Overview

You can get an MS in CS in one of two ways.

1. Write a Master's Thesis (Plan A). This requires a total of 30 credits of which course-work accounts for 24 credits and the remaining six (6) credits are thesis credits (currently cs797).
2. Write a Professional Paper (Plan B). This requires a total of 33 credits of which course-work accounts for 30 credits and the remaining three (3) credits are professional paper credits (currently cs796).

You will also have noted that our MS program requires both breadth and depth. Broadly speaking, 600 level courses are generally used to fill the breadth requirement, while 700 level courses usually satisfy the depth requirement. Another requirement handed us by the graduate school says that Master's students must have at least 15 credits of 700 level courses (or more correctly, half your course-work should be at the 700 level). Putting this all together means:

1. Thesis (Plan A): You take four 600 level courses, four 700 level courses and six (6) credits of thesis. Consult your advisor, he or she will probably have strong opinions on specifics.
2. Professional Paper (Plan B): You take at least four (4) 600 level course, at least four (4) 700 courses, three (3) credits of Professional Paper, and the rest (a whole whopping six credits) can be either 600 or 700 level. Consult your advisor, she or he will probably have strong opinions on specifics.

In addition, to satisfy foundational, breadth, and depth requirements we have prepared a document that lists course requirements that must be met to satisfy these constraints. This document is available from http://www.cs.unr.edu/~sushil/grad/mscore/mscore/mscore.html

The rest of this document provides practical advice on choosing an advisor, a semester by semester guide to getting through the Master's program, and how to enjoy yourself in the process.