a. Program requirements: In order to graduate from the Program students must meet all academic requirements of the Program, including satisfactory completion of the Development of Consciousness component (see the University Catalog: https://www.miu.edu/catalog/) In addition to the courses conducted on campus, the Program coursework for the Cooperative Track includes 8 units of practicum that are completed while students work in a professional computer science internship. Please note that the graduation requirements may change at the discretion of the Computer Science Department, but will only change once a year and will be posted in the Catalog for that year.
Students must complete the following courses in order to graduate from the program: (please see below for full graduation requirements)
** Forest Academy (2 units), Modern Programming Practices (MPP) (4 units), plus 32 units of Computer Science courses (16 units are of the 500 level or higher) (and either CS 435-Algorithms or CS 505-Advanced Programming Languages).
b. **Forest Academy is a 2-week course in which the students deepen their understanding of their own personal growth.
SCI-33 Science of Creative Intelligence or Science and Technology of Consciousness (STC):
The two 2-week Science and Technology of Consciousness courses (STC-1 and STC-2) have replaced SCI as of May, 2018. Successful completion of SCI or both STC courses is a program requirement.
For a more complete description of graduation requirements, please refer to the University Catalog.
c.Development of Consciousness Program : The Development of Consciousness Program begins with instruction in the Transcendental Meditation program before or shortly after arrival on campus, as well as the twice daily practice of Transcendental Meditation. On campus the program continues when classes are in session with regular morning meditation done in a campus-wide group, as well as an afternoon in-class group meditation that is part of every course. When classes are not in session, students are expected to practice the TM program in their residences. Please see the section Development of Consciousness Requirements in the Policy Manual for more information about grading student participation in the TM program practice.
d. Standard 8 Months On-Campus: The standard schedule for the Cooperative Track is approximately 8 months of full time MSCS study at the University’s campus in Fairfield, Iowa before starting your practical training internship. The classes in that time period include STC, Forest Academy, MPP and four CS courses of 4 units each. For those needing to take the one-month FPP course, then they will stay an additional month on campus
e. Distance Education: Students on the Cooperative Track will complete the remaining MSCS academic courses through distance education during the period of practicum employment. Students will need to take these distance education courses during non-working hours at the rate of one credit per four weeks. Such credits normally require 30-40 hours of study time per credit, or 7.5 to 10 hours of study per week. (please see Distance Education policies and procedures for more details).
f. Graduation requirements for the Master of Science in Computer Science (2018-19 entry) (for previous years, please refer to the Catalog at https://www.miu.edu/catalog/)
Graduation Requirements for the Master of Science Degree in Computer Science:
To graduate with an MS in computer science, students must successfully complete all
requirements for the master’s degree.
Program requirements are:
• 40 credits of computer science courses at the 400 level or above (includes 4 credits of
CS 401 MPP)
• At least one of the following courses must be completed with a grade of “B” or better:
– CS 435 Algorithms
– CS 505 Advanced Programming Languages
• At least one systems or analysis course (DBMS, Security, Computer Networks, Operating Systems, Parallel Programming, Compilers, Software Testing, Big Data Analytics, Systems Analysis, Project Management, Mobile Device Programming)
• At least 20 credits applied to the MS degree must be at the 500-level
• No more than one course can have a grade of C, C+, or C-
• The cumulative grade point average for Computer Science courses must be at least
“B” (GPA of 3.0) or higher
• If the master’s thesis option is selected by the student and approved by the faculty, then Master’s Thesis Research (CS 588) with an oral defense may be used to satisfy up to 8 credits
• If, upon admission to the program, the student lacks one of the required mathematics courses, it can be taken to satisfy 4 of the 12 credits of additional computer science course work —if approved by the Department
Note: The Forest Academy requirement for this program is FOR 500 in the first semester plus one 2-week Forest Academy course for each semester enrolled on campus. In some cases, FOR 500 is broken into two 2-week parts, the first part taken at the beginning of the first semester, and the second part taken at the beginning of the second semester.
Graduation Requirements for the Master of Science Degree in Computer Science, Cooperative Program:
To graduate with an MS in Computer Science, Cooperative Program, students must successfully complete all requirements for the master’s degree.
Program requirements are the same as for the MS in Computer Science program listed above, with the following modifications:
• 36 credits of course work corresponding to the MS CS program listed above (includes 4
credits of CS 401 MPP)
• 8 credits of Practicum (CS 575–CS 579) plus at least 16 credits (4 courses) of other 500-level CS courses
Note: The Forest Academy requirement for this program is FOR 500 in the first semester plus one 2-week Forest Academy course for each semester enrolled on campus. In some cases, FOR 500 is broken into two 2-week parts, the first
g. On-Campus Students and Probation: Students must maintain satisfactory progress towards completing their MS degree. Because of the short time that students spend on campus, this criterion is evaluated after completion of each course. If a student receives an NC in a course, or if his Computer Science courses GPA is below a 3.0, then they are put on academic probation and may be required by the faculty to take some additional course work on campus (before starting internship search for the CPT position) to remedy the deficiencies leading to these below standards grades. If a student is required to take or repeat an additional course in order to graduate, then there will be an additional tuition charge of $3000 per course which is added to their student account charges. Subsequently:
• If they complete 8 units of CS courses at a B (3.0) grade or higher, they are off of probation.
• If they repeat the NC course and pass, then probation is removed.
• However, if they receive NC while on probation they will be reviewed for dismissal from the program.
• If they receive a grade of less than B while on academic probation, then their standing in the program will be reviewed and they may be asked to leave the program.
h. Academic dishonesty includes the practicum phase of your program (e.g. CPT) where falsifying a resume with incorrect information, making false statements to employers, and using misleading descriptions or false documentation of your status in the U.S are subject to the same penalties as above
i. Withdrawing from Courses or Taking Make-up Courses: For a student to remain on campus and enrolled at the University, they must be in some structured and faculty supervised activity.
0. If you need some remedial course, or to make-up a foundation course, you can do this as a directed study under faculty supervision. This would mean that you pay the tuition for this course, and get some final evaluation. It can be Pass/Fail, just indicating enrollment and success. For this you must make a proposal of the plan of study, a timeline with specific milestones and results (e.g. chapters read, problems solved, projects completed), and at least one outcome evaluation (exam, project, etc).
1. If you feel that you are strong enough in some area to study without ongoing faculty support and guidance, then you can enroll in a self-study course. You must have a proposal of your planned activities (as above). You must pay an additional $200 for the directed studies.
For any special study arrangement like this you must submit a written proposal, which requires faculty approval of a supervising faculty, and departmental approval.
In cases where the course is in a required area which was a part of admissions requirements, you may be required to pay the additional tuition costs before the course if you have not already paid adequate tuition to cover this additional course.
In all cases, you must maintain your RC meditation requirements.
j. Course Withdrawal Policy (On-Campus, Full time): A student must withdraw from a course within the first two days of class in order to not be charged for that course. If he is in the class for more than two days, he will be charged for the full amount of tuition, room and board for that course. Also, in order to not receive an NC (no credit) on the transcript, a student must withdraw before the midterm exam. To withdraw from a course the student must complete the official forms which are at the Enrollment Center.
k. Missing Exams: All examinations for a course will be scheduled at a common time, and if you are not able to make that exam time, then you have to petition to the appropriate faculty (before the day of the exam) for an alternate exam and date. If a student does not petition for a late exam before the exam date, then he will be subject to receiving an NC for that exam. This policy is for both on-campus and DE courses. The fee of $200 must be paid to the Enrollment Center before the exam is taken.
l. Transferring Credit:
0. Graduate credit can be transferred into a program and applied towards a degree only if it is:
§ graduate level credit from another accredited institution,
§ in a comparable or program related area,
§ the course grade was B or better, on a comparable grade scale,
§ the previous Master’s degree must not have been completed.
All transfer requests are made through the Registrars office, and reviewed for approval by the CS department. A maximum of 8 units of credit transferred may be applied to the MS degree. Transfer credits may reduce the time required to complete the degree, however there will be no reduction in program charges.
1. A graduate course requirement can be waived in similar circumstances, but more liberally if the individual can document or demonstrate adequate proficiency in the topical area. If a student has taken a comparable course elsewhere, but it was already counted as a part of an awarded degree, then they may request departmental approval to waive the need to take the same course here but must still take the required number of units for graduation. They cannot transfer a course from an awarded degree.
m. Taking Additional Courses once Full time Internship Search Has Started: The F-1 student visa regulations state that students must complete a minimum of 6 units of courses per semester, but no more than 3 of these units can be through Distance Education. Therefore, if a student is not able to receive 3 units of credit through Curricular Practical Training (CPT internship position) in any semester, then they must return to campus to take a 3-unit seminar that particular semester. This is a requirement to remain in legal status and therefore to remain in the MS in Computer Science Program.
n. Taking Additional Courses Due to Failing Previous Courses: If a student has failed a course or received lower grades than allowed in order to graduate (see 5e: Grade Requirements), then he will be required to pay for the extra course once he has taken more than the normal 8 CS courses.
o. Last course with No Loan: If a student only has one more course to take in order to complete the graduation requirements but has not yet paid the University any money for his/her education, then they will be required to pay the tuition cost for that course prior to starting the course.
p. Graduation Requirements (financial): In order to graduate from the program, it is necessary, in addition to the academic requirements, to have completed the majority of payments on your bank loan. This means you must be able to finish making all bank loan payments within 6 months after your graduation date, based on continuing your regular payments (and also be in good standing, having made regular payments for at least the past 8 consecutive months). You must also pay all balances due in your student account before you can graduate.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You can participate in all graduation ceremonies and activities with 6 or fewer loan payments left, but you will not receive your actual diploma until all loan payments are made. Your diploma will be dated correctly but may be mailed to you a few months later when your loan is paid in full. This policy also applies to receiving official MIU transcripts; everything must be paid in full for a transcript to be sent. If you have completed all graduation requirements except for finances, you can get a letter from the University documenting that you have completed all the academic requirements for the Master’s degree and that you will graduate once your financial obligation is fulfilled.
Once your academic requirements have been completed, it is possible to start a year of Optional Practical Training (OPT), as long as your Curricular Practical Training (CPT) was not longer than one year. If you plan to do this, please get in touch with Ms. Jennifer Lamothe (seviscoordinator@miu.edu) a few months before the end of your year of CPT.
Also, the student must have completed 8 units of practicum in order to graduate. In the event that a student defaults on his/her bank loan for other reasons than not having an internship, then the student will be required to pay the full balance due before graduating.
If a student is not placed in an internship, then it is possible to graduate if 40 units of Computer Science courses are taken and when all of the student’s educational expenses are paid to the University and the student successfully completes all curriculum and other requirements. (Please note that if you stay on campus to complete your studies you will be charged for the additional months of room and board).