Computer Science Online
Graduate Certificate

Advance your education at UMassD

The UMass Dartmouth Computer Science Graduate Certificate provides students who have a bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering with advanced knowledge of selected areas of modern computing—including but not limited to:

intelligent information systems
parallel and distributed computing systems
computer networks
software engineering

Students will also gain an understanding of new advances in the discipline of computing such as:

neural and evolutionary computing
image processing
data science

Successful completion of this certificate program waives the GRE requirement for applicants to the Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS) program.

Students accepted into the UMass Dartmouth MSCS program will receive credit for each certificate class with a grade of B or higher.

For students with BS degrees in fields other than Computer Science or Computer Engineering, we offer 4 online foundation courses in computer science fundamentals.

CIS 115 Computer Programming with C
CIS 183 Object-Oriented Programming with Java
CIS 322 Data Structures and Fundamental Algorithms
CIS 323 Fundamentals of Computer Systems

Many students complete these foundation courses within one year.

Application requirements

Review the admission process for the Computer Science certificate program. Additional materials required

College transcripts
Statement of purpose (1- to 2-page essay)
Resume

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Application deadlines

Fall: Rolling
Spring: Rolling
Summer: Rolling

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Curriculum

To earn their certificate, UMass Dartmouth Computer Science certificate program students must complete 15 credits.

Choose 2 core courses from:

CIS 522 - Algorithms and Complexity
CIS 560 - Theoretical Computer Science
CIS 570 - Advanced Computer Systems
CIS 580 - Paradigmatic Software Development

Choose any three (3) CIS 500/600 level courses.

UMassD advantages

Customize your education and receive the help and guidance to finish as planned:

Value and affordability of a UMass education
One-on-one personal advising from enrollment through graduation
Free online and in-person tutoring and writing center

Graduate admissions requirements

University requirements for graduate admissions

Submit an application via the online portal. Be sure to provide your full legal name and to capitalize the first letter of all proper nouns.
Pay non-refundable $60 application fee (American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa) via the online portal. For Nursing applicants, the non-refundable application fee is $75.
Statement of Purpose, minimum 300 words. Unless otherwise indicated in the program requirement details, indicate your graduate study objectives, research interests and experience, and business or industry experience if applicable. If you are applying for a teaching or research assistantship, include any special skills or experience that would assist us in making assistantship decisions.
Resume
Transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended (regardless of whether a credential is earned or not). Unofficial transcripts are accepted for admissions application review, once enrolled a final official transcript is required. International students applying with an transcript evaluation, please submit that document with your unofficial transcripts. International applicants for Data Science must submit semester-by-semester transcripts as well as consolidated transcripts.
Many programs have specific recommendations/requirements, please see the additional program-specific requirements for more information.
International students: official TOEFL iBT, IELTS, Pearson PTE or Duolingo (if accepted by program) score. Unofficial scores are accepted for admissions application review, once enrolled official scores are required and must be sent by the testing agency (copies/scans not accepted). This is required of any applicant who did not earn a bachelor’s degree or higher degree from an accredited academic institution in the U.S. or accepted English-speaking country, see exemptions for more details. We require an overall/total minimum score of 72 on the TOEFL iBT or BAND 6.0 on the IELTS or a 52 on the Pearsons PTE Academic for entrance to any program and a minimum score of 79 on the TOEFL iBT or BAND 6.5 on the IELTS for consideration for a teaching assistantship. Some programs require higher minimum scores (see program-specific requirements). Most programs also accept the Duolingo with a minimum score of 95. The following programs do not accept the Duolingo: Art Education, Biology/Marine Biology, Nursing (MS, DNP, PhD), Psychology: Clinical, and Public Policy.
All official documents are required for enrollment, please have documents (ie. test scores) sent prior to the expiration.

Program deadlines

Learning style: online

Online courses are taught by UMass Dartmouth faculty to provide high quality instruction and personal attention. Students have the flexibility to accommodate work and home responsibilities within the structure of defined assignment due dates. The majority of our online courses are taught asynchronously.