The Master of Science in Computer Engineering, Accelerated BS to MSCpE track, allows highly qualified UCF undergraduate Computer Engineering majors to take graduate-level courses that count toward their BS and MS degree while completing their BS program. Up to twelve (12) credit hours of 5000- and 6000-level courses with a grade of "B" (3.0) or better may be counted toward the accelerated BS to MS program.
The Computer Engineering MSCpE degree offers programs in several technical (research) areas, including Computer Networks and Computer Security (CNCS), Computer Systems and VLSI Design (CS/VLSI), Intelligent Systems and Machine Learning (ISML), and Software Systems and Algorithms (SSA).
All programs offer a thesis option, a non-thesis option, and an Accelerated BS to MS program. Students in the program receive a broad background in the various technical areas while specializing in a research area of their interest.
The specific research areas each EE faculty member focuses on can be found on the Department of Electrical Engineering website.
The master's program offers both thesis and non-thesis options in four technical specialization areas. The thesis option requires 30 credit hours of coursework, including 24 credit hours of formal coursework, exclusive of thesis and research, plus 6 credit hours of thesis. The non-thesis option requires 30 credit hours of coursework, including at least 24 credit hours of formal coursework. It may include 6 credit hours of Independent Study (XXX 6908), subject to the availability of interested faculty.
Total Credit Hours Required: 30 Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Bachelor's Degree
Track Prerequisites
All students must have earned a Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering from UCF.
In general, all students must have completed the following undergraduate courses (or their equivalents in an accredited BSCpE program) before admission to our graduate program. Students who have taken these courses must complete the articulation courses listed below, plus all prerequisites, that they require. Grades of "B" or higher must be obtained in each articulation course. Articulation courses are not eligible for inclusion on a student's Graduate Program of Study.
- EEE 3342C: Digital Systems
- EEL 3801: Computer Organization
- COP 3502: Computer Science I
- COP 3503: Computer Science II
Plus choose ONE of the following:
- COP 4331: Processes for Object-Oriented Development
- EEL 4768C: Computer Architecture
- EEL 4781: Computer Communications Networks
Qualified undergraduate UCF students may apply after completing at least 60 credit hours of undergraduate coursework, but no more than 90 undergraduate credit hours.
Admission to this program does not guarantee automatic admission to the MS program. The student must formally apply to graduate school by the stated deadlines.
Degree Requirements
Elective Courses
24 Total Credits
- There are no required courses within a specialization area. However, all students (thesis and nonthesis) must choose at least 24 credit hours of formal courses, excluding research-related courses and independent study (XXX 6908), which emphasize their specialization area. Courses from outside specialization areas could also be chosen if the student's adviser approves such a Program of Study. The Program of Study (POS) form must be approved by an adviser in the selected specialization area no later than the end of the second semester after admission. The program of study must meet all the university requirements specified in the graduate catalog and must also receive departmental-level and college-level approval.
Specialization Areas
24 Total Credits
- Complete 1 of the following
- The Computer Engineering Program supports a number of specialization areas. These specialization areas are (in alphabetical order): Computer Networks and Computer Security (CNCS), Computer Systems and VLSI Design (CS/VLSI), Intelligent Systems and Machine Learning (ISML), and Software Systems and Algorithms (SSA). In each one of these areas there is a suggested list of courses Students are also allowed to take courses from the suggested list of courses in areas other than their specialization area, but the majority of their courses should be chosen from courses in their specialization area
Computer Networks and Computer Security (CNCS)- Earn at least 24 credits from the following:
- CDA5106 - Advanced Computer Architecture (3)
- CDA5110 - Parallel Architecture and Algorithms (3)
- CDA6530 - Performance Models of Computers and Networks (3)
- CGS5131 - Computer Forensics I: Seizure and Examination of Computer Systems (3)
- CNT5008 - Computer Communication Networks Architecture (3)
- CNT6418 - Computer Forensics II (3)
- CNT6519 - Wireless Security and Forensics (3)
- CNT6707 - Advanced Computer Networks (3)
- COP5537 - Network Optimization (3)
- COP5611 - Operating Systems Design Principles (3)
- CAP6133 - Advanced Topics in Computer Security and Computer Forensics (3)
- CAP6133 - Advanced Topics in Computer Security and Computer Forensics (3)
- COT5405 - Design and Analysis of Algorithms (3)
- EEE5542 - Random Processes I (3)
- EEL5780 - Wireless Networks (3)
- EEL6762 - Performance Analysis of Computer and Communication Systems (3)
- EEL6785 - Computer Network Design (3)
- EEL6788 - Advanced Topics in Computer Networks (3)
- EEL6883 - Software Engineering II (3)
Computer Systems and Very Large Scale Integration (CS/VLSI)- Earn at least 24 credits from the following:
- CDA5106 - Advanced Computer Architecture (3)
- CDA5110 - Parallel Architecture and Algorithms (3)
- CDA6107 - Parallel Computer Architecture (3)
- CDA6938 - Special Topics (3)
- COP5537 - Network Optimization (3)
- EEE5390C - Full-Custom VLSI Design (3)
- EEL5722C - Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Design (3)
- EEL6762 - Performance Analysis of Computer and Communication Systems (3)
- EEE6327 - Design of Video Coding Systems (3)
- ECM6308 - Current Topics in Parallel Processing (3)
Intelligent Systems and Machine Learning (ISML)- Earn at least 24 credits from the following:
- CAP5055 - AI for Game Programming (3)
- CAP5512 - Evolutionary Computation (3)
- CAP5610 - Machine Learning (3)
- CAP5636 - Advanced Artificial Intelligence (3)
- CAP6545 - Machine Learning Methods for Biomedical Data (3)
- CAP6616 - Neuroevolution and Generative and Developmental Systems (3)
- CAP6640 - Computer Understanding of Natural Language (3)
- CAP6671 - Intelligent Systems: Robots, Agents, and Humans (3)
- CAP6675 - Complex Adaptive Systems (3)
- CAP6676 - Knowledge Representation (3)
- EEL5825 - Machine Learning and Pattern Recognition (3)
- EEL5874 - Expert Systems and Knowledge Engineering (3)
- EEL6812 - Introduction to Neural Networks and Deep Learning (3)
- EEL6875 - Artificial Intelligence for Autonomous Systems (3)
- EEL6878 - Modeling and Artificial Intelligence (3)
Software Systems and Algorithms (SSA)- Earn at least 24 credits from the following:
- CAP6515 - Algorithms in Computational Biology (3)
- CGS5131 - Computer Forensics I: Seizure and Examination of Computer Systems (3)
- CNT6418 - Computer Forensics II (3)
- CAP5510 - Bioinformatics (3)
- CAP6133 - Advanced Topics in Computer Security and Computer Forensics (3)
- CAP6545 - Machine Learning Methods for Biomedical Data (3)
- CEN5016 - Software Engineering (3)
- CEN6075 - Formal Specification of Software Systems (3)
- COP5021 - Program Analysis (3)
- COP5711 - Parallel and Distributed Database Systems (3)
- COP6730 - Transaction Processing (3)
- COP6731 - Advanced Database Systems (3)
- COT5405 - Design and Analysis of Algorithms (3)
- COT6410 - Computational Complexity (3)
- COT6417 - Algorithms on Strings and Sequences (3)
- COT5600 - Quantum Computing (3)
- COT6602 - Introduction to Quantum Information Theory (3)
- EEL6883 - Software Engineering II (3)
Thesis/Nonthesis Option
6 Total Credits
- Complete 1 of the following
Thesis Option- Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: EEL 6971 Thesis The thesis option requires 24 credit hours of formal coursework in one of the specialization areas and the completion of 6 credit hours of thesis. Additional requirements are as follows: - Courses must be chosen from the suggested list of courses for the student's chosen specialization area - No more than 6 credits of thesis (XXX 6971) will be counted toward the degree requirement - Fifteen credit hours (including EEL 6971 Thesis) must be 6000-level courses - Thesis students who are full time must continue to enroll in three credit hours of thesis coursework each semester until the thesis requirement is satisfied, even if they take more than the required 6 credit hours of thesis. However, only 6 credit hours of thesis will count toward the degree requirement. The College of Engineering and Computer Science requires that all thesis defense announcements are approved by the student's adviser and posted on the college's website and on the university-wide Events Calendar at the College of Graduate Studies website at least two weeks before the defense date.
Nonthesis Option- Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: Additional Electives from the list above. The nonthesis option is especially suitable for part-time students. Nonthesis students must complete 6 credit hours of electives in addition to the 24 credit hours of formal coursework described above. If desired by the student and approved by the student's adviser a total of 6 credit hours can be Independent Study (XXX 6908).
Portfolio Requirement
0 Total Credits
- Students are required to complete a culminating experience. The culminating experience for nonthesis MS students is submission of their portfolio of activities by the course Withdrawal Date of the semester prior to their intended graduation. The portfolio requirements are listed on the EECS website at www.eecs.ucf.edu.
Grand Total Credits: 30
Application Requirements
Financial Information
Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see the College of Graduate Studies Funding website, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.
Fellowship Information
Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student's graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see UCF Graduate Fellowships, which includes descriptions of university fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.
The master's program offers both thesis and nonthesis options in four technical specialization areas. The thesis option requires 30 credit hours of courses that includes 24 credit hours of formal coursework, exclusive of thesis and research, plus 6 credit hours of thesis. The nonthesis option requires 30 credit hours of coursework with at least 24 credit hours of formal coursework and a possibility of 6 credit hours of Independent Study (XXX 6908) based on the availability of interested faculty.
Transfer Credits
Graduate students with a bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering from UCF may transfer up to 9 credit hours of 5000-level or higher coursework, with grades of "B" or higher, toward the MSCpE degree. Alternatively, a maximum of 9 credit hours may be transferred of graduate work conducted elsewhere from an accredited institution.
Equipment Fee
Students in the Computer Engineering MSCpE program pay a $28 equipment fee each semester that they are enrolled. Part-time students pay $14 per semester.
Independent Learning
The independent learning requirement is met by successful completion of a master's thesis or an approved portfolio of activities for nonthesis students.
