What sets one online master’s degree in computer science apart from another? Faculty constitutes a primary differentiator: they deliver the expertise and the teaching skills that drive student success. Program curricula are tailored to faculty members’ interests and specializations.
The faculty at great programs are industry professionals and innovators with both practical experience and high-level comprehension. We spoke with four faculty members from the University of Tennessee’s Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science who fit that description: James Plank, Garrett Rose, Scott Ruoti, and Catherine Schuman. They shared their insights about what sets an MSCS online from UT apart and their advice for succeeding in this exciting and dynamic industry.
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Learn about UT’s MSCS Concentrations
Faculty: The UT Online MSCS Difference
UT computer science professors are industry experts engaged in innovative research that informs their teaching. UT MSCS students learn about the latest innovations and emerge from the program prepared to meet challenges in their professional careers.
Ruoti assures prospective students that UT’s online MSCS provides domain-specific classes taught with the same rigor as an in-person degree. Schuman concurs that “the program will be challenging, but with the reward of an MS in CS equivalent to our in-person programs.”
Course Creation
Faculty specializations help shape the online MSCS curriculum at the University of Tennessee. Ruoti’s expertise in authentication, encryption, and blockchain technology has informed the courses he has created: Software Security and Applied Cryptography.
Schuman has also lent her expertise to course design. A UT alumna, her Algorithms course builds on her UT PhD dissertation on using evolutionary algorithms to train spiking neural networks for neuromorphic systems.
All four professors lend their in-depth expertise in the lab and the classroom. Just as Ruoti’s and Schuman’s interests guide their class design and research, Rose teaches and studies nanoelectronic circuit design, memristors and memristive systems, and neuromorphic computing. Plank’s work focuses on fault tolerance, distributed computing, and operating systems. UT is well-qualified to support this high-level exploration; the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education has designated the school as one producing very high research activity.
The coursework in the MSCS program is rigorous, designed to build upon students’ existing computer science knowledge. “This doesn’t mean that you need to be an expert in computer science, but it does mean you should feel comfortable with basic coding,” Ruoti explains. “If you are comfortable with C/C++ and Python, you should be able to succeed with this program.”
Concentrations
When asked what sets UT’s online MSCS apart from other degrees, all four faculty members singled out the ability to specialize in one of three concentrations: cybersecurity, data mining and intelligent systems, and software engineering. This option enables students to develop specialized skills they would not receive in a generic degree program.
“Unlike other programs where you’re getting a CS-lite degree, in our program you are getting a true master’s of computer science.”
—Professor Ruoti
“Each of the three concentrations focuses on an important current skill in the job market,” Plank explains. That gives students “the ability to tailor the program to specializations, such as machine learning/AI,” notes Schuman.
Rose notes that, in addition to the rigorous coursework on in-demand topics, the program offers valuable “opportunities to engage with instructors and students” throughout. Participation and collaboration with faculty and peers help to build students’ networks and provide a supportive environment where innovation and learning can flourish.
Be Prepared for the Future of CS
See the difference you can make with a master’s degree in computer science from UT. With a contemporary curriculum designed by industry experts and concentrations that provide expertise in in-demand subject areas, UT’s MSCS faculty prepare students to lead and innovate.
Discover the UT difference by connecting with an enrollment advisor or attending an event—or starting your application today.
