Degree Requirement Changes

MS-CS Degree Requirement Changes Effective 2024-2025

Effective Fall 1 session of the 2024-2025 academic year, the Software Architecture for Big Data specialization will be available as an elective.

This specialization will not be available as a pathway for admission. Students can select it for their electives requirements. The MS-CS program faculty plan to make a new version of the specialization. Until this new version of the specialization is available, students can still earn credit toward their degree with this specialization as an elective.

What if I was already working on this specialization for admission?

Students that have enrolled in at least one for-credit course in the 2023-2024 academic year (Fall 1, 2023 through Summer 2, 2024) will still see this as a pathway specialization for admission. Students that have NOT enrolled in at least one course for-credit in the 2023-2024 academic year will see this specialization move to electives and not have the option to use it as a pathway for admission beginning Fall 1, 2024.

Because the catalog is compiled in advance of the academic year it covers, changes may occur. Catalog requirements for students in the CU on Coursera degree programs take effect for the catalog year they first enroll in a for credit course, not the year that the student is admitted. If you have enrolled in for-credit courses in the 2023-2024 academic year your degree requirements are listed in the 2023-2024 catalog. Your requirements for your catalog year will appear on your degree audit in your buff portal and you can refer to your catalog requirement's there as well. You can also review the .

I am in the 2023-2024 catalog year, why do I not see any new CSCA electives on my degree audit?

Because the program was new in Fall 2023, not all of the electives were available to list on the catalog and in the degree audit for students in the inaugural year. You can definitely take the newly released/available CSCA electives and have them count toward your degree requirements.Ìý

When you see them on your degree audit, they may pull into the "Computer Science Undefined Specialization" on your degree audit, and they still count toward electives.Ìý

Why was this change made?

The new pathway offering ‘Network Systems Principles and Practice’ is a comprehensive curriculum holistically representing the MS-CS degree. These courses lay the groundwork for graduate-level success while providing a challenging and instructional experience. Faculty will update this specialization and the new version will be available in the future. In the meantime, this specialization is still a GREAT option to fulfill part of your electives requirements.

I used this pathway for my admission already, will this effect my degree requirements?

No. Degree requirements are set for a student for the catalog year that they enter into the program by taking at least one course for-credit. If you were admitted with this pathway in the 2023-2024 academic year, your degree requirements are unchanged. We recommend regularly checking your degree audit in your .

I have not completed my for-credit course and it is my first time enrolling for credit in the 2023-2024 academic year. Can I drop before completing these courses and start over in Fall 2024?

No. When you enroll for credit, you become an active 91´«Ã½ student and your program stack is created. Dropping your courses, discontinuing and moving to different program, or withdrawing will not "reset" your catalog year requirements.

Students that are in the 2023-2024 degree requirements have until January 31, 2025 to opt-in to the new requirements. Please contact the MS-CS program (mscscoursera-info@colorado.edu) to learn more.

What if I was discontinued and I am re-enrolling for credit?

Students will still follow their catalog requirements for the year they first enrolled for credit. We recommend regularly checking your degree audit in your .

What are the new Pathway specializations?

Pathway Breadth: Foundations of Data Structures and Algorithms (3 credits)

Pathway Breadth: Network Systems: Principles and Practice (Linux and Cloud Networking) (3 credits)

Students will still need to complete both pathways for the degree and successfully complete one pathway for degree admission. The Software Architecture for Big Data specialization is not being removed from the curriculum, it will still be available to students to use for their elective requirements. Network Systems will replace Software Architecture for Big Data as a pathway. Foundations of Autonomous Systems will move from an elective to a breadth specialization to maintain the 15 required Breadth credits. The curriculum is unchanged, we have adjusted the degree requirements. Software Architecture for Big Data (the current version) will be in electives until it is redone.

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