Degree & Program Options
Siebel School of Computing and Data Science offers a variety of graduate study options to fit any educational goal. Read through each program carefully to determine which option is right for you.
- Ph.D. in Computer Science (Urbana-Champaign)
- Master of Computer Science (Urbana-Champaign)
- Master of Computer Science (Chicago)
- Master of Computer Science (Online)
- Master of Science in Bioinformatics non-thesis (Urbana-Champaign)
- Master of Science in Computer Science with thesis (Urbana-Champaign)
- 5-year B.S./Master of Science in Computer Science with thesis (Urbana-Champaign
- 5-year B.S./Master of Computer Science (Urbana-Champaign)
- Graduate Certificate in Computing Fundamentals (iCAN) (Online)
Comparison of CS Graduate Programs
| Program | Admission Cycle | Average Duration |
Thesis Required |
Research Required |
Undergraduate GPA (Recommended, 4.0 scale) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ph.D. in Computer Science (Urbana-Champaign) | Fall only | 5-7 years | Yes | Yes | 3.4 |
| Master of Computer Science (Urbana-Champaign) | Spring & Fall | 3 semesters (on campus) Up to 5 years (online) |
No | No | 3.2 |
| Master of Computer Science (Chicago) | Spring & Fall | Up to 5 years | No | No | 3.2 |
| Master of Computer Science (Online) and optional data science (MCS-DS) track (Online) | Spring, Fall & Summer | Up to 5 years | No | No | 3.2 |
| Master of Science in Bioinformatics non-thesis (Urbana-Champaign) | Spring & Fall | 2 years | No | No | 3.2 |
| Master of Science in Computer Science with thesis (Urbana-Champaign) | Fall only | 2 years | Yes | Yes | 3.2 |
| 5-year B.S./Master of Science in Computer Science with thesis (Urbana-Champaign)* | Fall only | 1 year | Yes | Yes | 3.5 |
| 5-year B.S./Master of Computer Science (Urbana-Champaign)* | Fall only | 1 year | No | No | 3.2 |
*Applicants to the Fifth Year Master's Programs are only open to current Siebel School of Computing and Data Science undergraduates enrolled in The Grainger College of Engineering who have a junior standing (must have at least one year left of their undergraduate studies after admission into the program).