Graduate Academics
Graduate Programs
The Department of Computer Science at Illinois is committed to provide the brightest, most motivated students with education, guidance, and the resources necessary to become a part of ground-breaking research, historic firsts, and future discoveries. Illinois is creating the next generation of computer science leaders in academia and research labs. Former students now serve as faculty members and influential researchers in government and industry labs, and and other top programs like UC-Berkeley, University of Washington, and more.
Thesis Programs
Non-Thesis Programs
- Master of Computer Science (M.C.S.) - also available online
- Master of Science in Bioinformatics (M.S. Bioninformatics)
Or, learn more about our joint degree programs.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Students who enter the Ph.D. program directly after completing their B.S. degree complete 96 credit hours and a doctoral thesis under the direction of an approved thesis advisor with the guidance of a doctoral committee. Any Ph.D. student entering with a B.S. degree can earn an M.S. along the way to their Ph.D. degree. Students who enter the Ph.D. program with an approved computer science M.S. degree, which is determined by the department, will complete 64 credit hours in addition to a doctoral thesis.
Ph.D. candidates must satisfy core course requirements, pass the qualifying and preliminary examinations, and successfully defend the doctoral thesis at the final examination.
Master of Science (M.S.)
The Master of Science (M.S.) in computer science is a research-oriented degree that requires 28 credit hours of coursework and 4 credit hours of thesis. It can be counted towards the computer science Ph.D.
Master of Computer Science (M.C.S.)
The Master of Computer Science (M.C.S.) is a non-thesis degree that requires 36 credit hours of graduate coursework.
Master of Science in Bioinformatics
The CS option for the M.S. in Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary degree that requires 36 credit hours of coursework. It can be counted towards the computer science Ph.D.
For more information on graduate programs, please contact the Academic Office at academic@cs.illinois.edu or at (217) 333-4428.
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