5 Year Integrated Program: BS in CSMS in CS

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5 Year Integrated ProgramBS in CS/MS in CS

• Undergraduate Advising Center
• Department of Computer Sciences
• University of Texas at Austin
• January 2008

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Status of Program

• Undergraduate Program approved by the Faculty
  Council
• Will be published in the 2008-10 Catalog
• Graduate Program is currently under review by
  subcomittee of Graduate Assembly
• UTCS expects approvals in place by end of April
  2008
• If approved, will be published in the 2009-11
  Catalog
• First class expected to graduate Spring 2010

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Why create it?

• Qualified undergrads often take grad classes
• Intellectual readiness maturity
• Benefit to UTCS
• Attract academically stronger undergrads
• Prepare strong candidates for Ph.D. programs
• Benefit to students
• Gauge interest in research and possible Ph.D.
• Career advantage

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Structure of Program

• Jointly administered by
• College of Natural Sciences (NS)
• Graduate School (GS)
• Junior year
• apply to the program
• Senior, if accepted
• special NS undergraduate major code
• apply to GS
• complete all general education requirements by
  end of fall
• 5th year - full-fledged graduate student

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BS Degree Requirements

• BS CS, Option IV Integrated Program
• 120 hours
• CS 357 or 353 is required instead of CS 341 or
  341H
• Reduction in of CS hours and electives
• 9 hours of upper-division CS instead of 15
• Minimum hours in residence
• 60 hours, including 18 hours of upper-division CS

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MS Degree Requirements

• Special MS degree plan associated only with this
  program
• 30 hours instead of 36
• No thesis
• MS associated with this program requires
• 30 hours, including
• 9 hours of CS diversity courses (1 class from
  each of 3 diversity areas)
• 15 hours of CS coursework (in area of interest)
• 6 hours of approved minor, outside of CS
• Minimum 27 hours of graduate coursework
• No thesis

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BS/MS Combined

• 150 hours total for both degrees
• No class can count toward both degrees
• Degrees are awarded simultaneously upon
  completion of the MS

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Considerations

• Fall admission only
• Admission is competitive
• Admitted students similar in quality to those
  admitted through standard admission process
• Instructional resources may limit accepted
• Past Masters Admission Statistics
• Fall 2006
• 308 applied
• 59 admitted
• 38 enrolled

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Eligibility Criteria

• Must be undergraduate, degree-seeking CS major
• By end of application semester, 60 hours must be
  completed, including
• CS 357 or 353
• CS 345 or 345H
• CS 352 or 352H

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Admission Process

• PDF application on Forms Bank
• Official transcripts from all colleges attended
• 3 letters of recommendation
• Statement of Purpose

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Statement of Purpose

• Describe your reasons for pursuing graduate
  study and your academic and professional
  interests and goals.
• Answer the prompt
• Quality of writing is as important as content
• Clear, concise, and accurate
• Multiple drafts
• Resources
• Undergraduate Writing Center, FAC 211
• NS Career Services Office, PAI 5.03
• Career Exploration Center, JES A115
• Instructors, TAs, advisors, friends

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Deadlines . . .

• Application deadline
• March 31, 2008
• Decision deadline
• ???
• Acceptance deadline
• ???

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Appendix General Education Requirement

• By end of Fall Semester in 4th Year, all general
  education requirements must be complete
• RHE 306 E 316K
• 2 writing components (1 upper-division)
• Foreign language/foreign culture requirement
• GOV 310L, GOV 312L
• 6 hours of US History
• 3 hours from ANT, ECO, PSY, GRG, SOC, or LIN
• 3 hours from ARC, FA, CC, or PHL (not logic)

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Questions?

• CS Undergraduate Advising Office
• TAY 2.126
• 512-471-9509
• or under-info_at_cs.utexas.edu
• Call or come by to make an appointment with an
  advisor