On the graduate level, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) offers a one-year master's in computer science, as well as a doctorate in computer science. The doctoral program takes about six years to finish, and according to CMU's website, about 70 percent of doctoral candidates complete the program. Students can enter the program with a bachelor's degree and most have undergraduate degrees in technical fields such as computer science or engineering. The doctoral curriculum includes courses in areas such as artificial intelligence, programming languages and algorithms. Students also work as teaching assistants and complete a thesis based on original research.
Carnegie Mellon University
School of Computer Science
5000 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3891
412-268-8525
cs.cmu.edu
At the graduate level, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) offers an Engineer in Computer Science (ECS) master's degree, as well as a doctorate in the field. Applicants are expected to have a solid background in math, computer science, engineering or physics and admissions is highly competitive. All degree programs at MIT are full-time and because research is such an important component of the master's and doctoral programs, students select faculty advisers based on areas of interest such as circuit design, quantum information science or artificial intelligence.
MIT - Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Room 38-401
77 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
eecs.mit.edu
Stanford University's computer science department was founded in 1965 and according to the university's website, research is focused on artificial intelligence, scientific computing and robotics. Master's degree candidates study programming methodology and systems design, computer architecture and algorithms. Additionally, seminar attendance is required and students select a specialization such as software theory, security or bio-computing. At the doctoral level, students take required courses and must pass qualifying exams, serve as teaching assistants and prepare and defend a dissertation in order to receive a doctorate.
Stanford University
Computer Science Department
353 Serra Mall
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-9025
650-723-2273
cs.stanford.edu
Berkeley's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science attracts students who wish to study in a location close to California's high-tech sector. The computer science program is consistently highly ranked and Berkeley's website notes that the department's key strength is in interdisciplinary research.
The university offers a master's in computer science and a doctorate. Master's students are required to complete a research project and thesis. The master's degree takes one to two years to complete. Doctoral students choose a major area of specialization based on research interests, and must pass an oral examination and prepare a dissertation. Berkeley notes on its website that the doctorate takes at least five and a half years to complete. Research areas include computer architecture, database management systems and human-computer interaction.
University of California Berkeley
Computer Science Division
378 Soda Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720-1776
510-642-1041
cs.berkeley.edu
Boston University's computer science department offers master's and doctorate degrees that prepare students for careers in industry, teaching and research, according to the department's website. Students can specialize in areas such as information theory, image computing and algorithm analysis. At the master's level, students complete 32 credits of computer science coursework, along with a master's project that can be expanded into a thesis if the student wishes. Doctoral candidates generally enter the doctoral program with a master's degree and complete an additional 32 credits, along with an oral examination. Defense of the dissertation is done during the fourth or fifth year of study.
Department of Computer Science
Boston University
111 Cummington St, Room 138
Boston, MA 02215
617-353-8919
cs.bsu.edu