Course details

Summary

The Master of Science (MSc) is a two-year degree which encompasses both coursework and research. The first year involves mainly coursework and preliminary research preparation. Students will have the opportunity to contribute to existing fields of research, or to begin to develop new areas.

Computer Science is the study of computers and the work they do. We need a science of computers because, unlike other machines, computers are general purpose; the same machine can perform many different tasks and the same tasks can be done equally well by different computers.

Because of this, the study of what a computer can do is more than the study of a particular machine. It is the study of what can be done by a device which processes information. Naturally Computer Science papers deal with the practical matter of making the computer do what we want it to (programming). But we also deal with many other questions about computing and computers. How do they work? How are they used? How do they fit into our society? What are their limitations?

Today computers are used not only as a tool in commerce and science, but also for research in many disciplines, such as Anthropology and Linguistics. Computer Science can be taken as a major for both the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees and can also be included as a supporting subject in a Bachelor of Commerce degree. Some knowledge of computing is useful to all science students and many arts and business students even if you do not intend to major in Computer Science.

Papers and Thesis

COSC 480 Applied Project, or COSC 490 Dissertation

Four of :

COSC 402, COSC 410, COSC 411, COSC 412, COSC 420, COSC 421, COSC 422, COSC 430, COSC 431, COSC 440, COSC 441, COSC 450, COSC 470, COSC 471

Thesis: COSC 5

Note: The papers are normally taken before undertaking the thesis.

Entry criteria

Admission to the programme shall be subject to the approval of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Sciences).

Every applicant must either: be a graduate with an average grade of at least B for the appropriate 300-level papers, or have alternative qualifications or experience acceptable to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Sciences).

An applicant seeking admission to the thesis-only option of the programme on the basis of the degree of Bachelor of Science with Honours or the Postgraduate Diploma in Science or equivalent must have achieved a grade of at least B+ for the research report, thesis preparation, or dissertation requirement of the qualification concerned.

English Language Requirements

IELTS - Score of 6.5 in the academic module (with no individual band below 6.0); Internet-based TOEFL Score of 95 with a minimum writing score of 22.; Paper-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 587 (TWE 4.5); Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) – Overall score of 176 (with no individual band below 169); Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) – Overall score of 176 (with no individual band below 169); APIEL Advanced Placement International English Language Examination - Grade 4 or higher; Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic - Overall score of 64 with no communicative skills score below 57; University of Otago Foundation Studies Ltd: Completion of 'English for Postgraduate Academic Purposes' with a grade of C or higher.