Fall 1 enrollment is now open!
Graduate from the University of Colorado Boulder
Flexible payment options with no hidden costs or fees
Complete 30 courses (30 credit hours) full or part time
Lecture videos, hands-on projects, and connection with instructors and peers
Take a broad approach to studying computer science that directly reflects a career in the field. You’ll start with breadth courses on algorithms, machine learning, network systems, and more. In addition to computer science courses, you can explore a variety of interdisciplinary electives in electrical engineering, engineering management, or data science to learn the latest computer science techniques alongside other job-relevant subjects.
Program admission is based on your performance in three preliminary courses, not your academic history. Upon your acceptance, you’ll become part of an innovative online program from a top global university. With collaborative faculty who find creative ways to link computer science to other areas of study at the university, you’ll be a member of the larger university community while learning how to leverage complex frameworks in realistic scenarios.
CU Boulder is a global university that’s ranked among the finest in the world. The Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) placed CU Boulder in the top 1% on its 2021-22 list of global universities, at 68th overall and 38th nationally.
Contact the CU Boulder MS-CS team at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Watch the most recent webinar recording: MS-CS: Program Overview.
Start your first course or request more information
Graduate from the University of Colorado Boulder
Flexible payment options with no hidden costs or fees
Complete 30 courses (30 credit hours) full or part time
Lecture videos, hands-on projects, and connection with instructors and peers
Graduate from the University of Colorado Boulder
Flexible payment options with no hidden costs or fees
Complete 30 courses (30 credit hours) full or part time
Lecture videos, hands-on projects, and connection with instructors and peers
Take a broad approach to studying computer science that directly reflects a career in the field. You’ll start with breadth courses on algorithms, machine learning, network systems, and more. In addition to computer science courses, you can explore a variety of interdisciplinary electives in electrical engineering, engineering management, or data science to learn the latest computer science techniques alongside other job-relevant subjects.
Program admission is based on your performance in three preliminary courses, not your academic history. Upon your acceptance, you’ll become part of an innovative online program from a top global university. With collaborative faculty who find creative ways to link computer science to other areas of study at the university, you’ll be a member of the larger university community while learning how to leverage complex frameworks in realistic scenarios.
CU Boulder is a global university that’s ranked among the finest in the world. The Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) placed CU Boulder in the top 1% on its 2021-22 list of global universities, at 68th overall and 38th nationally.
Contact the CU Boulder MS-CS team at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Watch the most recent webinar recording: MS-CS: Program Overview.
Simply complete a three-course pathway in either data structures and algorithms or software architecture on Coursera with at least a B in each course and you’ll be accepted—even if you don't hold a bachelor’s degree. No application is required.
Learn more - MS-CS Program Overview Webinar
You can take all 30 courses in this program at your own pace and tailor your coursework to your career goals. Choose electives from advanced CS courses in human-computer interaction, robotics, natural language processing, and autonomous systems as well as courses from other CU Boulder degrees in electrical engineering, engineering management, and data science. You do not need to be admitted to the degree to take any course for credit. You can work at your own pace to gain admission and complete your degree.
Fall 1 enrollment closes Oct 4
Want to enroll in the full degree course now and earn transcriptable credit? You can enroll directly with the university as a non-degree student.Enroll in for-credit now
Explore course options to find the courses that fit your needs
Fill out a form or application on the university's website and pay to enroll
Complete the course and earn transcriptable college credit which will count toward your degree learning if you are accepted into the full degree program¹
You can apply to transfer the credits earned towards your degree program after admission to the program
¹Each university determines the number of pre-approved credits that may count towards the degree requirements according to institutional policies.
These courses are part of this degree program. If you are admitted and enroll in the degree program, your coursework can count toward your degree learning and your progress can transfer with you.
University of Colorado Boulder
Intermediate · Specialization
University of Colorado Boulder
Intermediate · Specialization
University of Colorado Boulder
Advanced · Specialization
The MS-CS diploma that students earn in the MS-CS on Coursera is the same diploma that students earn in the CU Boulder on-campus program. There are no "online" or "Coursera" designations on the diploma. The diploma will state that the student has earned a Master of Science degree from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Yes, the MS-CS on Coursera falls under the University of Colorado Boulder’s overall accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
Yes, you can enroll in the non-credit experience, allowing you to complete some coursework in MS-CS on Coursera courses before committing to the degree program. You may upgrade to for-credit at any time during your learning journey. You will need to complete additional graded assignments to earn CU credit (this material is only available after you pay tuition).
This degree is self-paced, with no minimum or maximum number of courses required per session. We recommend new students take one course in their first session as they adjust to the demands of this graduate-level program. In subsequent sessions, we suggest students take three courses—equivalent to a full-time graduate-level course load—or fewer. Students who take three courses per session complete the degree in about two years. Students must complete all courses (30 total credit hours) within eight years.
Yes! Students who graduate from the program and earn the degree are welcome to attend on-campus graduation ceremonies (but they are not obligated to do so).
No. The MS-CS on Coursera program and on-campus programs are not interchangeable. If you start the Coursera degree, you cannot later switch to the on-campus program.
Yes, both versions of the program are overseen by the same highly experienced faculty.
Dedicated course facilitators hold weekly office hours where students can interact and ask questions about the material being covered.
MS-CS on Coursera students do not have access to campus facilities, but they can access online resources. This includes CU Boulder libraries, career services, and alumni services.
Students taking for-credit classes receive an IdentiKey, which includes your CU Boulder login name and password. Your IdentiKey uniquely identifies you and acts as your student identification number. Students can also receive a physical Buff OneCard (student ID card) for $30 by emailing a headshot, photo ID, and mailing address to [email protected] from your colorado.edu student email address.
Not at this time.
From CU Programs on Coursera: Yes, up to six graduate-level credit hours of courses from other CU programs on Coursera may be applied as elective credits toward the MS-CS degree on Coursera. All courses must be graduate level, offered on Coursera, and meet all applicable academic standards. This includes all courses offered by the ME-EM, MS-DS, and MS-EE programs on Coursera that do not start with a "CSCA" prefix, with the exception of the following courses.
Credit from these courses cannot be applied toward MS-CS requirements:
Courses may not be counted twice toward two credentials of the same level. This means students can apply credit from a particular course toward one graduate certificate and one graduate degree, but they cannot apply credit from a particular course toward two graduate certificates or two graduate degrees. CU certificates on Coursera are automatically awarded once all requirements are met.
From Other CU Programs: No, this program does not currently accept transfer credit from CU programs other than those listed above.
From Other Institutions: No, this program does not currently accept transfer credit from other institutions or from CU Boulder programs other than those listed below.
With “pay-as-you-go” tuition, you only need to pay for the courses you are taking in the upcoming session when you enroll. Sessions are eight weeks long, and there are six enrollment sessions per year. Tuition is $525 per credit hour and $15,750 for the full 30-credit master’s degree.
There are no tests required for admission. The process is entirely based on your performance. To be admitted as a degree-seeking student, you must complete a three-course pathway for CU credit with a B or better in each course.
The MS-CS on Coursera is open to students around the world. However, due to current restrictions imposed by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, we cannot provide online courses to the following countries: Cuba, Iran, Sudan, North Korea, Syria, and the Crimea Region of Ukraine. See CU Online Course Delivery Restrictions for details.
A cross-listed course is offered under two or more CU Boulder degree programs on Coursera. For example, Dynamic Programming, Greedy Algorithms is offered as both CSCA 5414 for the MS-CS and DTSA 5503 for the MS-DS.
An outside elective (sometimes called an “external” elective) is a course offered by another CU Boulder degree program on Coursera. You may apply credits earned from outside elective courses to complete your degree’s elective requirements. Tuition rates vary by program. Credit limits apply and not all courses are applicable to all degree programs. See your program’s student handbook for details and restrictions.
The following courses are not considered outside electives:
For example, Data Mining Pipeline is a one-credit cross-listed course available as both DTSA 5504 and CSCA 5502. CSCA 5502 is not considered an outside elective for Data Science students, and DTSA 5504 is not considered an outside elective for Computer Science students. These courses would be considered outside electives for Electrical Engineering and Engineering Management students because they are not cross listed with ECEA or EMEA courses, respectively.
No. Cross-listed courses are considered equivalent to each other when evaluating graduation requirements. They do not count toward your limit of “outside” elective courses. Please see What is a cross-listed course for important details.
Yes. Cross-listed courses are considered equivalent when evaluating graduation requirements. You can identify cross-listed courses by checking your program’s student handbook.
No. Key courses in these programs overlap, and the Graduate School’s “No Double Dipping” rule prevents students from applying credit from one course toward 2 graduate degrees (or toward 2 graduate certificates).
However, you can earn a Data Science Graduate Certificate on your way to an MS-CS degree without needing more than 30 credits. See Can I earn both a Data Science Graduate Certificate and an MS-CS? for details.
You can earn a Data Science Graduate Certificate on your way to an MS-CS degree without needing more than 30 credits. This is possible because multiple courses in the MS-CS and MS-DS programs are cross listed. Note that you can apply credits from one course toward 1 graduate degree and 1 graduate certificate, as long as you earn the graduate certificate first.
To earn a CU certificate on Coursera, you must maintain a cumulative certificate GPA of 3.00 or higher. Individual certificates may have additional requirements. CU certificates on Coursera are automatically awarded once all requirements are met.
Make sure you take courses in the correct order and complete all steps to earn the certificate(s) you are most interested in. Additional steps are required to earn graduate certificates offered by CU Boulder degree programs on Coursera other than your own program. Your program’s student handbook (MS-CS | MS-DS) outlines those steps and other important considerations, including rules preventing students from double counting courses between multiple certificates.
Yes, but first make sure you understand important considerations & required steps outlined below.
Please be aware that the MS-DS and MS-CS are different degree programs with different requirements. While the programs share a similar structure using performance-based admission, pay-as-you-go tuition, and options for both non-credit and for-credit experiences, there are also important differences. Please carefully review the following:
Please be careful to indicate your degree interest properly, as noted below:
You will not be admitted to the MS-CS until you meet all requirements. You must meet all admission requirements outlined in the MS-CS student handbook, including completing a full pathway specialization with a B or better in each course. You will also need to indicate your intent to pursue the MS-CS degree, which you can only do on an MS-CS enrollment form. Admission decisions are released once per session, approximately 3-4 weeks after the end of the session.
You may upgrade and pay tuition during any open enrollment period to earn graduate-level CU Boulder credit for. Because some courses are cross listed in both the MS in Computer Science and the MS in Data Science programs, you will need to determine which program you would like to earn the credit from before you upgrade.
If you are unsure of which program is the best fit for you, review the MS-CS and MS-DS program websites, and then contact [email protected] [email protected] or [email protected] if you still have questions.
Fall 1 enrollment closes Oct 4