Engineering & Computer Science Syracuse University
MSc in Computer Science
Syracuse, USA
MSc
DURATION
8 semesters
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
02 May 2026
EARLIEST START DATE
Aug 2026
TUITION FEES
USD 61,607 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning, On-Campus
* Total Including Fees and Living Expenses
Key Summary
About: The MSc in Computer Science from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) builds technical depth within a college committed to rigorous thinking. Students choose a thesis or non‑thesis track; non‑thesis students can finish in one year by studying fall, spring, and summer, though most take three or four semesters. Professionals may add remedial undergrad coursework to meet prerequisites and change careers.
Career Outcomes: Graduates work at firms including IBM, Microsoft, Intel. Roles include software engineer, data scientist, machine learning engineer, cybersecurity analyst, embedded systems engineer, PhD/research pathways. Internships and industry links aid transitions to engineering, research, product or leadership.
For students who want to expand their technical expertise beyond their undergraduate major, the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) offers master of science (M.S.) degrees in computer engineering, computer science, and electrical engineering. EECS has a long and distinguished record of graduate education, with many of our graduates placed in key positions in the industry. Graduates from our master’s programs are well represented in such corporations as IBM, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, and Intel. In all of these degrees, students have the option of completing the M.S. degrees by taking only courses, or by combining coursework with a master’s thesis.
Students who are contemplating continuing their studies at the Ph.D. level are encouraged to complete an M.S. degree with the thesis option. Students enrolled in the non-thesis option in one of these M.S. programs may finish the M.S. degree in one year if they choose. To accomplish this, students must take courses in the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Most students elect to complete the degree in a less intensive fashion over three or four regular semesters.
Professionals having a baccalaureate degree in fields other than computer engineering, computer science, or electrical engineering who are seeking a career change may take advantage of an opportunity to obtain an M.S. degree in one of these fields by combining suitable remedial undergraduate coursework with the regular program of graduate study.
The computer science M.S. program at Syracuse University has two special characteristics: flexibility in its program structure and emphasis on mathematical content. A candidate for MSCS degree is required to take ten graduate-level courses (30 credits), including four required (core) courses. These four core courses are:
- CIS 623 Structured Programming and Formal Methods
- CIS 655 Computer Architecture
- CIS 657 Principles of Operating Systems
- CIS 675 Design and Analysis of Algorithms
In each of the core courses, the student must achieve a course grade of B- or better.
In each of the core courses, a student is assigned an additional grade based solely on his/her performance in the final comprehensive examination of the course. The candidate is required to achieve an average grade of B- (2.667) or better in these four final exam grades.
The remaining six courses are chosen by the candidate from a wide range of graduate-level courses in computer science and computer engineering offered each semester to form a coherent program of study.
Also, the conditions for successful completion of MSCS degree are:
- At most, two courses at the 500 level may be included in the program of study.
- The program of study of ten courses must be ‘coherent,’ i.e., graduate courses taken outside of the computer science area must meet relevancy criteria.
- Within this program, the student may elect to prepare and defend a master’s thesis, in accord with the rules of the Graduate School, for up to six of the required 30 credits.
- Analyze algorithms in terms of correctness as well as time and space complexity.
- Apply key data structures and algorithm design techniques to synthesize efficient computational solutions.
- Use formal methods to specify and reason about program and system behavior.
- Apply concepts of abstract machines and protection mechanisms to analyze, design, and develop system-level components that meet functional specifications.
- Apply knowledge of computer architecture (including supports for parallelism) to achieve software performance goals.
Employment Outcomes
Based on exit surveys from 2017, 2018, and 2019 Syracuse University Computer Science and Cybersecurity M.S. graduates.
- Companies that hire our graduates:
2U, ADP, Air Force Research Lab, Amazon, American Express, BAE Systems, Bank of America, Blackhawk Networks, BlackRock, Boeing, Cerner Corporation, Comcast, Ernst & Young, eBay Inc, Ford, EPE Innovations, Ernst & Young, Ford, Goldman Sachs, Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C., High 5 Games, Houzz, IBM, IMVU, INFICON, Intercontinental Exchange, Investing Channel, Jeppesen, Lowenstein Sandler, LLC, McKinsey & Company, NCC Group, NSI-MI, Parsons Corporation, Petuum, Playmaker Health, PwC, Rockwell Collins, Samsung, Securonix, SRC Inc, Symantec, Syrasoft, Telenav Inc, ViaSat Inc., Walmart Labs, WXYZ, Yahoo, Yelp, Zify - In Summer 2018, students interned at:
AIP Publishing, Airlines Reporting Corporation, Alibaba, Amazon, AmorePacific USA, Autodesk, Barclays, Boeing, Cisco, Ctrip, Dassault Systemes, Dynagarde LLC, Elutions, Emptor, face ++, FedEx Services, FINRA, Gadget Software, Google, GreenView EMS, Hithink, JD group, JingDong, Kirkwork, LogMeIn, Marketers Anonymous, MatrixCare, MediTechSafe, MicroStrategy, Mitel Networks, Morgan Stanley, Nalu Medical, NetEase Games, Novumind, OpenSlate, PayPal, Quanterion, Quantifly, Run Technology Group Ltd, Salt Labs, Siemens Healthineers, Slalom, Sodexo, Stanley Black & Decker, Sumeru Inc, TempoQuest, The Marketing Cartel, TIAA, Tracelink, Traceroll, UC San Diego Health, Unimar, Upstate Medical University, VMware - Job location: 98% in the US, 2% outside of the US
- Job location within the US: 20% San Francisco Bay Area, 18% Metropolitan New York City, 8% Syracuse/Central New York, 5% Metropolitan Baltimore/Washington, DC, 5% Texas (Austin/Dallas/Houston), 5% Washington (Seattle), 3% Metropolitan Los Angeles, 33% Other
- Job titles: Senior Programmer, Advisory Programmer & Data Analyst, Computer Scientist, Data scientist, Digital Analyst, Entrepreneurial Software Engineer, Full-Stack Software Engineer, Quality Systems Analyst, Security Analyst, Security Engineer, Senior Software Engineer, Software Developer, Software Dev Eng, Software Engineer Autonomous Cars, Software Engineer-Android, Systems Engineer, Technology Consultant
- Base salary range: $60,000 - $120,000 or more
- Median base salary range: $105,000 - $114,000