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Master of Science in Computational Science   Overview of the Degree Program of Study Curriculum Requirements Admission Requirements Applications   General Description of the Degree Beginning in the Fall 2002 semester, SCS will offer the new, interdisciplinary Master's program in Computational Science. This innovative M.S. degree addresses the growing national and regional demand for trained computational scientists. It combines a solid foundation in information technology skills with computational courses in a variety of scientific areas. All courses are offered in the late afternoon or early evening to accommodate students with full-time employment outside the university. Program of Study   The degree is centered on a strong computational component, which comprises 22 hours of coursework. The remaining 9 hours represents the scientific component, and centers on specific scientific areas such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, statistics, etc. This provides students with a flexible set of options that can be used to create their own customized curriculum under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Students are encouraged to undertake an optional master's thesis or research project that allows them to gain useful experience in the development of simulations and other aspects of computational science. Curriculum Requirements   Candidates for the M.S. degree in Computational Science must successfully complete 31 credit hours as follows: · 9 credit hours of computational core courses: CSI 700 (Numerical Methods), plus two of CSI 701 (Foundations of Computational Science), CSI 702 (High-Performance Computing), CSI 703 (Scientific and Statistical Visualization), CSI 710 (Scientific Databases) · 12 credit hours of computational techniques courses from the following list: CSI 654 (Data and Data Systems in the Physical Sciences), CSI 701 (Foundations of Computational Science), CSI 702 (High-Performance Computing), CSI 703 (Scientific and Statistical Visualization), CSI 709 (Topics in CSI), CSI 710 (Scientific Databases), CSI 721 (Computational Fluid Dynamics I), CSI 740 (Numerical Linear Algebra), CSI 744 (Linear and Nonlinear Modeling in the Natural Sciences), CSI 771 (Computational Statistics), CSI 773 (Statistical Graphics and Data Exploration), MATH 686 (Numerical Solutions of Differential Equations), CS 635 (Foundations of Parallel Computation), INFS 614 (Database Management) · 9 credit hours of computational science electives as approved by advisor · 1 credit hour of seminar or colloquium · Optional research component: 3 credit hours of CSI 798 (Research Project) or 6 credit hours of CSI 799 (Master's Thesis). Exercise of the research option results in a corresponding reduction in the computational science electives requirement. Admission Requirements   · Applicants to the Master's program in Computational Science should have academic backgrounds in the physical or biological sciences, engineering, mathematics, or computer science. They should have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution, with a GPA of at least 3.000 in their last 60 credits of study. Additionally, each applicant should have taken at least one course in differential equations and should have facility in using a high-level computer programming language. · To apply, prospective students should forward a completed George Mason graduate application, two transcripts from each college and graduate institution attended, a current resume, and an expanded goals statement to the SCS Graduate Admissions Processing Center. Each master's program applicant should also include three letters of recommendation, and an official report of scores obtained on the GRE-GEN exam. The GRE-SUB is recommended if it is given in the student's undergraduate major. The GRE requirement for admission will be waived if the student holds a master's degree from a U.S. institution. TOEFL scores are also required for all foreign applicants. Note that transcripts originating from foreign countries must be evaluated by a U.S.-recognized agency. · Students applying for fall admission should submit completed applications by March 1. Applications for spring admission should be received by November 1 of the preceding year. Please note that local applications may be accepted after these general deadlines. For more information, please call Dr. Peter Becker at 703-993-3619. · Fellowships and assistantships are generally not available to students in the M.S. Computational Science program. Return to the TOP of this page

Copyright School of Computational Sciences, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA Last modified: August 21, 2000 Please send questions or comments to Dr. Peter A. Becker at  pbecker@gmu.edu Graphic design: Janejira Kalsmith Programming: Guido Cervone and Liviu Panait