Computer Science

MCS Graduate Handbook

2018 - 2019
 MANUAL OF THE MASTER OF COMPUTER SCIENCE DEGREE
AND
CONCENTRATIONS

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

2018 - 2019

CSE graduate degrees please contact:

Office of Graduate Programs

Of Computer Science
Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering
Arizona State University
PO Box 878809
Tempe, AZ 85287-8809
PHONE: (480) 965-3199

CSE on the web: http://cidse.engineering.asu.edu/forstudent/graduate/computer-science/

E-mail address: [email protected]

Revised updated May 2018

 Table of Contents

I. Introduction to the Computer Science Program ..................................................................................... 1

II. Objective of the handbook................................................................................................................... 1
III. Student responsibility......................................................................................................................... 1
IV. Faculty responsibility......................................................................................................................... 1
V. Admission and eligibility to the MCS degree programs ....................................................................... 1
Eligibility. ........................................................................................................................................... 1
Application. ......................................................................................................................................... 2
Application deadlines .......................................................................................................................... 2
GRE scores. ......................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
TOEFL/English Proficiency. ................................................................................................................ 2
Personal statement. .............................................................................................................................. 2
Letters of recommendation................................................................................................................... 2
GPA requirement. ................................................................................................................................ 3
Application evaluation. ........................................................................................................................ 3
Deficiencies. ........................................................................................................................................ 3
Notice of Admission. ........................................................................................................................... 4
Pre-admission credits and Transfer Credit ............................................................................................ 4
Transfer between programs .................................................................................................................. 4
VI. MCS Degree Requirements................................................................................................................ 4
a. Formulation of the Plan of Study ...................................................................................................... 5
VII. General Information, Policies and Procedures ................................................................................... 7
a. Financial assistance and/or fellowships ........................................................................................ 7
b. Continuous Enrollment ................................................................................................................ 7
c. Leave of Absence Policies............................................................................................................ 8
d. Maximum Time Limit .................................................................................................................. 8
e. Registration requirements for research assistants (RA) and teaching assistants (TA) ..................... 8
f. Policy for Maintaining Academic Satisfactory Progress................................................................ 9
g. Filing for Graduation.................................................................................................................. 10
h. Academic Integrity..................................................................................................................... 10
i. CSE 584 Internship .................................................................................................................... 11
j. Engineering Student Organizations............................................................................................. 13
 k. Instructional Concerns and Course-Related Complaints .............................................................. 13
List of Approved 500-level Area Courses .............................................................................................. 16
Approved 400-Level courses to count toward CSE graduate program..................................................... 18
 1

I. Introduction to the Computer Science Program

The Master of Computer Science (MCS) is a non-thesis degree is available for ground and online
campuses. The program is ideal for students with undergraduate education in computer science
or related studies. This degree features advanced course work and provides numerous
opportunities for interdisciplinary study. Ground campus students can concentrate their studies in
the following areas: Big Data Systems (BDS) and Cyber Security (CS).

II. Objective of the handbook

The purpose of this handbook is to provide guidance and information related to admission,
degree requirements, and general policies and procedures. Please note that in some cases you
will find differences between the Graduate College policies and procedures and the computer
science program requirements. In these cases, CSE has established higher standards. Students
must satisfy both sets of requirements. Please note that policies and procedures are occasionally
amended to improve the program. Changes will be communicated to students through e-mail,
which is our primary form of communication. We will also post any updates to this handbook on
our website cidse.engineering.asu.edu.

III. Student responsibility

All students are expected to become familiar with university and program policies and
procedures and abide by the terms set forth. Information is available online at the following
websites:
• Graduate College – http://graduate.asu.edu
• Graduate College policies and procedures https://graduate.asu.edu/policies-procedures
• The Computer Science Program –
http://cidse.engineering.asu.edu/forstudent/graduate/computer-science/
• The International Students and Scholars Center – https://issc.asu.edu/, if applicable.
• The Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering – http://engineering.asu.edu

IV. Faculty responsibility

The members of the faculty of computer science have diverse backgrounds and knowledge.
They are available to assist you in your plan of study and your educational and career goals. We
encourage you to take the opportunity to make individual appointments with faculty members
with whom you have common interests. Please refer to the list of the faculty names, areas of
expertise, and research interest on CIDSE Website.

V. Admission and eligibility to the MCS degree programs

The Master of Computer Science (MCS) degree requires a background in engineering, math,
sciences, or closely related fields. However, in some cases students with non-traditional
educational backgrounds will be considered for admission. These students may be required to
take foundational courses to better prepare for the graduate coursework. A student is encouraged
to contact a graduate advisor in the School of Computing, Informatics, and Decision Systems
Engineering Advising Center to obtain advice on their educational pursuits.

Eligibility - Prior to applying to the MCS program, students are required to have completed three
semesters or 12 credit hours of calculus, including multivariate calculus.
 2

Application - All students are required to submit an application and all required supporting
materials with the Office of Graduate Admission and pay the required fee in order to have their
application properly processed.

Application deadlines –
To receive full consideration, we ask that you have all the required documents submitted by the
deadline.
Fall Spring Summer
On-Campus December 1 August 1 N/A
Online July 20 November 15th April 15

GRE scores –. All ground (Tempe campus) students, except ASU undergraduate CSE, are
required to submit official general Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores directly to the
Office of Graduate Admissions. The average GRE scores for students admitted into the MCS
program have been 153 or 63 percentile verbal, 163 or 88 percentile quantitative, and 4.0
analytical. However, admission decisions are made on the basis of the entire application packet.
We do not require specific subject GRE scores. The ASU institution code is 4007. If department
code is required use 000 for GRE.
A GRE is not required for online students in all the MCS online programs.
At any time a student wants to switch to the ground program, he/she will be required to meet the
ground admission requirements.

English Proficiency - The University requires all international applicants from a country whose
native language is not English to provide the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or
the International English Language Testing System (IETLS) scores. CSE uses 575 (paper-based)
or 90 (internet-based) TOEFL or 7 for IETLS or Pearson 65 as minimum expectations for
admission. Note that your application will not be processed until the university receives official
TOEFL scores, which are valid two years from the start date of the degree program. There are
some exceptions for students who have been living in the United States and would like to have
the TOEFL waived. They should consult the Office of Graduate Admissions. Please address all
TOEFL questions to the Office of Graduate Admission. The ASU institution code is 4007. If
department code is required, use 99 for TOEFL.

Personal statement - The application must include a personal statement. The statement should
explain professional goals and reasons for desiring to enroll in the MCS program.

Letters of recommendation –Three letters of recommendation are required for Tempe

campus students, of which at least one should come from former faculty. There is no standard
form for letters of recommendation. Our current application process allows students to submit
the letter of recommendations electronically by indicating the names and the e-mails of the
recommender. In turn, the Office of Graduate Admission sends an e-mail to the recommender
alerting him or her to go online and submit a recommendation. We encourage letters from people
who know you well, such as teachers, professional associates and supervisors. Ask people who
can comment on your academic, emotional, intellectual and professional development.
 3

Letters of recommendation is not required and is optional for MCS online students. For those
students who want to strengthen their application packet, it is recommended that one of the
letters of recommendation come from a former faculty.

GPA requirement - To be considered for the MCS program, we require a minimum cumulative
GPA of 3.25 in the last 60 credit hours of the undergraduate degree.

Application evaluation - Several factors are taken into consideration when evaluating a
student’s application: the student’s cumulative GPA, major, institution, GRE scores (Tempe
campus), personal statement, letters of recommendation (Tempe and for online if submitted),and
performance in individual courses.

Deficiencies - Depending on prior academic preparation and accomplishments of an applicant,

deficiency courses may be specified to ensure adequate background preparation.

Below is a list of pre-requisites along with the associated ASU course numbers:
• CSE 230 - Computer Organization and Assembly Language Programming
• CSE 310 - Data Structures and Algorithms
• CSE 330 - Operating Systems
• CSE 340 - Principles of Programming Languages
• CSE 355 - Introduction to Theoretical Computer Science
• CSE 360 - Introduction to Software Engineering

Deficiency coursework completed with a grade of “C” or better at the undergraduate

level will satisfy the requirements. A grade of “B” or better is required for all assigned
deficiency coursework at the post-baccalaureate level.

Waiver Process: Students wishing to have their course syllabi examined as evidence that
deficiencies have been satisfied must submit a petition form. Submit an e-mail to
[email protected] with the Petition for Reevaluation of Deficiency Course form
and supporting documents (such as syllabus, catalog description, or university transcripts)
to prove that you have met the requirements. Be advised that the documents you
uploaded during the admission application have been evaluated. Submit only new
information when requesting a reevaluation of assigned deficiencies. Once the petition
has been reviewed it is final. There will be no future petition or consideration request. If
after evaluation the petition is not approved, the student may choose to take the
deficiency test-out examination.

Deficiency test-out exam (on-campus students) - On the day before Welcome Day in
fall and spring semesters, a classroom will be set aside to allow students entering with
deficiencies (listed in the admissions letter) to take a test to establish whether they
possess basic knowledge of the course sufficient to have an assigned deficiency waived.
Students may take up to three test-out exams. This scheduled testing period is the only
opportunity for deficiency test-outs. No other arrangements will be made for
students to test-out of assigned deficiencies.
 4

Deficiency test-out exam (online students) – As of Spring 2019 there will be an ETS
Computer Science Major Field Test available to test out of deficiency requirements.

Notice of Admission - CSE submits its recommendation of admission to the Office of Graduate
Admission, who will then send the final notice of admission to the applicant in writing via email.
You may check your application status on My ASU (my.asu.edu).

Pre-admission credits and Transfer Credit

A student can transfer a maximum of six (6) credit hours of graduate coursework from another
accredited institution, as specified in the ASU Graduate Policies and Procedures. A student must
prove the graduate-level credit hours with grades of “B” or better were not used towards a
previous degree, per Graduate College policy. Pre-admission credits must have been taken within
three years of admission to the ASU degree program to be accepted. A course with a grade of
“Pass”, “Credit”, or “Satisfactory” is not acceptable for transfer. A student who wishes to
transfer credits from another institution should contact the graduate advisor in the CIDSE
Advising Center to initiate the transfer credit process.

Transfer between programs

A student who would like to switch from a Ph.D. to a Master’s or switch Master’s degree
programs from MCS to MS or vice versa on the Tempe campus should follow the Computer
Science Degree Change process. With approval, twelve credit hours are eligible to transfer into
the Master’s program.

Online students changing from online campus to a ground campus program will be required to
submit a new application for admission. Students changing from the MCS on ground to MCS
Online should consult with Academic Advisor before submitting a request.

Students who want to change from a Master’s to a Ph.D. in Computer Science must submit a
new application with ASU Graduate College. Admission to the Ph.D. program can be denied. If
admitted, the student is allowed to transfer only 12 credits from the original uncompleted
program to the new program.

VI. MCS Degree Requirements

Degree requirements for the MCS include a minimum of 30 semester hours beyond deficiency
courses.

The MCS is comprised of three major milestones, which all students are required to complete
successfully prior to graduation:
a) Completion of coursework,
b) Filing an approved plan of study
c) Successful completing a project portfolio

An accelerated computer science degree (4+1) program for ASU undergraduate computer
science and computer systems engineering students is available. There are also concentrations in
Information Assurance and Big Data Systems for ground campus students only. The
 5

requirements for the different programs are below. The accelerated program allows a maximum
of nine credit hours to be shared between the undergraduate and the graduate programs.

a. Formulation of the Plan of Study

A student needs to submit a plan of study (iPOS) online through MyASU before the end of their
first semester of attendance. The final iPOS is subject to approval by the supervisory committee
and by the Graduate Program Chair. After approval at the School level, the final iPOS is
forwarded to the Graduate College for approval.

The iPOS must contain a minimum of 30 semester hours of approved graduate-level work. At
least 24 of these hours must be CSE-5XX credits at ASU. All 30 semester hours must be from
formal course work (including CSE 591 and 598). CSE 590 will not be allowed as part of the
MCS program.

All MCS students must take and pass at least three credit hours in each of the three core areas:
Foundations, Systems and Applications and earn a grade of B or better in all area courses. All
MCS students must complete a project portfolio from three courses in which the student received
a "B" (3.00) grade or higher.

Approved 400 and 4XX/5XX level: A maximum of 6 credit hours of 400-level coursework is
allowed. A maximum of 12 hours of a combination of 400-level and cross-listed courses
(4XX/5XX) is allowed. If a 400-level course is cross-listed with a 500-level course, students
will be required to enroll in the 500-level.

MCS in Computer Science

Program requires the following: 30 credit hours and a portfolio.

Required Core Courses: 9 credit hours

• Foundations (3)
• Systems (3)
• Applications (3)

Elective Courses: 21 credit hours

Students choose 21 credit hours of other elective course work approved by their academic
advisor. Coursework selected as part of the area core may not be used as elective coursework on
the same plan of study.

Culminating Experience: Project Portfolio, 0 credit hours

MCS in Computer Science (Cyber Security) (currently only available on-campus)

Program requires the following: 30 credit hours and a portfolio.

Required Core Courses: 9 credit hours

• Foundations (3)
 6

• Systems (3)
• Applications (3)

Required Concentration Courses: 15 credit hours of coursework in Cyber Security.

12 credit hours from:
• CSE 539 Applied Cryptography (3)
• CSE 543 Information Assurance and Security (3)
• CSE 545 Software Security (3)
• CSE 548 Advanced Computer Network Security (3)

And 3 credit hours from the following

• CSE 466 Computer Systems Security (3)
• CSE 467 Data and Information Security (3)
• CSE 469 Computer and Network Forensics (3)
• CSE 531 Distributed and Multiprocessor Operating Systems (3)
• CSE 534 Advanced Computer Networks (3)
• CSE 565 Software Verification, Validation, and Testing (3)

Electives: 6*

*If a student selects any of the concentration courses that are also listed as a core area course,
additional coursework may be required to complete the degree. Students should check with their
academic advisor to ensure that the total credit hours of their plan of study are equal to 30.

Culminating Experience: Project Portfolio, 0 credit hours

MCS in Computer Science (Big Data Systems Concentration) (currently only available on-campus)
Program requires the following: 30 credit hours and a portfolio.

Required Core Courses: 9 credit hours

• Foundations (3)
• Systems (3)
• Applications (3)
•
Required Concentration Courses: Following 9 credit hours
• CSE 510 Database Management System Implementation (3)
• CSE 512 Distributed Database Systems (3)
• CSE 572 Data Mining (3) or IEE 520 Statistical Learning for Data Mining (3)

Electives: 6 credit hours from the following*

• CSE 515 Multimedia and Web Databases (3)

• CSE 546 Cloud Computing (3)
• CSE 573 Semantic Web Mining (3)
• CSE 575 Statistical Machine Learning (3)
• CSE 578 Data Visualization (3)
 7

Electives: 6 *

*Additional elective coursework may be required. If a student selects any of the concentration
courses that are also listed as a core area course, additional coursework may be required to
complete the degree. Students should check with their academic advisor to ensure that the total
credit hours of their plan of study are equal to 30.

Culminating Experience: Project Portfolio, 0 credit hours

Project Portfolio
All students admitted to the MCS degree program must complete a project portfolio. The
portfolio is a compilation of three completed projects that were finished in three MCS program
courses; students must write a portfolio report that includes the highlights of the three projects.
All 500-level regular courses are eligible for portfolio as long as the student can get attestation
from the instructor that they have done at least 30% of project work for the course in
combination with an in-class project and additional out-of-class (self-study) work. The student
must have received a final grade of “B” or better in the course to use it for their portfolio.

VII. General Information, Policies and Procedures

a. Financial assistance and/or fellowships

There are limited funds for MS thesis and PhD. students. We encourage students to pursue
assistantships outside of CSE, not limiting your search to CSE. Information regarding other
sources of financial assistance are available on the following websites:
• Financial aid: https://students.asu.edu/financialaid
• Graduate College: https://graduate.asu.edu/pay-for-college
b. Fulton: https://graduate.engineering.asu.edu/graduate-fellowships/ Continuous
Enrollment
Once admitted to a graduate degree program or graduate certificate program, students must
be registered for a minimum of one credit hour during all phases of their Graduate College,
including the term in which they graduate. This includes periods when students are engaged
in research, working on or defending theses, or in any other way utilizing university
resources, facilities, or faculty time.

Registration for every fall semester and spring semester is required. Summer registration is
required for students taking examinations, completing culminating experiences, defending
theses, or graduating from the degree program.

To maintain continuous enrollment the credit hour(s) must:

• Appear on the student’s Plan of Study, OR
• Continuing registration (595, 795), OR
• Be a graduate-level course

Grades of “W” and/or “X” are not considered valid registration for continuous enrollment
purposes. “W” grades are received when students officially withdraw from a course after the
 8

add/drop period. “X” grades are received for audit courses. Additionally, students completing
work for a course in which they received a grade of “I” must maintain continuous enrollment
as defined previously. Graduate students have one year to complete work for an incomplete
grade; if the work is not completed and the grade changed within one year, the “I” grade
becomes permanent. Additional information regarding incomplete grades can be found at
http://asu.edu/aad/manuals/ssm/ssm203-09.html.

c. Leave of Absence Policies

Graduate students planning to discontinue registration for a semester or more must submit a
Request to Maintain Continuous Enrollment form. This request must be submitted and
approved before the anticipated semester of non-registration. Students may request to
maintain continuous enrollment without course registration for a maximum of two semesters
during their entire program.

Having an approved Request to Maintain Continuous Enrollment by the Graduate College

will enable students to re-enter their program without re-applying to the university. Students
who do not register for a fall or spring semester without an approved request are considered
withdrawn from the university under the assumption that they have decided to discontinue
their program. Students removed for this reason may re-apply for admission to resume their
degree program; the application will be considered along with all other new applications to
the degree program.

A student with a Graduate College-approved Request to Maintain Continuous Enrollment is

not required to pay tuition and/or fees, but in turn is not permitted to place any demands on
university faculty or use any university resources. These resources include university
libraries, laboratories, recreation facilities, or faculty time.

d. Maximum Time Limit

Master’s students must complete all program requirements within a six-year period. The six-
year period starts with the semester and year of admission to the Master’s program. Graduate
courses taken prior to admission that are included on the Plan of Study must have been
completed within three years of the semester and year of admission to the program.

Any exceptions must be approved by the supervisory committee and the Graduate College
Dean. The Graduate College may withdraw students who are unable to complete all degree
requirements and graduate within the allowed maximum time limits.

e. Registration requirements for research assistants (RA) and teaching assistants (TA)
Students awarded an assistantship within the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering are
required to be registered for 12 credit hours. Audit credit hours do not count toward the
12 credit hours.

Students who obtain an assistantship outside the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering are
required to be enrolled a minimum of 6 credit hours. Audit credit does not count towards the
6 credit hours. Enrollment in 1 credit continuing registration (CSE 595) does count toward
the 6-hour requirement.
 9

TAs and RAs are treated as residents for tuition purposes. To be eligible for tuition
remission, TAs and RAs must be employed a minimum of 10 hours per week (25 percent
Full-Time Equivalency {FTE}). TAs/RAs working 10-19 hours per week (25-49 percent
FTE) receive a 50 percent remission of tuition for the semester or summer session of their
employment. TAs/RAs working 20 hours per week (50 percent FTE) do not pay tuition
during the semester or summer session of their employment. In addition, the university pays
the individual health insurance premium for those TAs and RAs working 20 hours per week
(50 percent FTE). The TA/RA offer does not cover additional fees beyond tuition.

f. Policy for Maintaining Academic Satisfactory Progress

Each semester, the computer science program reviews students’ files for satisfactory progress
toward completion of the degree. All students who fall in one of the four categories are
placed on probation or withdrawn from the program:
1) Satisfactory progress;
2) Academic probation;
3) Progress probation;
4) Withdrawal from the CSE program.

1. Satisfactory progress means that a student does not have any academic or progress
probationary issues. In addition to the probationary rules, satisfactory progress includes
communication each semester with the student’s committee chair regarding his/her
progress.

2. Academic Probation
A student who has been admitted to a graduate degree program in CIDSE with either
regular or provisional admission status, must maintain a semester grade point average
(GPA) of 3.0:
1. in all work taken for graduate credit (courses numbered 500 or higher)
2. in the coursework on the student’s approved plan of study
3. in all coursework taken at ASU (overall GPA) post-baccalaureate

A student will be placed on academic probation if one or more of the student's GPAs
listed above falls below 3.0. Students will be notified by mail and e-mail when placed on
academic probation.

A student will earn academic good standing by obtaining a 3.0 or better in the GPAs
listed above in the next nine credit hours or the next two semesters (Fall & Spring),
whichever comes first*

Students will also receive an academic probation notice/letter if one of these pertains to
your academics:
• Received a “C”, "D", or "E" in a required deficiency course.
• Deficiency GPA below 3.0.
 10

3. Progress probation pertains to issues dealing with making progress toward a degree.
The following are notices/letters you will receive if one of these pertains to your
academics:
• Lack of progress toward completing deficiencies as listed on your admission
letter.
• Failure to complete the project portfolio.

4. Withdrawal from the CSE program:

An MCS student may be removed from program for any of the reasons listed below:

1. Cumulative GPA is less than 3.0 for two consecutive semesters (the student with
such a cumulative GPA will be put on probation after the first semester).
2. The Cumulative GPA is less than 3.0 in the course of two consecutive semesters
(the student is put on probation with such GPA after the first semester).
3. Failure to complete deficiencies within the time allowed, as determined by the
admissions committee.
4. Failure to meet a requirement specified for the MCS degree, including not making
satisfactory progress toward the completion of the degree.

A student is recommended for withdrawal from the CSE program if she or he fails to
meet the probationary standards placed upon in the semester mentioned in the
probationary letter. The student will receive a letter from the computer science program
explaining the reasons for the withdrawal. The student will have 5 calendar days from
the date of the letter to appeal the decision. The CSE Graduate Program Committee
(GPC) will review the case and will make the necessary recommendation. The graduate
program chair, on behalf of the GPC, will provide a written explanation of the outcome.
If the outcome is favorable, the student will have to meet all the outlined requirements at
the end of the specified period. The student will be required to sign an agreement
acknowledging the recommendations and the consequences if the agreements are not met.
If the GPC recommends that the appeal is not granted in favor of the student, the graduate
program chair, on behalf of the GPC, will recommend to the Dean’s Office to withdraw
the student from the CSE program. The student will then have the opportunity to appeal
to the Ira A. Fulton Schools Standards Committee, which reviews the student’s case and
makes the final ruling to Associate Dean and the CSE program. If the appeal is not
granted in favor of the student, the Dean’s Office of Academic and Student Affairs will
recommend to the Graduate College to withdraw the student from the CSE program.
Please refer the Graduate College on policies and procedures or contact the graduate
advisor in the CIDSE Advising Center.

g. Filing for Graduation

During the final semester, a student must file an application for graduation with the
Graduation Office of the Registrar on My ASU. The student's approved final plan of study
(iPOS) must be on file with Graduate College before the student can apply for graduation.

h. Academic Integrity
 11

The highest standards of academic integrity are expected of all graduate students, both in the
academic coursework and in their related research activities. The failure of any graduate
student to meet these standards may result in serious consequences, including suspension or
expulsion from the university and/or other sanctions as specified in the academic integrity
policies of individual schools, as well as the university.

Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to: cheating, fabrication,
tampering, plagiarism, or aiding and/or facilitating such activities. At the graduate level, it is
expected that students are familiar with these issues and each student must take personal
responsibility in their work. In addition, graduate students are expected to follow university
guidelines related to the Student Code of Conduct. University policies related to academic
integrity and code of conduct are available in the Office of the University Provost, or at
https://provost.asu.edu/academic-integrity.

i. CSE 584 Internship Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is an academic experience usually
obtained at off-campus work settings, allowing the student to apply knowledge and skills
gained in various classes. It is intended as a unique, hands-on learning experience to provide
students with a number of valuable skills that they can use upon graduation from their
graduate degree programs. Accordingly, it is not available to full-time or part-time workers
regularly employed by the company where the internship is proposed.

The CPT is available to both domestic and international students. However, F1 and J1 visa
international students must work with the International Students and Scholars Center (ISSC)
and submit additional documentation to obtain work authorization. Furthermore,
international students must include the CPT course CSE 584 (1 credit hour) as an integral
part of their program of study, reflected by their approved iPOS.

Addition of the CPT credit(s) should be done at the initial submission of the student’s iPOS.
Later additions of CPT will not be allowed under any circumstance. The Internship course
cannot be included on an approved iPOS once all required coursework has been completed.

The CSE Program Chair will determine the need for a CPT internship in such cases in
consultation with the graduate academic advisor. Note that approval of an iPOS with the CSE
584 credit confirms that the internship is an integral part of the degree requirements as
planned by the student. Additional internship that is not part of the 30 credit hours can be
removed from the iPOS. Note: Only internship courses can be removed from the iPOS.
Courses that are approved as part of the overall degree program in the iPOS can only be
substituted with another approved coursework.

In order to be eligible for internship, a student must be in good academic standing

(cumulative, graduate, and iPOS GPA of 3.0 or above) and not have an academic
integrity violation in a course for two full semesters (summer semesters not included) from
the initial reporting of the incident. For example, a sanctioned academic integrity violation
initially reported on April 15, 2018 will make the student ineligible for this approval until the
end of spring 2019 semester.
 12

International students need to be aware of immigration policies and regulations, which may
jeopardize their academic status. Hence, it is strongly recommended for international
students to consult with the International Students and Scholars Center (ISSC).

All students (domestic and international) may take part in an out-of-state internship in the
summer session. The eligibility requirements for CPT internships remain the same as
mentioned.

During the regular fall and spring semesters, international graduate students in F-1 status
must register for a minimum of nine (9) credit hours to maintain full-time status and be
enrolled in a minimum six (6) credit hours of in-person, on-campus coursework at the ASU
Tempe campus. A maximum of three (3) credit hours of online courses is permitted. The
CSE 580 practicum course will not count as satisfying the student’s “physical presence” at
ASU. Students will not be able to take part in internships outside the Phoenix metropolitan
area. In some cases students may be approved to do an internship in Tucson or other nearby
locations to Phoenix, as long as the student is able to prove they can physically attend their
courses on campus.

Required documents and forms for the internship proposal must be submitted to the CIDSE
Advising Office at least four weeks prior to the internship start date. Students will not be able
to request late-add registration of the CSE 584 Internship credit to their class schedule after
the add/drop deadline of each semester.

An approved proposal is required before commencing the internship. The request will
include a statement from the employer that indicates they understand that the work is to
satisfy a degree requirement. A sample letter and other required forms are available on the
CIDSE CPT website. Students must receive approval from the graduate program director
before registering for CSE 584. In order register for the CSE 584 - Internship, a student must
have a cumulative, graduate, and iPOS GPA of 3.0 or above and not have an academic
integrity violation in a course for two full semesters (summer sessions not included) from the
initial reporting of the incident. A final plan of study must be filed with the Graduate College
showing the internship credit before registering for CSE 584. All application materials for an
internship must be completed by the last day of regular registration for any semester. The
student must take classes appearing on the plan of study the semester following the
internship.

Renege: (verb) to fail to carry out a promise or commitment

It is unethical for students to continue to seek or consider other employment opportunities
once an offer has been accepted. CIDSE expects students to honor an acceptance and
withdraw from all employment seeking activities. Students who accept an offer from an
organization and later renege/decline the offer will be prohibited from further requesting
future CPT pending a meeting with the Assistant Director.

A five-page final report is required at the end of the internship before a grade and credit is
given. The final report must be submitted to the reporting supervisor for comments and then
 13

to the faculty advisor for grade assignment. Refer to the CIDSE CPT website for guidelines
to prepare the final report.

j. Engineering Student Organizations

There are dozens of engineering student organizations and teams ranging from honors and
professional associations to groups creating underwater robots, concrete canoes and
launching rockets. Student organizations are excellent opportunities to learn about career
possibilities as many of the student groups operate in conjunction with industry professional
societies … get involved today! Please visit http://studentorgs.engineering.asu.edu/ for a list
of Engineering Student Organization.

k. Instructional Concerns and Course-Related Complaints

Being part of a large university creates opportunities to learn from a diverse instructor
population with different teaching styles and modalities for delivering course content.
Courses are offered by a diverse set of faculty, including those who are research intensive,
those whose primary responsibility is teaching, and part-time faculty who are working in the
field. Based on enrollment or modality of offering, faculty may also be supported by graduate
student teaching assistants and graders. This diverse higher education delivery platform may
differ significantly from the high school experience, and while it provides opportunity to
expand the student’s ability to learn and develop problem solving skills, concerns and
conflicts with requirements and instructors may occasionally arise. CIDSE students with
instructional concerns should review and adhere to the following guidelines for attempting to
resolve their issues. First and foremost, keep in mind that the faculty and advising staff are
experienced, dedicated educators that are here to help you achieve your educational goals but
at the same time, as an engineering and computer science program, they have a responsibility
to ensure standards are maintained and student outcomes are achieved prior to graduation.
The university culture recognizes the value of diversity in multiple dimensions as well as the
presumption of expertise and academic freedom of the faculty.

Communicate with your Instructor

If you have a difference of opinion with your instructor or teaching assistant (TA), or have
concerns about technical or administrative aspects of the course, visit the instructor or TA
during office hours or contact them via email (if you cannot visit them during the office
hours). Express your concerns clearly and respectfully and ask for help. Be sure to provide
succinct information about what you are having trouble understanding in the course or your
concern. Instructors and TAs are here to help. Please remember that you are responsible for
prerequisite knowledge/skills required for a course and regularly studying the material taught
in the course. The teaching staff may not be able to help you with your problem if you lack
the prerequisite knowledge/skills or have not been keeping up with the course material. As a
guideline, you should be spending three hours studying every week for each hour of course
credit. Thus you should schedule 8-10 hours of time each week to devote to each 3-credit
course. In addition, make sure to resolve the issues as soon as they occur and maintain all
documentation. For example, if the assignment instructions are not clear, get the clarification
on the day the assignment is assigned and do not wait until the deadline of the assignment.
 14

If, after communicating with your instructor or TA, you are still having problems in the
course, connect with your academic advisor to understand your options moving forward.

Connect with your Graduate Program Chair

If you are unable to resolve the concern after initial contact with the instructor or the TA, and
you have met with your academic advisor, you should then connect with the graduate
program chair for your degree (or the department offering the course). The graduate program
chair will confer with the instructor and/or TA to better understand the concern and try to
resolve the problem. Please note that before meeting with the graduate program chair you
should have made a reasonable effort to meet with the course instructor (not just the TA) and
get the issue resolved. When contacting the graduate program chair, provide all the relevant
details such as the course syllabus, assignment handout, email exchange with the instructor,
etc. so that the graduate program chair can promptly act on your concerns. Please be brief
and precise in the description of your concerns. In some cases, the graduate program chair
would like to meet you. When coming for the meeting please bring along all the relevant
documents.

If the instructional concern is not resolved with the graduate program chair or the department
offering the course, contact the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Office for the college
offering the course for assistance.

Remain Focused
When faced with instructional concerns, it is important to remain focused on the rest of the
course while addressing specific areas that are under review. Be sure to stay connected with
your academic advisor if there are any changes in your situation.

NOTE:
• Misrepresentation of facts or disrespectful behavior when confronting your
instructor or teaching assistant is considered an academic integrity violation.
• Maintain all documentations.
• Act proactively and promptly.

In Summary, Guidelines for Avoiding Problems

• Be sure you have the necessary prerequisite knowledge before starting a course;
• Attend class and online exercises regularly;
• Devote time each week to studying to avoid falling behind;
• Contact the TA (if assigned) or instructor during office hours at first sign of
trouble and come prepared to ask precise questions and to explain your difficulty
• Accept the fact that you grow intellectually and professionally by being
challenged and learning to deal with diverse expectations and environments.

Process for Resolving Conflicts in Grading, Course Expectations, etc.

• Contact the TA (if available) or instructor to explain your concern and seek
resolution;
 15

• If the TA/instructor has attempted to assist you but you are still having academic
difficulty that is causing personal stress or hindering your academic success, see
your Academic Advisor;
• If the TA/instructor is not responsive or does not provide a legitimate
response/accommodation, then contact your graduate program chair.
• If you still feel there is a legal, ethical, or procedural violation that is victimizing
you, contact the Office of the Associate Dean of Engineering for Academic
Affairs.
• Circumventing this process will be considered a violation of professional ethics
and protocol.
 16

List of Approved 500-level Area Courses

Highlighted courses are planned to be offered online through ASU Online for MCS Online
Students ONLY

Course Prefix Course Title Foundations Systems Applications

CSE 509 Digital Video Processing X
Database Management System
CSE 510 X
Implementation
CSE 511 Data Processing at Scale X
CSE 512 Distributed Database Systems X
CSE 515 Multimedia and Web Databases X
CSE 520 Computer Architecture II X
CSE 522 Real-Time Embedded Systems X
CSE 530 Embedded Operating Systems Internals X
Distributed and Multiprocessor Operating
CSE 531 X
Systems
CSE 534 Advanced Computer Networks X
CSE 535 Mobile Computing X
CSE 536 Advanced Operating Systems X
CSE 539 Applied Cryptography X X
CSE 543 Information Assurance and Security X
CSE 545 Software Security X
CSE 546 Cloud Computing X
CSE 548 Advanced Computer Network Security X
Combinatorial Algorithms and
CSE 550 X
Intractability
CSE 551 Foundations of Algorithms* X
Randomized and Approximation
CSE 552 X
Algorithms
CSE 555 Theory of Computation X
Game Theory with Applications to
CSE 556 X
Networks
Modeling and Simulation Theory and
CSE 561 X
Applications
CSE 563 Software Requirements and Specification X
CSE 564 Software Design X
Software Verification, Validation and
CSE 565 X
Testing
Software Project, Process and Quality
CSE 566 X
Management
Fundamentals of Statistical Learning and
CSE 569 X
Pattern Recognition
CSE 570 Advanced Computer Graphics I X
CSE 571 Artificial Intelligence X
CSE 572 Data Mining X
 17

CSE 573 Semantic Web Mining X

Course Prefix Course Title Foundations Systems Applications
CSE 574 Planning and Learning Methods in AI X
CSE 575 Statistical Machine Learning X
CSE 576 Topics in Natural Language Processing X
CSE 577 Advanced Geometric Modeling I X
CSE 578 Data Visualization X
CSE 579 Knowledge Representation and Reasoning X

4XX and courses do not apply toward the required area courses.

Students who took CSE 465 will not be able to take CSE 543 for credit. These courses are anti-
requisites.
 18

Approved 400-Level courses to count toward CSE graduate program electives

Highlighted courses are planned to be offered online through ASU Online for MCS Online
Students ONLY

CSE 408 Multimedia Information Systems

CSE 412 Database Management
CSE 414 Advanced Database Concepts
CSE 432 Operating System Internals
CSE 434 Computer Networks
CSE 438 Embedded Systems Programming
CSE 440 Compiler Construction I
CSE 445 Distributed Software Development
CSE 446 Software Integration and Engineering
CSE 457 Theory of Formal Languages
CSE 459 Logic for Computing Scientists
CSE 460 Software Analysis and Design
CSE 463 Introduction to Human Computer Interaction
CSE 464 Software Quality Assurance and Testing
CSE 466 Computer Systems Security
CSE 467 Data and Information Security
CSE 468 Computer Network Security
CSE 469 Computer and Network Forensics
CSE 470 Computer Graphics
CSE 471 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
CSE 472 Social Media Mining
CSE 476 Introduction to Natural Language Processing
CSE 477 Introduction to Computer-Aided Geometric Design

A maximum of 6 credit hours of 400-level coursework is allowed. A maximum of 12 hours of a

combination of 400-level and cross-listed courses (4XX/5XX) is allowed. If a 400 level course
is cross-listed with a 500 level course, students will be required to enroll in the 500 level.