Online Master of Computer Science – Big Data Systems

Applicants with international credentials have an application deadline of six weeks prior to the selected session start date. All other applicants have an application deadline of four weeks prior to the selected session start date.

This degree is offered in A and B sessions for fall and spring, and in C session for summer. For start dates, ASU’s academic calendar can be found here.

How to complete an application

• Submit online application and pay application fee.
• Send official transcripts to ASU’s graduate admission services.
• If needed, send proof of English proficiency.
• If you’re not a U.S. citizen but are living in the U.S., send a copy of your U.S. visa to gograd@asu.edu.
• If you’re based outside of the U.S., “Select JN” under Visa.

For questions, call 1-844-353-7953 or email mcsenrollment@asu.edu.

Prerequisite knowledge

To be eligible for this program, you must have programming knowledge in a variety of languages, including C/C++ Java, Python and HTML. You must also have demonstrated knowledge of topics, such as:

CSE 230: Computer Organization and Assembly Language Programming

• Register-level computer organization, instruction set architecture, assembly language, processor organization and design, memory organization, IO programming and exception/interrupt handling.

CSE 310: Data Structures and Algorithms

• Advanced data structures and algorithms, including stacks, queues, trees (B, B+, AVL), and graphs and searching for graphs, hashing and external sorting.

CSE 330: Operating Systems

• Operating system structure and services, processor scheduling, concurrent processes, synchronization techniques, memory management, virtual memory, input/output, storage management and file systems.

Principles of Programming Languages OR Introduction to Theoretical Computer Science

CSE 340: Principles of Programming Languages

• Formal syntactic and semantic descriptions, compilation and implementation issues, and theoretical foundations for several programming paradigms.

CSE 355: Introduction to Theoretical Computer Science

• Introduces formal language theory and automata, Turing machines, decidability/undecidability, recursive function theory and complexity theory.

Are you a non-computer science undergrad?

If you don’t have these topics on your transcript but have a strong understanding of them, you can take the prerequisite knowledge exams. If you complete the exams with the grade outlined in the respective syllabi, you’ll satisfy that prerequisite knowledge requirement.

GPA requirements

A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 in the last 60 credit hours (last two years) of a four-year undergraduate degree. If your degree was completed in the U.S., it must be from a regionally accredited university.

Students who are applying who have previously completed graduate-level coursework must have a minimum post-baccalaureate/graduate GPA of 3.00.

Math requirements

You must have two semesters of advanced math in Calculus I and Calculus II and a background course in Discrete Math.*

Applicants with an undergraduate degree in a STEM field have likely completed the math requirement.

*Discrete Math is not always a separate class at all universities. Taking a course that covers data structures and algorithms may also fulfill this requirement. If you’ve never done algorithms, you may not have the proper background for the program.

Additional requirements

To be considered, you must also submit:

• Official transcripts from all postsecondary institutions you’ve attended.
• Statement of purpose or resume.

English proficiency

If all college degrees are from a country outside of the U.S., you may need to demonstrate English proficiency. Learn more about the ways you can demonstrate English Proficiency here.

Note that the MCS degree requires higher English proficiency scores.

• TOEFL: 575 paper-based / 90 Internet-based.
• IELTS (Academic version): 7.
• PTE: 65.
• Duolingo: 115.

Don’t yet meet this requirement? If you complete the pathway with a 3.0 or higher, you’ll have demonstrated English proficiency. Click on the nondegree tab below to learn more.

As a nondegree graduate student, you can begin taking the graduate-level computer science courses without being admitted to the master’s program.*

Coursera MasterTrack™ Certificate

If you’re not sure you want to pursue the full degree or only want to focus on a specific topic, you can pursue a professional certification for ASU credit.

To receive a professional certification, you must successfully complete at least three courses from that topic area with a grade of “B” or better. For more information on the topics and courses for each area, please review the Coursera MasterTrack Professional Certification page for each option:

• AI and machine learning.
• Big data. 
• Cybersecurity.
• Software engineering.

General pathway

This pathway provides an opportunity to take a variety of courses as a nondegree student to explore topics or meet this program’s GPA and English proficiency admission requirements. Completing nine graduate credits with a “B” or better (3.00 GPA) will demonstrate English proficiency.

Through this pathway, you choose and complete any three 500-level courses that are part of the Master of Computer Science program. The courses you complete in the pathway with a “B” or higher will apply toward the master’s degree in computer science, if admitted within three years of completing courses as a nondegree student. Courses completed as a nondegree student up to 12 credits with a "B" or better will apply toward your MCS degree.

To apply for the Coursera MasterTrack™ Certificate or general pathway, begin your application here.

The ASU graduate admission office will review the application and notify you by email if any additional steps are required upon admission. All official emails will go to your ASU student Gmail account.

Please note:

• If you don’t enroll in the semester in which you are admitted, you must submit a new application and pay the application fee.
• Completing the pathway or professional certification does not waive the requirement for all applicants to the Master of Computer Science program to demonstrate mathematics and computer science topic prerequisite knowledge. See the admission requirements sections above for more information.

*If you do not have the prerequisite knowledge outlined in the master’s admission criteria for mathematics and computer science, you should be aware that you may not have the necessary background for graduate CSE courses and are enrolling at your own risk. You are responsible for acquiring that knowledge before and during the course.

We understand that many applicants have IT experience. To reduce the barriers to entry, ASU is providing applicants an option to prove their computer fundamental understanding through a series of four short, non-credit courses of which each will have a proctored exam. Passing the proctored exam will provide completion of the prerequisite.

To begin, enroll in your courses here.

No. Academic credit cannot be given for work experience in the field.

The total cost of the degree program is $15,000, or $1,500 per 3-credit course. There are no textbooks required for the courses and no additional fees. You will only be billed for the courses you are enrolled in.

You only have to pay for the courses you are enrolled in. ASU also offers a payment plan, which provides you with the option to budget the payment of certain eligible university charges over several months within the semester.

Completing Coursera courses alone does not waive a prerequisite, but completing the courses and working through the material can be an excellent way to prepare for the exams offered in the four short, non-credit courses available through Continuing and Professional Education.