georgia tech omscs thesis

Studying Experiences of Graduate Students in Computer Science: the GT OMSCS Program

PIs: Julia Melkers and Ruth Kanfer

The Dr. Melkers and the ROCS team, in collaboration with the Dr. Ruth Kanfer and her doctoral students in the PARK Lab (School of Psychology, Georgia Tech), is working on an on-going suite of research projects to assess the experience and outcomes of working adults enrolled in the GT Online Master’s Program in Computer Science (OMSCS). The Georgia Tech OMSCS program has been a leader and innovator in implementing the first exclusively online graduate program in computing from an accredited university for a fraction of the cost of traditional, residential programs. Through support of the College of Computing, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and other internal support, our interdisciplinary team has been able to build a set of cumulative research inquiries that build upon one another. 

• Development and implementation of a new conceptualization and measures aimed at assessing adult learner self-efficacy and other student experiences in the context of an online degree program in computing. 
• Study of degree strategies via course-sequencing analysis.
• Examination of working adult experiences as OMSCS TA’s in furthering their own professional development.
• Study of the impacts of COVID on the OMSCS student experience highlighting the intersectional challenges among working adults who are balancing school/learning, home and work lives and obligations.  
• Student-driven research on a thesis (self-regulated learning) and dissertation (career-networks/social capital as a foundation for deciding to pursue OMSCS) have also extended the inquiry of our team.  
• Other work in progress include addressing the OMSCS experience of groups traditionally underrepresented in the information technology field (women and people of color); and the real-world consequences of online graduate training on learning attitudes and career development through a study of alumni.   

Click here to learn more about the Kanfer lab Click here to learn more about OMSCS

Publications  * = student author

Ruthotto*, Isabel, Quintin Kreth*, and Julia Melkers. “Entering or advancing in the IT labor market: The role of an online graduate degree in computer science.” The Internet and Higher Education  (2021): 100820.

Ruthotto*, Isabel, Quintin Kreth*, Jillian Stevens*, Clare Trively*, and Julia Melkers. “Lurking and participation in the virtual classroom: The effects of gender, race, and age among graduate students in computer science.” Computers & Education  151 (2020): 103854.

Goodman, Joshua, Julia Melkers, and Amanda Pallais. “Can online delivery increase access to education?.”  Journal of Labor Economics  37, no. 1 (2019): 1-34.

Kreth*, Quintin, Mary Eve Spirou*, Sarabeth Budenstein*, and Julia Melkers. “How prior experience and self-efficacy shape graduate student perceptions of an online learning environment in computing.” Computer Science Education  29, no. 4 (2019): 357-381.

Working Papers/Under Review

Tatel*, C.E., Lyndgaard*, S.F., Kanfer, R., & Melkers, J.E. (in prep). Course Choice and Timing in Adult Online Skill Training: A Profile Approach to Differential Patterns of Successful Learning Management.

Lyndgaard*, S.F., & Kanfer, R. (in prep). A socio-cognitive framework of adult online learning: Integrating interpersonal, intrapersonal, and cognitive learning strategies.

Lyndgaard*, S.F., Tatel*, C.E., Kanfer, R., Melkers, J.E., & Sabree*, J. (submitted). The hidden cost of COVID: Consequential effects for the development of a diverse STEM workforce.

Pham, V. & Lyndgaard, S.F. (Nov, 2021).  Gender Differences in Affect During Online Learning: A Sentiment Analysis Approach. To be presented at  American Psychological Association, Technology, Mind, and Society Annual Conference

Lyndgaard, S.F., & Kanfer, R. Working Adults as Self-Regulated Learners: Strategy Use in    Online Skill Training. Poster at the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA. April 2021.

Lyndgaard, S.F., Tatel, C.E., Kanfer, R., Melkers, J.E., & Sabree, J.E. COVID-19 and Exacerbation of Disparities in Computing: Work and Upskilling Attitudes. Poster at the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA. April 2021.

Tatel*, C.E., Lyndgaard*, S.F., Kanfer, R., & Melkers, J.E. A Profile Approach to Differential Patterns of Successful Learning Management. Poster at the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA. April 2021.

Panels/Presentations

Melkers, J.E., Kanfer, R., Lyndgaard, S.F., Ruthotto*, I., & Tatel8, C.E. Transforming Graduate STEM Education: Challenges and Observations from the Study of a US Large Online Master’s Programme. Panel session at the NOS-HS funded workshop “Understanding Digital Transformations of Teaching and Learning in Nordic Higher Education”, Atlanta, GA (remote). March 2021.

Kanfer, Ruth, Julia Melkers, David Joyner, Sibley Lyndgaard*, Isabel Ruthotto*, David Schiff* and Corey Tatel*. “Using Online Technologies to Build Computing Skills That Meet Future Workforce Needs.” Panel Organizer, Chair, and Presenter (of 7 sessions). Interactive Panel Presentation at the Technology, Mind and Society (APA) Conference. Washington, DC.  October 2019.

• Prototyping

Georgia Tech's OMSCS FAQ (based on my experience)

[ learning omscs 🔥 ] · 15 min read

I’ve received many questions about Georgia Tech’s Online Master’s of Science in Computer Science ( OMSCS ), especially since I graduated last year.

• Whys : Why further studies? Why OMSCS?
• Hows : How can I get accepted? How much time required?
• Whats : What classes were good? What’s the difference after graduating?

Most questions were similar. Thus, with Gab’s suggestion, I decided to write this FAQ for people considering Georgia Tech’s OMSCS. It’ll be updated as I receive more questions .

If you’ve already been accepted and have/get second thoughts—don’t! Finish the program, it’s worth it.

Table of Contents

Why did you pursue a master’s in cs, how much did it cost, how did you get the three recommendations.

• Is an online degree as good as an in-person one?
• I don’t have a technical background, will I be able to complete it?

How can I maximise my chances of getting into OMSCS (or any program)?

What were the classes you took, which were your favourite classes what do you not recommend, how can i get the most out of omscs, how much time did you spend (on omscs), wow, that’s a lot of time, how did you manage it, what did you gain from omscs, do you get more interviews and job offers now, with a master’s in cs, did it help you get a better job, how can i ask more questions.

This question is sometimes tied to the topic of career: “Why did you do a Master’s in CS, given that you were already a data scientist (before you started) ?”

Today, many bootcamps tout themselves as the path to lucrative roles in software engineering and data science. As a result, career advancement has become the key reason for further education. While OMSCS did help with my career , it was not my reason for it.

Back in 2017, most of my programming and data science skills came from self-learning and work experience. I lacked the fundamentals and required a structured program to pick them up. After considering several options (MOOCs, bootcamps), I decided that a Master’s in CS would best fill this gap and thus took the plunge.

First, it’s value for money . In 2017, it was estimated to cost 7 - 8k USD. It’s hard to find a Master’s in CS of similar calibre even close to this price. (Something slightly different, but also value for money in CS education is Lambda School ).

The fees for my final term was USD$841. Given that I took 9 terms, this worked out to around 8k USD. To make it more affordable, I was able to get a 5k SGD scholarship from the Singapore government .

Second, I could do it part-time . I was, and still am, hungry for learning and growth. The industry was progressing so fast and I didn’t want to miss any of it. In 2015 it was all about big data and Spark ( time capsule of the first Spark MOOC). Then, data science . After that, machine learning . Next, deep learning and its various flavours (e.g., CNN, RNN, GAN). Now, it’s how to deploy and maintain and get business value from machine learning systems. OMSCS allowed me to straddle industry and academia.

BTW, the technology (and buzzwords) change over time, but the problems remain the same—focus on the problems.

Third, Georgia Tech is a top 10 school for CS and Engineering across many rankings . This gave me assurance that I would gain from the pedagogy and classes. Now that I’ve graduated, I can confidently say the professors and pedagogy are top-notch.

See the first paragraph of Why OMSCS?

OMSCS requires applicants to provide three references (to get recommendations from). For applicants that graduated (and left school) a while back, this can be difficult.

I think non-academic references work as well. For me, my thesis advisor helped with one recommendation, while my current and previous bosses provided the other two. Several other friends also had non-academic references and got accepted.

Is an online education as good as an in-person one?

While I had initial doubts, these were quickly put to rest within the first few weeks. Online education has several benefits and aspects that facilitate learning.

First, all lectures are on-demand . They have to be, given a global cohort. Being able to watch 3 - 4 hour lectures in chunks—on my schedule—allowed me to effectively balance work and school.

Second, asynchronous discussions on forums and slack are a gift of technology. By having to think through and write questions and responses, the quality of discussion is raised. With discussion logs, we can search(!). We no longer have to worry about missing an important announcement from the Prof or TAs. When angels descend from heaven (read: TAs) to help struggling students on the assignment (due tomorrow), we can refer to the advice and hints on forums and slack, even if we were not part of the discussion.

Third, assignments ensure you learn by doing (or die trying). Most OMSCS classes were assignment heavy; working through them taught me 10x of the lectures. You really need to grok the theory and concepts to land your rocket , compete in the class Kaggle , or build your EdTech product .

(Now, I wholeheartedly recommend online learning over in-person learning.)

I don’t have a technical degree, will I be able to complete it?

I didn’t have a technical degree either and was able to complete it (without too much trauma).

Other than the ability to learn , the key requirement is the ability to write code , mostly Python . If you can do this, you’ll be fine for most of the machine learning classes (i.e., ML, RL, AI, CV, ML4T).

Here’s a more specific guideline: Are you able to build prototypes and iterate through experiments quickly? In some classes, you’ll submit code to an grading server Bonnie where test cases are run against it (e.g., Intro to OS, ML4T). In others, you’ll build an agent and pit it against the Prof or TA’s implementation (e.g., AI, RL), also on Bonnie. (Don’t worry, they don’t make it too hard).

Most of my classes used Python , but there were classes where I got to learn something new: Software Development Process ( Android ), Intro to Health Informatics ( Java ), and Intro to OS ( C , C++ ).

Other than being able to write code, you need to be able to write papers . Most of my classes involved 3 - 4 papers (ML, RL) or short summaries every two weeks (HCI, EdTech, IHI). Writing these papers is not difficult in the regular sense of writing—there’s no need to make it interesting to read. Nonetheless, you’ll need to demonstrate your ability to research and apply the concepts taught.

I’ll answer this via my interpretation of the two essay questions I received, and suggest how to answer them.

Qn 1: Please describe your background (academic and extracurricular) and experience, including research, teaching, industry, and other relevant information. Your space is limited to 2000 characters.

My interpretation: “What has prepared you for this program? Please demonstrate your ability to complete it.”

Convince them you have what it takes to complete and do well in the program. Even if you don’t have a technical degree (like me), you can draw on your industry or other experience.

Qn 2: Please give a Statement of Purpose detailing your academic and research goals as well as career plans. Include your reasons for choosing the College of Computing as opposed to other programs and/or other universities. Your space is limited to 4000 characters.

This has two questions, one in each sentence. The second sentence is easier: “Why Georgia Tech? Please show that you have researched this.”

This is straightforward. Research on OMSCS and figure out why it’s the most appropriate program for you. Perhaps in the process, you find another program that’s more suitable, or realise that further education doesn’t suit you now. This is a win-win: You don’t start an unsuitable program, OMSCS doesn’t take a candidate that might drop out, and another applicant gets the slot.

Now the first sentence. I read it as: “Why are you interested in a CS post-grad degree? How will you apply it? How will you contribute while at Georgia Tech, and after graduation?”

Demonstrate how further education in CS (or any other subject) is aligned with your career goal, or better yet, your calling. I answered by sharing about my mission and what I intended to pursue after graduation. (Oh, how naive I was about health tech back then.)

(Note: My interpretation is but one of many definitions of Statement of Purpose ; take it with a pinch of salt.)

Another perspective is to view the admission essays as a job/college admission interview, but in prose. As an interviewer , what would you be interested in? Here’s what I would ask:

• What makes you qualified for this program?
• Why are you interested in this program?
• How will you contribute while in the program, and after completing it?

If you address the questions above, your admission essay should be on the right track. While it doesn’t guarantee acceptance, it means your precious character counts are put to good use.

Read my (embarrassing) application essays here .

You can find them under the omscs tag . I’ll list it here again, just for you.

Machine Learning

• CS7641: Machine Learning
• CS7642: Reinforcement Learning
• CS6601: Artificial Intelligence
• CS6476: Computer Vision
• CS7646: Machine Learning for Trading

Engineering

• CS6200: Introduction to Operating Systems
• CS6300: Software Development Process
• CS6750: Human-Computer Interaction
• CS6460: Education Technology
• CS6440: Intro to Health Informatics

I enjoyed classes that involved hands-on implementation, as well as writing heavy classes from a particular Prof. Some recommendations:

ML + RL: Profs Charles Isbell and Michael Littman banter throughout class lectures while dropping knowledge on making machines learn. The pedagogical approach: tough-love. I had to build prototypes, run a lot of experiments, and report them succinctly in papers. The papers (4 per term) focused on how to replicate breakthrough papers and conduct ML research. I found this extremely fun and gained a cherished skill (more below ).

AI: This is not “AI” as how most people perceive it now. Instead, it covered adversarial search (e.g., game playing), search (e.g., route planning), bayesian networks, decision trees, expectation maximisation, and HMMs in 6 projects (brutal).

The mid-term and final were 7-day, take-home, open-book, 30+ page exams—it’s clear the intent wasn’t evaluation, but for students to learn more by working through the questions (more tough love). TAs conceive new questions every term and it was fun watching the live broadcast of Prof Thad Starner tackling the papers himself (he’s a beast). Together, the assignments and exams ensure that you’ll learn a lot.

There’s feedback that the lectures only teach 10% of what’s required for the assignments and exam. Here’s Thad explaining the class pedagogy (also applies to most of OMSCS):

”… The lectures are indeed high level as per Sebastian Thrun’s suggestion of teaching intuition in lecture and details in the assignments (this method is also advocated by Richard Feynman, whose lectures I try to emulate somewhat). …” – Thad’s full views in the comments section here

HCI + EdTech: David Joyner is an awesome Prof who has clearly put a lot of thought and effort into online teaching. I loved HCI and EdTech. The classes are very well-organized (not synonymous with structured ) and a model of online education. It’s heavier on writing papers and depending on your project, lighter on writing code. I learnt a lot about building useful products and interfaces. A bad interface makes good engineering and machine learning pointless; a good one tucks away complexity and enhances what goes on behind.

Intro to OS: For me, this was the hardest class out all all classes I took. I had to learn C and C++ while working on the assignments. I had one class remaining and thought, what the heck, might as well try something out of my comfort zone. I regretted (that foolhardiness) two weeks into the class. But looking back, I’ve learned so much about operating systems, multithreading, inter-process communication, distributed interactions, etc. Highly recommended . The TAs and peer discussion made this class exceptional.

What I would not recommend: IHI. It was useful for me (due to my interest in healthcare) but less than what I expected . People not interested in healthcare probably won’t gain much from it.

Do the assignments . Can’t stress this enough. I attribute 90% of my learning to the assignments and this is likely what the Profs intended. Quoting Prof Thad (of AI) again:

”… The lectures are indeed high level as per Sebastian Thrun’s suggestion of teaching intuition in lecture and details in the assignments (this method is also advocated by Richard Feynman, whose lectures I try to emulate somewhat). …” – Thad Starner

Engage with your peers (including TAs) through forums, slack, etc. Much of my learning came from classmates. It also tided me through torturous assignments where we became comrades in arms, celebrated each small test-case win, and popped the (imaginary) champagne after the final exam. (In some classes, actual alcohol was involved.)

Don’t try to cram it . I found it almost impossible to take two classes at once (though you’re likely smarter). Thus, I had eight single-class terms, and one term with ML4T and IHI. During the double-class term, I felt that I would have learnt more if it was just a single class. I certainly couldn’t have taken another class together with IOS, ML, RL, AI, CV, and EdTech, and wouldn’t have learnt half as much.

It varies each week; I would say I spent an average of 20+ hours per week. Some weeks I get lucky and figure out the assignments almost immediately (4 - 8 hours); some weeks I get stuck or have to learn a new programming language (30+ hours). I’m considered a slow learner so you’ll probably need less time.

(Truth be told, if I travelled back in time and was offered OMSCS again, I might have second thoughts. It’s a great program and I gained a lot . Nonetheless, the effort required was tremendous and some classes were pull-your-hair-out difficult (for me); I’m looking at you—IOS, AI, RL, ML, CV.)

I have a very understanding family and wife (then girlfriend) who allowed me space to study on weeknights and weekends. Also, I don’t have much of a social life haha…

I gained—and cherish—the ability to replicate and implement research papers. Or more generally, how to convert research, theory, and papers into working code. This is essential at work and allows me to stand on the shoulders of giants and achieve fast baselines. The results are often surprisingly good, even with different ML techniques and applied in different domains.

(Aside: I believe there’s a limited set of problem formulations and the domain doesn’t matter as much as we think. Nonetheless, there are very domain-specific applications such as self-driving cars.)

Here are some curated papers on how businesses applied machine learning to solve problems, with methodology and results. (150+ papers and counting.)

I also gained more depth in ML fundamentals, and breadth in subjects outside of ML. OMSCS provided a structured environment to learn: Android (SDP), operating systems (Intro to OS), how to build useful products and interfaces (HCI), and tech in education and healthcare (EdTech, IHI). It may come across as too much generalisation, but I thoroughly enjoyed the classes and it made me a more well-rounded data scientist .

Overall, I gained (i) the ability to implement papers, (ii) slightly more depth, and (iii) significantly more breadth. This gave me more confidence (darn you imposter syndrome) and capability to build ML systems end-to-end: business context -> problem statement -> R&D -> integration with engineering & product -> deployment and measurement.

Sadly, yes. Many recruiters (and hiring managers) still want candidates to have certain education qualifications for reasons such as demonstration of past ability, human resource job band requirements (read: bureaucracy), etc. (Why “sadly” ? Because these requirements don’t make sense. I believe—and have observed—that a person’s educational qualifications have little to zero correlation with ability and results at work.)

I didn’t do an A/B test by submitting two resumes, one with my Master’s in CS and one without. But relative to my previous job searches, I think I got 2 - 5x more interviews (normalized by application count).

Yes. I recently joined Amazon and moved from Singapore to Seattle. For this, I needed a US visa, which requires applicants to have a STEM degree. With my previous Psychology degree, I would not have made the cut. Thus, the Master’s in CS was critical. But bear in mind that this is a single anecdote of a single job change by a single person.

IMHO, I think that on my visa application, only three terms mattered: “Amazon”, “Georgia Tech”, “Fragomen”.

Reply on this tweet thread or comment below!

I’ve received many qns about Georgia Tech’s OMSCS, especially since graduation. • Why further studies? Why OMSCS? • How can I get accepted? How much time needed? • What classes were good? What career impact? Shared my responses here; more qns welcome. https://t.co/xW4ack02SE — Eugene Yan (@eugeneyan) July 29, 2020

Thanks to Yang Xinyi for reading drafts of this.

If you found this useful, please cite this write-up as:

Yan, Ziyou. (Jul 2020). Georgia Tech's OMSCS FAQ (based on my experience). eugeneyan.com. https://eugeneyan.com/writing/georgia-tech-omscs-faq/.

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Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity

• Degree Overview
• Student Resources
• Online Learning

Spring 2025 Standard Application Deadline

Spring 2025 final application deadline, spring 2025 program start, online degree overview.

Cybersecurity isn’t just about keeping your individual computers and devices safe, it’s about safeguarding our society and our world. Whether that’s from rogue criminals and gangs who want to steal your money or identity, or nation states and terror groups who want to disrupt defense systems, elections, or cripple our energy infrastructure, the need for well-trained cybersecurity professionals who can stop these attacks has never been greater. Obtaining a degree in cybersecurity online is an important step in becoming a world-class cybersecurity professional.

Georgia Tech's Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity (OMS Cybersecurity) is the only interdisciplinary degree in cybersecurity from a  U.S. News & World Report  Top 10-ranked public university that you can earn online, on your own schedule, for a tuition less than $11,000. The program, offered part-time, is designed for working professionals and can be completed in two to three years.

The OMS Cybersecurity program provides the foundations so you can:

• Understand the nature of risks and pathways of threats to cyber and cyber-physical systems.
• Develop an awareness of vulnerabilities to software, networks, and computer systems.
• Comprehend methods and strategies for protecting data on networks, in software, as well as other cyber and cyber-physical systems.
• Examine the constraints and costs of cybercrime and espionage to privacy, communication, and use of technology.
• Investigate the role that government, corporate, and coalition policies can have towards slowing and stopping cybercrime and surveillance.

Cybersecurity Program-at-a-Glance

$335 per credit hour, 10 courses (32 credit hours), 2-3 years part-time program, 100% online, a credential that commands attention.

• Information Security Requirements
• Cyber-Physical Systems Track Requirements
• Policy Track Requirements
• Admission Deadlines
• How to Apply

International Applicants

Prerequisites  For admission into the Information Security Track of the Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity program, all applicants are expected to have:

• A Bachelor of Science from an accredited institution in Computer Science or Computer Engineering.*
• A good understanding of computer science fundamentals such as data structures and algorithms, processor architectures, operating systems, and networking protocols.
• At least one college-level course or equivalent knowledge in discrete mathematics.
• Strong programming skills and coding experience.
• A minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).

*Qualified applicants with other degrees and relevant work experience in software development/architecture, cryptography, secure computer systems, and/or network security are also encouraged to apply. Applicants with such experience must be able to demonstrate in their application deeper understanding of these areas. If you only have familiarity with systems related to them (such as configuring a network firewall), you may not have the foundational knowledge needed for admission and successful completion of the program.

Online Application   Admission is a competitive process and we carefully review all facets of your application. The information you include in your application assists our admissions committee in evaluating your potential for success in the program. Your application will not be reviewed until all of your   supporting documents   have been submitted.  

International Students    For international graduate applicants, please review the   international student’s tab for requirements.  

Prerequisites  For admission into the Cyber-Physical Systems Track of the Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity program, all applicants are expected to have:

• A Bachelor of Science from an accredited institution in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or Electrical Engineering.
• Basic familiarity with energy systems fundamentals and systems and controls is preferred.
• Strong programming skills.

*Qualified applicants with degrees in related fields and relevant work experience in cyber-physical, power, and/or embedded systems are also encouraged to apply.

Online Application   Admission is a competitive process and we carefully review all facets of your application. The information you include in your application assists our admissions committee in evaluating your potential for success in the program. Your application will not be reviewed until all of your   supporting documents   have been submitted.  

International Students    For international graduate applicants, please review the  international  student’s  tab for requirements.  

Prerequisites  For admission into the Policy Track of the Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity program, all applicants are expected to have:

Applicants with technical backgrounds are expected to have:

• A Bachelor of Science degree from an accredited institution in Engineering or Computer Science.
• Relevant experience in information system security management in a government, military, or business setting.
• Two- to-three college-level courses in political science, law, public policy, economics, or international relations.

Applicants with non-technical backgrounds are expected to have:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in Business, Economics, International Relations, Political Science, Public Policy, Pre-law, or law degrees.
• One- to two-years of practical experience in the management or operation of information systems or networks.
• At least one college-level course in computer science or programming.
• A minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in prior undergraduate or graduate programs.

Applicants who are accepted into the program, and lack a sufficient technical background, are encouraged to take a computer science course to ensure success in the program (we recommend Introduction to Computing in Python ). It your responsibility to start the program with this foundation knowledge.

Online Application   Admission is a competitive process and we carefully review all facets of your application. The information you include in your application assists our admissions committee in evaluating your potential for success in the program. Your application will not be reviewed until all of your   supporting documents  have been submitted.  

International Students    For international graduate applicants, please review the   international student’s tab for requirements.  

All  application materials  must be submitted by the deadline — including unofficial transcripts, letters of recommendation, and TOEFL scores (if applicable).

Spring Enrollment (January) Standard Application Deadline: June 15 Final Application Deadline:  Aug .1

Fall Enrollment (August) Standard Application Deadline: Feb. 1 Final Application Deadline:  March 15

Ready to apply? You're in the right place. Applications are accepted year-round.   

What You Need   Applications are submitted electronically and include a nonrefundable application fee. You will need to upload the following items as part of your application:  

• Official transcripts from each institution attended.  Transcripts not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation. If you are admitted, you will be asked to send an additional official transcript. You will receive instructions at that time.  
• Lawful Presence Document (U.S. Citizens Only).  Applicants must verify their  lawful presence  in the United States prior to enrollment.  
• English Proficiency (International Students Only).  The  language of instruction at Georgia Tech is English. With some exceptions, international applicants must take and submit scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Minimum test scores and expectations are found on our  International Students tab .  
• References.  You  will initiate the process through the online application by entering the name and email addresses of three references. Upon submission of your application, an email will be sent to the recommender requesting a brief online recommendation. Please inform your references that they must submit the form for your application to be complete.  
• Test Scores (Optional).  You  may choose to submit standardized test scores, most commonly GRE or GMAT. This is not required for admission into the program.  

Program-Specific Questions/Materials  

• Personal Statements.  Describe your specific career goals and objectives, the decision to pursue an advanced degree, and other information that may be useful to the admissions committee.   
• Professional Resume.  A listing of your professional experience and uploaded to the online application.  

Start Your Application    You can submit your application to the program at any time of the year. If you have any questions during the application process, please check our Frequently Asked Questions or contact the   Student Services Team . 

Please set aside sufficient time — usually about two to three weeks — for Graduate Studies to receive and process your supporting documents. We cannot guarantee applications received after the deadline will be reviewed in time for the applied semester.  

Application Fee   A non-refundable application fee must be paid online with a credit card or electronic check if you have a U.S. bank account. The application fee is $95 for U.S. applicants and $105 for international applicants. Your application will not be received until the fee is paid.  

Status Checking   Once your application is completed and submitted, you may monitor its progress through  CollegeNet’s online status check system  (using the same CollegeNet user ID and password created when you applied).  

Technical Requirements   There are technical requirements for our online degree program. Please review the technology requirements in the Frequently Asked Questions area below.  

Georgia Tech considers you an international applicant if you are neither a U.S. citizen nor a U.S. permanent resident, even if you currently reside in the U.S under a non-immigrant visa. Since the program is 100% online, international students admitted to the program will not be offered visas. International students do not require U.S. residency to enroll in the program. All applicants residing within the U.S. must satisfy the lawful presence requirement .

The admissions criteria applied in evaluating international applicants are the same as those for U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents. All application materials, including transcripts and recommendations, must be submitted in English in addition to their native language (if not originally in English). All applicants must satisfy the English Language Proficiency requirement of admission to Georgia Tech. If an international applicant is using a TOEFL or IELTS score to satisfy this requirement, please note that admission to this degree requires the minimum scores outlined below.

Georgia Tech requires that all applicants demonstrate proof of English language proficiency. Listed below are the ways that this requirement can be satisfied:

• U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents can submit Lawful Presence documents
• provide proof of citizenship from an approved country listed here
• provide a transcript from a regionally accredited university or college located in the United States reflecting a minimum of one academic year (3 quarters or 2 semesters) of full-time enrollment
• provide a transcript from a university or college located in one of these listed countries reflecting a minimum of one academic year (3 quarters or 2 semesters) of full-time enrollment
• Applicants not meeting any of the above criteria who studied at a school where the language of instruction is English but the country in which the school is located is not listed here are required to submit acceptable standardized test scores as outlined below.

If you do not meet any of the above listed criteria, you will be required to submit a standardized test score to satisfy the English Language Proficiency requirement.

Our program-specific accepted tests and minimum score requirement for admission are listed below. Please note that meeting Georgia Tech’s minimum score does not guarantee admission since some programs (such as this one) have higher score requirements.

• IELTS ≥ 7.5 overall (with a minimum band score for Reading, Listening, and Speaking of 6.5; minimum band score for Writing is 6.0)
• TOEFL iBT ≥ 100 overall (with each section also scoring 20 or higher)

We recommend that you achieve acceptable scores prior to submitting your application. Scores must be no more than two years old on the day you are scheduled to begin your graduate studies. Failure to satisfy the English Language Proficiency requirement will impact our ability to review an application .

Transcripts

All applicants to the OMS Analytics Program must hold a U.S. bachelor's degree or international equivalent to be considered for admission. A three-year degree is not equivalent to the U.S. bachelor's degree. Neither professional designations nor work experience will count toward the fourth year of study. We're unable to make exceptions to this policy.

Georgia Tech does not accept any private evaluation of academic documents, such as those provided by companies like WES. Official transcripts and degree documents should be submitted at the time of application, but unofficial scans uploaded to your application are acceptable for the sake of admission consideration. Official copies can then be provided to us upon an offer of admission, as required.

Georgia Tech requires the following documents from international applicants:

• Official native-language transcripts from every college/university attended for credit, even if that credit wasn’t earned or was transferred to another school
• Official English translation of the native language transcript
• Official native language degree documents
• Official English translation of the native language degree document

Cost & Aid

• Tuition and Fees
• Payments and Refunds
• Financial Assistance

Program Tuition               $10,720 Program Credit Hours    32 Cost/credit hour             $335 Term Fees*   Institutional Fee                $194   Technology Fee                 $107 

*Tuition and term fees are subject to change without notice. Term fees are assessed only for the terms in which students are enrolled in courses.  

All payments of tuition and fees are handled by the Bursar’s office. For deadlines and instructions on how to pay, please visit the  student payment portal .   

The Georgia Tech Bursar’s Office processes refunds via EFT, also known as Direct Deposit, Monday through Friday. Refunds and overpayments are electronically disbursed to the student’s checking or savings account and should be in the students account on the following day or sooner. You are not always eligible for a refund when dropping a course, so please read over the  refund policy .  

Education Loans   U.S. citizens and permanent residents may be eligible for education loans. To learn more about graduate financial aid and loan programs, visit  Georgia Tech’s Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid .  

Employer Tuition Reimbursement   Contact your employer’s human resources department for available tuition assistance programs and eligibility.  

The Post-9/11 GI Bill   Effective August 1, 2011, qualified U.S. veterans may be eligible to receive financial support for tuition, mandatory fees, books, and housing. Additional information is available through the Department of Veterans Affairs  GI Bill Website .  

Master's Cybersecurity Curriculum

Using multiple digital platforms and world-class instructors, you’ll have the opportunity to tailor your degree to your needs and interests by selecting a specialized degree track., program resources and related content.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Accreditation.

For information on Georgia Tech’s institutional accreditation see gatech.edu/accreditation .

NC-SARA Approval

The Institute has been approved by the state of Georgia to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA).

NC-SARA is a voluntary, regional approach to state oversight of postsecondary distance education. The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) is an agreement among member states, districts, and territories that establish comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance education courses and programs. It is intended to make it easier for students to take online courses offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state. SARA is overseen by a National Council and administered by four regional education compacts.

What is the admission criteria for the OMS Cybersecurity program?

Information Security Track 

• A good understanding of computer science fundamentals such as processor architectures, operating systems, and networking protocols.

*Qualified applicants with other degrees and relevant work experience in cryptography, secure computer systems, and/or network security are also encouraged to apply.

Cyber-Physical Systems Track

Policy Track

Technical backgrounds:

• Relevant experience in information system security management in a government, military or business setting.
• Two-to-three college-level courses in political science, law, public policy, economics, or international relations.

Non-technical backgrounds*:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in Business, Economics, International Relations, Political Science, or Public Policy. Pre-law or law degrees.
• Practical experience in information management and programming.

*Applicants who are accepted into the program, and lack a sufficient technical background, will be required to take a free online computer science course to prepare for CS 6035.

If I meet the admission criteria, am I automatically admitted?

No applicant is automatically admitted into the program. All applications are reviewed by a faculty committee to ensure those admitted can succeed in the program. 

Will there be a cap on admissions?

There is no hard cap on admissions. 

Application Process

What are the application requirements and deadlines.

View upcoming  application deadlines  and more details about application requirements for each track: Information Security , Cyber-Physical Systems , and Policy .

How can I apply to the program?

Please review the information on our admissions section , which explains relevant dates, costs, and information necessary for application.

What materials must be on file before the application is considered complete and can be evaluated?

Applications are submitted electronically and include a nonrefundable application fee. You will need to upload the following items as part of your application: 

• Official transcripts from each institution attended. Transcripts not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation. If you are admitted, you will be asked to send an additional official transcript. You will receive instructions at that time. 
• Lawful Presence Document (U.S. Citizens Only). Applicants must verify their  lawful presence  in the United States prior to enrollment. 
• English Proficiency (International Students Only). The language of instruction at Georgia Tech is English. With some exceptions, international applicants must take and submit scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Minimum test scores and expectations are found on our  International Applicants tab. 
• References.  You will initiate the process through the online application by entering the name and email addresses of three references. Upon submission of your application, an email will be sent to the recommender requesting a brief online recommendation. Please inform your references that they must submit the form for your application to be complete. 
• Test Scores (Optional).  You may choose to submit standardized test scores, most commonly GRE or GMAT. This is not required for admission into the program. 

Program-Specific Questions/Materials 

• Personal Statements.  Describe your specific career goals and objectives, the decision to pursue an advanced degree, and other information that may be useful to the admissions committee.  
• Professional Resume.  A listing of your professional experience and uploaded to the online application. 

How can I check the status of my application?

You can check the status of your admission online at the  Georgia Tech Graduate Studies website . 

How many courses are required to earn an Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity?

Students will take 10 courses (32 credit hours) to earn their degree.

Which tracks will be available with this program?

The Information Security track, Cyber-Physical Systems track, and Policy track are currently offered.

Are courses taught at specific times or can I learn at my own pace?

The courses are typically taught asynchronously, which means learners access and study content anytime, anywhere.

However, there may be synchronous virtual office hours with faculty and teaching assistants or for group project meetings, which students may need to attend in real time. These sessions are often recorded for later access.

Exams, in general, are open for a period of time, during which students take the exam in a shorter time period. For example, you would have two hours within a 48-hour period to take the exam.  

Cost and Aid

What are the tuition and fees.

View the current tuition and fees .

Are there opportunities for financial aid or assistance?

Yes, please visit our financial aid tab to view current opportunities.

Who is considered an international applicant?

Georgia Tech considers you an international applicant if you are neither a U.S. citizen nor a U.S. permanent resident, regardless of where in the world you live.

What is the admissions process for international applicants?

International applications are evaluated in the same manner as U.S. applicants. Non-U.S. citizens/Permanent Residents may need to submit a TOEFL or IELTS test scores to satisfy Georgia Tech’s English Language Proficiency requirement . We strongly encourage all international applicants to submit application materials early to expedite the admissions process.

Who is required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS)?

Please find applicable information in our International Applicants section .

What is the minimum TOEFL or IELTS score needed to be admitted?

Do i need to have my transcripts translated or converted.

You will need to provide a direct English translation of your transcript upon application. If your undergraduate institution does not grade on a 4.0 scale, you should not convert your GPA; simply enter it as it appears on your transcripts/student record.

Will I be offered a visa?

Since the program is 100% online, international students applying to the program will not be offered visas.  

Do I need U.S. residency to enroll in the program?

No. International students do not require U.S. residency to enroll in the program.

General Program Information

Do i have to declare a track specialization.

Yes. Each track specialization has its own admission requirements and application process. 

Is this the same program as the on-campus Master's of Science in Cybersecurity?

Yes. Online students earn the same degree and enjoy the same benefits as our on-campus Master of Science in Cybersecurity students, including the same academically challenging curriculum and outstanding faculty. View our  program comparison chart  to help you decide which program is best for you.

What will my transcript and diploma say?

Online students receive the same degree as our on-campus Master of Science in Cybersecurity students. The diploma and transcript will say "Master of Science in Cybersecurity."

How long does it take to complete and receive an OMS Cybersecurity degree?

OMS Cybersecurity is a part-time program, typically taking two to three years to complete. We will allow for longer enrollments—up to six years—for those students who need greater flexibility.

What are the benefits of the program?

The benefits of Georgia Tech's Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity are many, but some of the highlights include:

• Learning from the same comprehensive on-campus curriculum without interrupting your career.
• Flexibility to choose the number of courses to fit your schedule and complete your degree at your own pace.
• Earning a degree recognized worldwide, and from a  U.S. News & World Report  top 10-ranked university.

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Want to know how a degree in cybersecurity online can help you advance your career? Want to stay current on important deadlines, updates, and news? Need more details?

College of Computing

Master of Science in Computer Science

Graduates receive the MSCS for completing one of three options in the program as described in the program of study. The program is designed for students who possess a bachelor's degree in computer science from an accredited institution. Students with a bachelor's degree in other than computer science are encouraged to apply as well, with the understanding that they may be required to complete remedial course work in addition to the requirements of the M.S. CS degree.

Admission to the program is highly selective; there are many more qualified applicants than there are places in the program. The challenge for the College every year is to select a class from a highly qualified pool. The College looks for compelling reasons to admit candidates, and the statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, test scores and GPA are all reviewed carefully. Having a strong undergraduate background in computer science, including C programming, is highly recommended for applicants. The Admissions Committee welcomes additional pertinent information that will aid in making objective and informed decisions.

Students are admitted to the master's program only once a year. The application deadline is Feb. 1 for admission to the following fall semester.

Learn important information about our admissions process on our Admissions Requirements page.

Admissions Requirements

Admissions FAQ

Program rules

To learn more about our policies and procedures, please read our MSCS Handbook .

• GPA – Students must achieve a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 to graduate, and no course grades below C will be allowed to count toward graduation. All grades labeled below as core and elective courses within your specialization must be B or better.
• A maximum of 6 hours may be taken at the 4000-level and/or with a subject code other than CS or CSE. See exceptions under the Project and Thesis options below.
• Pass-Fail and Audit – All courses applied to the M.S. CS degree must be taken for a letter grade, other than thesis hours.
• The maximum total credit hours of Special Problems (CS or CSE 89xx) that may be applied toward the M.S. CS degree is 3. These courses must be within the CoC.
• There is no maximum number of Special Topics (CS or CSE 88xx) courses that may be used towards the degree.
• Each student must complete the requirements for one specialization.
• No coursework at the 1000, 2000, or 3000 level will count toward the MSCS degree (see Requirements for the Award of the Master's Degree, Rule 7  https://catalog.gatech.edu/academics/graduate/masters-degree-info/ )

Equivalent Courses

MSCS Program Handbook

Program Options

Students may choose from one of the following three options in pursuing the M.S. CS.

Course Option

• 30 hours of course work (no M.S. project or thesis hours)
• Total course credit hours required: 30
• Minimum CS/CSE course credit hours: 24
• Minimum CS/CSE course credit hours at the graduate (6000-8000) level: 24
• Minimum total credit hours at the 6000-8000 level: 24

Project Option

• 21 hours of course work and a 9-hour project. The student must obtain advance approval of the project proposal by the CoC faculty advisor and M.S. CS coordinator. See your academic advisor for more information.
• Total credit hours required: 30
• M.S. CS project hours (CS 6999): 9
• Total course credit hours: 21
• Minimum CS/CSE course hours required: 15*
• Minimum CS/CSE course credit hours at the graduate (6000-8000) level: 15*

Thesis Option

• 18 hours of course work and a 12-hour thesis. The student must obtain advance approval of the thesis proposal by the CoC faculty advisor and MSCS coordinator. See your academic advisor for more information about the thesis process.
• M.S. CS thesis hours (CS 7000): 12

*May not include MS project or thesis hours.

Specializations

Students in the M.S. CS program choose from 11 areas of specialization. This allows students to better customize their degree program. Learn more about our specializations and their course requirements on our specializations webpage.

From the Catalog:

Graduate Education

Office of graduate and postdoctoral education, thesis templates.

The following thesis format templates should help you get started with formatting your thesis or dissertation. Georgia Tech provides free Overleaf Professional accounts for all students, faculty, and staff who would like to use the collaborative, online LaTeX editor for their projects.

• LaTeX Template (.zip) - updated May 2020
• Featured LaTeX templates on Overleaf
• Word Thesis Template (.docx) - updated August 2016
• Georgia Tech Engineering Reference Management System (GTERMS)

LaTeX Resources

• LaTeX Project
• Set the Quick Build command configuration to: “PdfLaTeX + Bib(la)tex) + PdfLaTeX (x2) + View Pdf”.
• Use the Quick Build command to compile and view your .pdf file.
• If you decide to use a “build” subdirectory for output files, you must point BibTeX to the proper subdirectory.

LaTeX is a powerful text processing and formatting tool that produces clean, consistent results. This high-quality typesetting system is a free service provided by Georgia Tech. It is available on many platforms and can be used with the editor of your choice. LaTeX is the de facto standard for the communication and publication of scientific documents.

Although Graduate Education does not offer direct technical support, Tech does provide help via campus partners such as the Library and Overleaf (online LaTeX editor). Please check the Library events page for courses on LaTex, or contact Overleaf directly.

Many students have also found useful tips for dealing with specific problems by entering keywords such as "LaTeX formatting table captions" in their favorite search engines.

Most Common LaTeX to PDF Problem

The most common problem we see with Electronic Theses & Dissertations (ETDs) created in LaTeX is the altering of the page size, particularly an increase of the bottom margin to more than one inch, and sometimes an accompanying decrease in the top and/or right margins to less than the requisite one inch. Less frequently, there will also be problems with figures disappearing or changing appearance. The sizing error may be introduced inadvertently during the conversion from .dvi to .pdf or .ps when the program doing the converting defaults to the A4 European page size. Always check your PDF file after conversion, even if your source file looked perfect.

The following fixes have been found by your fellow Tech graduate students and passed along to the Graduate Thesis Office. We hope they help you:

• First, before converting the .tex file to .dvi, make sure the class header file in your .tex file says something like "\documentclass[12pt, letter]{article}".
• If you are converting the resulting .dvi file to a .ps file, be sure the dvips options specify "-P pdf -t letter".
• When you are converting to .pdf from either the .dvi file directly or from a .ps file, locate the C:\texmf\dvipdfm\config\config\ or analogous folder for PDFs in your system. Replace the line "p a4" with "p letter".

Check our frequently asked questions (FAQ) to see if your question has already been answered. Else, contact Graduate Education at [email protected] .

Accessibility Information

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Welcome to the ETD Submission System

Welcome to Georgia Tech's system for submitting your graduate thesis or dissertation. Undergraduate Research Option Theses are submitted here as well.

Once you have passed the final defense and satisfied the requirements of the committee, you are ready to submit your manuscript to the Thesis Office for review. This submission process is fully electronic, and is made through an online application developed and maintained by the Texas Digital Library, in conjunction with the Texas A&M, MIT, and UIUC.

To get started with your submission, click the link below. You will be asked to authenticate using your GT Account:

Your help can make things better...

Your feedback is very important to us; it allows us to continue to improve the system. Please feel free to notify us directly at [email protected] if you have any suggestions to increase the usability or effectiveness of this application. You can talk to the your Thesis Office regarding any issues that may arise during the submission process.

Please contact the Thesis Office if you have any questions.

If you have questions about an UNDERGRADUATE thesis, please contact the UROP office:   https://urop.gatech.edu/content/contact-us

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