Join our results-focused MS program and develop the credentials employers want in one of the world's top markets for tech talent.
Our program trains students of diverse backgrounds — computer science majors and those pivoting into the field — through a common core curriculum and specializations in applied computer science, cybersecurity, game and computational media, or data science. Students may receive funding as research assistants working with professors or in other university roles.
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Current Research areas include computational science and signal processing; cybersecurity, data science, AI, and machine learning; neuroscience, visual/tactile perception, and DNA sequencing; game design, illusions, and social simulations.
The DC tech sector of federal and state agencies, NGOs, higher ed, and contractors/consultancies offers max career choice — with triple the national concentration of computer science jobs and starting salaries for MS graduates over $100K.
AU profs Nathalie Japkowitz and Zois Boukouvalas release comprehensive work on robust AI-evaluation methods on Cambridge UP:
Machine Learning Evaluation: Towards Reliable and Responsible AI.
The MS program offers students 4 specializations:
Students choose their specialization while completing a 5-course common core. Starting in their penultimate semester, they begin work on an expansive capstone project with theoretical or practical options: Internship and Project, Project, or Thesis.
Beyond the capstone, students may work with faculty projects and labs, including the AU Game Center and Game Studio (for persuasive play and interactive media); Design and Build Lab (prototyping and digital fabrication); Data Science Lab (machine learning development and application); Lab for the Study of Sensation, Perception, Reality, and Illusion; and Computational Material Perception Laboratory (applying human perception principles to improve machine perception). Our students intern with a range of local, national, and international firms, often on campus or arranged through AU alum networks.
Recent student projects and internships include
Students progress through three phases of the program for the required 30 credits:
Visit our Admission and Course Requirements page for complete curricular and admission details, and guidance for international students.
“The community at AU is tight knit. It’s easy to contact professors, conduct independent studies, and participate in faculty research. Professors within the program explore many different areas of studies, so it is easy to learn from them and obtain internship and career opportunities through their advice and recommendations. ”
—Yanet Yilma, MS Computer Science alumna ’23
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual salary over $145,000 for Computer Scientists with starting salaries for MS graduates exceeding $100,000 nationwide as of 2023 (typically a 30-50% higher than starting salaries with bachelor's degrees). The DC metro area has triple the national concentration of jobs and job growth projected above the 26% national rate over the next decade.
In DC and surrounding areas, you'll be able to take advantage of the concentration of federal and state agencies, private contractors and consultancies, business, NGOs — and AU's active alumni network — to find career choices you want. Recent graduates have gone on to a range of positions at firms including
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