 4+1 application. Once accepted, the student may take up to twelve (12) graduate hours to satisfy specific course requirements in the Master’s program, and nine (9) of those graduate hours will count towards the Bachelor’s degree. Students must earn a “B” or better in each graduate course they take toward their MSCS requirements. A student who successfully completes twelve graduate hours as an undergraduate will have remaining 21 credit hours versus 33 credit hours required to complete the MSCS degree. Note that admission to the 4+1 is not an automatic admission to the Master of Science in Computer Science program. A student will still need to apply and be accepted to the MSCS program provisionally, contingent on completing the baccalaureate degree.
Information Security
The Engineering, Computing, and Mathematical Sciences Department offers a Bachelor’s to Master’s 4+1 Program option for Lewis University undergraduate Computer Science majors interested in the Master of Science in Information Security (MSIS) program. The 4+1 Program option allows qualified undergraduates to complete the graduate MSIS program in just one year rather than 18 months to 2 years. The student will take nine graduate hours as an undergraduate, which will count toward completing the Bachelor of Science degree (128 hours) and will satisfy specific course requirements in the Master’s program (35 hours). Once a student has reached senior status by completing at least 90 credit hours; has completed the courses CPSC 20000, CPSC 21000, CPSC 22000, MATH 20600, AND MATH 21000; and has achieved a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, he or she may be considered for entry into the 4+1 Program. To be considered, the student must complete the application to the MSIS program and be accepted to the program provisionally, contingent on completing the baccalaureate degree. Accepted students will then take nine credit hours of graduate coursework in the MSIS curriculum as an undergraduate. These courses are taken in addition to, and not in place of, the course requirements of the Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. If the student earns a “B” or better in a graduate course they take as part of the 4+1 Program, the course will count toward their MSIS requirements. Students who enter the MSIS program through this 4+1 Program option will not be required to take INSY 51000 and CPSC 51500 as part of the MSIS degree. A student who successfully completes three graduate courses as an undergraduate will have to take 21 credit hours to complete the MSIS degree instead of 35.
Degree Requirements
Degree requirements are the same as the degree requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with the following addition:
Graduate Courses (9 credit hours)
Take 3 of the following graduate courses: CPSC 52000, CPSC 52500, CPSC 56000, CPSC 56100, CPSC 56400, CPSC 56500, CPSC 62700, CPSC 62800, CPSC 67000, CPSC 67300, CPSC 68000, CPSC 68500.
See Baccalaureate-to-Masters Degree Program Guidelines for additional information.