Master of Computer Science Online

The Online MCS is a professional, non-thesis, Master of Computer Science degree that requires 32 credit hours of coursework. Students can complete the eight courses required for the Online MCS at their own pace, in as little as one year or as many as five years. Students receive lectures through the Coursera platform, but are advised and assessed by Illinois faculty and teaching assistants on a rigorous set of assignments, projects and exams required for university degree credit.

The coursework for the Online MCS satisfies the requirements for our Master of Computer Science degree, so your diploma and transcripts will only indicate “Master of Computer Science”. They will not mention the online mode of delivery.

The Online MCS is a 100% online degree offered through the Coursera platform. To satisfy the degree requirements, students will complete 8 University of Illinois credit-bearing courses, with each course representing 4 credit hours (total of 32 credit hours). Each MCS credit-bearing course is offered on a semester schedule (fall, spring, summer). Each course may run as long as the full 15 weeks available in a semester, though some courses may be shorter.

Completion of Coursera MOOC courses/specializations associated with the Online MCS program by itself will not earn graduate credits from the university toward the degree. Students must be registered in the University of Illinois credit-bearing semester-based Online MCS courses to earn graduate credit.

Students are expected to be proficient computer programmers to be admitted to any Master of Computer Science program. At the master's level, students are expected to learn new programming languages on their own as needed and to develop the skill of using the appropriate programming tool to solve a particular problem.

Each of the courses will have specific programming language requirements. Applied Machine Learning requires students to be proficient in the R programming language, whereas Statistical Programming in R is also based on the R programming language but provides an introduction to it. Cloud Computing Concepts requires students to be proficient in C++ programming to write low-level kernel functions, whereas Text Information Systems requires students understand enough C++ for high-level scripting calls of library functions that perform the low-level operations. Cloud Computing Applications can be completed using Python, but Java is encouraged as it is the primary language used for production cloud application programming. Data Visualization uses JavaScript programming, but provides students with tutorials and time to learn JavaScript before it is used in the course. Many of the other courses use higher level scripting languages like Python.

To apply to the Online MCS, please complete an application here. Familiarize yourself with the application deadlines, found here.

University policy requires a GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) for the last two years of undergraduate study for admission to any graduate program, but students admitted for the MCS degree typically have a GPA in excess of 3.2. The admissions committee will review applications with borderline GPAs which otherwise have a record of exceptional achievements. However, the likelihood of applicants with a GPA less than 3.0 being admitted to the MCS program is expected to be low due to the competitiveness of the applicant pool and cohort size. Applicants who do not meet the minimum GPA requirements for this program are encouraged to make a realistic self-assessment before submitting an application.

Online MCS classes follow the standard University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign academic calendar.

A list of courses for the Online MCS is available here.

Online MCS courses can be taken by non-degree students, but registration will be limited to the remaining capacity after all Online MCS students have registered.

Siebel School of Computing and Data Science does not offer research or teaching assistantships to students enrolled in our online programs, including the Online MCS. Domestic students may qualify for Federal Student Aid.

Yes, admission can be deferred up to three consecutive semesters (i.e. Fall, Spring, Summer). A one-time non-refundable deferral deposit of $750.00 is required to defer. The deferral deposit will be applied to tuition charges when a student enrolls. Students who select to defer but do not submit payment of the deferral deposit by the deadline forfeit their admission and the student enrollment decision will be updated to "I decline my offer of admission".

Deferral deposit deadlines for each term of admission: 

• Fall: August 5
• Spring: January 15
• Summer: April 20

No. All requirements in the MCS program are satisfied online. Students are not required to arrive on campus to meet any degree requirements. As such, no I-20s are issued.

Sign up for updates by completing Coursera's Interest Form for the Online MCS. For specific questions about the Illinois degree options, email online-mcs@siebelschool.illinois.edu.

Please review all information available on our website. You can also email us at online-mcs@siebelschool.illinois.edu.

An advisor will be available online every Friday (other than campus holidays), 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM U.S. Central Time to help answer your questions.

Advising is not available on the following days:

• April 17, 2026
• June 19, 2026

Several options are available to join these sessions.

• Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://illinois.zoom.us/j/537909850
• Or one-tap mobile:
  • +16699006833,,537909850# US (San Jose) or +19292056099,,537909850# US (New York)
• Or Telephone:
  • Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
    • +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) or +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) , Meeting ID: 537 909 850
    • International numbers available: https://zoom.us/u/aboFoPVVco