Master of Computer Science - Thesis

at University of Houston, USA

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About HoustonHouston is the nation's fourth largest city and an international destination, bursting with energy.

Known as the energy capital of the world, the city is home to 19 Fortune 500 companies and the

world's largest medical center—providing limitless opportunities for UH students to develop

their skills in internships and fieldwork experiences in the real world.

Houston's quality of life and proximity to research partners in business and government also

make the city an attractive home for talented professors and their families.

Houston is a fun place to live, too. Interested in the arts? Take in a performance of the Houston

Ballet, Houston Grand Opera, or Houston Symphony, or wander through Houston's Museum

District. Rather be outdoors? Choose from more than 160 golf courses, commune with wild

animals at the Houston Zoo, or go hiking at the Armand Bayou Nature Center.

"A mouth-watering destination for foodies," according to USA Today , Houston offers dining

options from BBQ to seafood, and from Tex-Mex to Vietnamese. Jazz and blues clubs add to the

lively nightlife. As Dan Halpern wrote in The New York Times, "Maybe that's what makes

Houston such an unusual and wonderful place--there are so many different Houstons to see."

UH at a GlanceFounded in 1927, the University of Houston is the leading public research university in the

vibrant international city of Houston. Each year, we educate more than 36,000 students in nearly

300 undergraduate and graduate academic programs, on campus and online. UH awards more

than 6,500 degrees annually, with nearly 200,000 alumni.

Location

Programs of Study

Research

Faculty

Students

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Student Life

Accreditation

UH Points of Pride

Location UH is located in Houston, Texas, the nation’s fourth-largest city and the energy capital of the

world. Our students regularly test their skills through internships with national and international

companies based here, and our faculty routinely partner with businesses and government

agencies through research.

Programs of Study Our undergraduates choose from 109 majors and minors. At the graduate level, we offer 128

master’s, 50 doctoral, and three professional degree programs. You may study online through our

Distance Education program, or take non-credit courses through Continuing Education. Many of

our academic programs rank among the nation’s best.

Research Our faculty and students conduct research through 40 research centers and in every academic

department. UH research regularly breaks new ground and opens doors to new ways of

understanding the world.

Faculty University of Houston faculty are renowned scholars with real-world experience who work

closely with each student. From the Tony Award to the Nobel Peace Prize and back to the

classroom, UH faculty makes things happen on campus and across the world.

Students The University of Houston is the second most ethnically diverse major research university in the

United States. Students come to UH from more than 137 nations and from across the nation. Our

student body comprises more than 36,000 undergraduate and graduate students. [More about our

student population]

Student Life

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With more than 300 student organizations and 16 intercollegiate sports teams, life at UH is active

and lively. About 4,000 students live on campus in residence halls, apartments, and townhouses.

Accreditation The University of Houston is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern

Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master's, professional, and doctoral

degrees.

In addition, the University is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools in the United States,

the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools, the National Commission on Accrediting, the

Association of Texas Colleges and Universities, the American Council on Education, the

Association of American State Colleges and Universities, the Association of American Colleges,

the Association of Urban Universities, and the National Association of State Universities and

Land Grant Colleges. UH colleges, programs, and professional associations also hold

memberships and accreditations by additional agencies

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Qualification: Masters Degree (USA)

Awarding body: University Of Houston

Cost: $513.80 per semester credit hour

Duration description: Variable

Study mode: Full time

Website: http://www.uh.edu/admissions/international/

Entry requirements:

Applicant must complete either with a grade of B or better, or obtain advanced placement in every one of the following eight categories: Math 1431 (Calculus I), 1432 (Calculus II), and Math 2431 (Linear Algebra); COSC 1320 (Intro to CS II); COSC 2320 (Data Structures); COSC 2410 (Computer Organization and Programming); COSC 3330 (Computer Architecture); COSC 3340 (Intro to Automata and Computability); COSC 4330 (Fundamentals of Operating Systems); COSC 4351 (Software Engineering). They should have GRE scores of high 600's (GRE score = Quantitative and Verbal) and official TOEFL scores of 100 on the internet-based test, 250 on the computer-based test, or 603 on the paper-based test.

Application deadline: May/01 for Fall, Oct/01 for Spring, Apr/01 for Summer

Application details:

Applicant can submit the application form through online with a payment of $150 application fee (by check payable to the University of Houston). They should submit two official transcripts from all higher education institutions attended; official GMAT or GRE scores less than 5 years old; two letters of recommendation from academics, employers or professionals; resume and goal statement. All the documents must send to University of Houston; 334 Melcher Hall, Suite 330, Houston, TX 77204-6021. They should also submit official TOEFL score (Required scores are as follows: 100 on the internet-based test, 250 on the computer-based test, or 603 on the paper-based test.) Scores over 2 years old will not be accepted; Degree Clarification Form; Statement of Understanding; Transfer Form; Overseas Address Form; Letter of Financial Banking; Permission Release Form and two Passport photos. These documents must send to University of Houston; Office of International Admissions; 122 E. Cullen; Houston, TX 77204-2023.

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Courses: Computer Science (COSC)

6110: Graduate ColloquiumCr. 1. (0-2). Prerequisite: approval of chair. May be repeated for a maximum of three semester hours of credit.

6111: Graduate Seminar Cr. 3. (3-0). Graduate Colloquium; cannot be substituted for COSC 6110.

6198:6298:6398:6498:6598: Special ProblemsCr. 1-5 per semester. Prerequisites: consent of instructor and approval of chair.

6301: Introduction to Computer ScienceCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: graduate standing, knowledge of one programming language, and one of the following: MATH 1431, PHIL 2321 or consent of instructor. Credit may not be applied toward a degree in computer science. Digital computers, algorithms, and programming; procedure and assembly language; definition and transformation of information structures and their representations in digital computers.

6302: Introduction to Logic and Computing MachinesCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: graduate standing, knowledge of one programming language, and one of the following: MATH 1431, PHIL 2321 or equivalent, or consent of instructor. Credit may not be applied toward a degree in computer science. Sets, relations, Boolean algebra, propositional calculus, first-order predicate calculus, combinational circuit and sequential circuit, storage elements, arithmetic units, Turing machines, and basic computer organization.

6303: Introduction to Numerical AnalysisCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: MATH 2431 and MATH 3431. Credit may not be applied toward a degree in computer science. Numerical solutions of non-linear and linear equations, error analysis, ill-conditioned systems; interpolation, numerical differentiation and integration; numerical solutions to differential equations; quadrature, error analysis and stability.

6304: Introduction to Structured Programming and AnalysisCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: graduate standing, knowledge of one programming language, and any one of the following: MATH 1431 and PHIL 2321, or equivalent. Credit may not be applied toward a degree in computer science. Structured programming, string processing, and searching and sorting; analysis of formal structures, including linear list, string, orthogonal list, tree, and multilist.

6305: Introduction to Computer Science II Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: consent of the Director of Graduate Studies. Credit may not be applied toward a graduate degree. Object-oriented programming, elementary data structures and the C++ programming language. Students must make an oral presentation on aspects of the course content.

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6306: Data Structures Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: consent of the Director of Graduate Studies. Credit may not be applied toward a graduate degree. Introduction to various data structures; sorting and searching; design, analysis and comparison of algorithms. Students must make an oral presentation on aspects of the course content.

6309: Introduction to Automata and Computability Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: consent of the Director of Graduate Studies. Credit may not be applied toward a graduate degree in Computer Science. Introduction to automata theory (finite state automata, pushdown automata, Turning machines; formal systems; computability, Church-Turing thesis. Students must make an oral presentation on aspects of the course content.

6310: Fundamentals of Operating Systems Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: consent of the Director of Graduate Studies. Credit may not be applied toward a graduate degree in Computer Science. Purpose of an operating systems; sequential processes, concurrent processes, deadlock, mutual exclusion, semaphores; memory management, processor management, peripheral device management. Students must make an oral presentation on aspects of the course content.

6311: Fundamentals of Software Engineering Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: consent of the Director of Graduate Studies. Credit may not be applied toward a graduate degree in Computer Science. Introduction to the concepts of software engineering. Identification of problems related to the development of large software systems. Software project planning, requirements analysis, design, implementation, quality assurance and maintenance. Students must make an oral presentation on aspects of the course content.

6318: Object-Oriented Analysis and DesignCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 4351 or consent of instructor. Software life cycle, object-oriented paradigm, classes, object relationship, software architecture, use-case analysis, object modeling technique, design metrics, object-oriented design principles, design patterns.

6320: Data Structures and AlgorithmsCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 2320 or COSC 6304. Mathematical techniques for algorithm analysis; advanced data structures including sets, graphs, tree structures and hashing; algorithm design techniques including dynamic programming, greedy methods, divide-and-conquer; selected classes of algorithms; lower bounds.

6322: Biochemistry of Organelles Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: Graduate standing; BCHS 3305 or consent of the instructor. Biochemistry of mitochondria and chloroplasts including electron transport, oxidative phosphorylation, chemiosmotic theory. Includes mitochondrial theory of aging and apoptosis. A written assignment on primary literature related to course subject.

6325: Analysis of Algorithms - Mathematical TechniquesCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: MATH 3336 or equivalent. Recurrences, number theory, enumeration

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methods, generating functions, probability and asymptotics, treated from the point of view of analysis of algorithms, with examples.

6340: Data ManagementCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 3480. MATH 3336 strongly recommended. Topics related to data management in a database environment, including data normalization, functional dependencies, database design, data integrity and security, and distributed data processing.

6341: Information RetrievalCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 2320 and graduate standing or consent of instructor. Representation, storage, organization and access to items of information (e.g., documents, images, audio and video clips). Topics include: information retrieval of text, human-computer interactions, multimedia and applications such as the Web, digital libraries, genomic information retrieval, and bibliographic systems.

6342: Machine LearningCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: MATH 3338 and graduate standing or consent of instructor. Concept learning, hypothesis spaces, decision trees, neural networks, Bayesian learning, computational learning theory, instance-based learning, genetic algorithms, rule-based learning, analytical learning, and reinforcement learning.

6343: Advanced Topics in Pattern Analysis Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 6342. Bayesian decision theory, maximum likelihood and Bayesian parameter estimation, nonparametric techniques, neural networks, evolutionary techniques, decision trees, clustering and unsupervised learning, foundations of machine learning.

6351: Software EngineeringCr. 3. (3-0). (Formerly COSC 6350) Prerequisite: COSC 4351 or consent of the instructor. In-depth treatment of software engineering topics, including project planning, software processes, metrics, quality assurance techniques, formal methods, and other subjects of current interest.

6352: Declarative Programming LanguagesCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 4315 or consent of the instructor. Study and comparison of non-imperative languages with emphasis on functional and equational languages and their programming concepts and implementation issues.

6360: Operating SystemsCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 4330. Review of the current literature on operating systems concentrating on the current areas of operating systems interest.

6361: Languages and CompilersCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 4310. Basic considerations involved in the design and implementation of imperative programming languages and their compilers.

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6362: Fault-Tolerant Computing SystemsCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 4330. Backward and forward recovery techniques; fault-tolerant data structures, robust algorithms; design diversity, fault-tolerant aspects of distributed software systems; Byzantine failures; performance reliability tradeoffs.

6364: Numerical AnalysisCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 3362 or COSC 6303 or consent of instructor. Numerical solution of partial differential equations by finite difference and finite element algorithms. Direct and iterative methods for solving large, sparse linear systems and related eigenvalue/vector problems. Emphasis is placed on robust mathematical software and its interaction with computer hardware and languages.

6365: Introduction to High-Performance ComputingCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: COSC 4310, COSC 4330, and COSC 6303 or equivalent. Hardware organization of vector array and parallel processors for high performance computations. Vector languages and language extensions for vectors and parallel processing. Automatic vectorization and parallelization of scalar programs. Implementation of vector and parallel algorithms for scientific applications.

6366: Knowledge Based SystemsCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 4350 or equivalent. Computerization of human expertise. Topics include: rule based programming; control strategies, inference techniques, knowledge representation techniques, knowledge acquisition strategies of knowledge based systems; models for approximate reasoning; knowledge base design.

6367: Evolutionary ProgrammingCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: COSC 2320 and MATH 3336 or consent of the instructor. Theory and application of evolutionary programming and other related areas in evolutionary and natural computation, centering on genetic algorithms and genetic programming, evolution strategies, artificial life, and other models that rely on evolutionary principles.

6368: Artificial IntelligenceCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 4350 or consent of instructor. A survey of broad areas in artificial intelligence, emphasizing areas of current interest.

6369: Theory of ComputationCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 3340 or consent of the instructor. Models of computation, Church-Turing thesis, undecidability, feasible computability, time and space complexity, complexity classes, lower bounds.

6370: Medical ImagingCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. Introduction to basic imaging modalities used to identify the anatomy and function of human organs. X-rays, CT, MRI, PET, SPECT, and CSI.

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6371: BioinformaticsCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. Computational methods for understanding biological systems at the molecular level; genetic mapping and sequencing, sequence analysis, phylogenic inference, and regulatory analysis; data structures and algorithms for problems in genetics and molecular biology.

6372: Computer GraphicsCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 4370 or consent of instructor. In-depth study of selected areas in computer graphics such as 3D modeling, hidden surfaces, surface reconstruction, shading and texturing, computer animation, and other recent developments in computer graphics.

6373: Computer VisionCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 6320 or consent of the instructor. Introduction to computer vision and machine perception. Topics to be covered include: image formation, representation, image segmentation, feature extraction and analysis, shape representation, binocular stereo and motion analysis.

6374: Parallel ComputationsCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: COSC 3330 and COSC 4380, or consent of instructor. Parallel computation models, design and analysis of parallel algorithms.

6375: Computer Systems Performance EvaluationCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 4330 or consent of instructor. A systematic approach to performance studies used in designing, procuring, tuning, upgrading and capacity-planning centralized, parallel and distributed systems. Performance metrics and techniques for their evaluation using measurements, simulation and analytical models.

6376: Grid ComputingCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. Introduction to technologies used to enable sharing of computational resources across multiple internet domains.

6377: Computer NetworksCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 4377 or consent of the instructor. Designing and specification of network protocols; advanced network protocols: broadcast, multicast, security, compression, congestion control, quality of service guarantees.

6384: Real-Time SystemsCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 4330 or consent of instructor. Introduction to problems that may arise in real-time applications of digital computers; architecture of real-time systems; methods for real-time software design and implementation. (Term project required.)

6385: Computer ArchitectureCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 4330. Elements of computer architecture: instruction set design, computer arithmetic, memory hierarchies, instruction level parallelism, SIMD, MIMD, system design and performance values.

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6386: Program Analysis and TestingCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Introduction to concepts and problems related to program-correctness; formal basis and techniques for program analysis, program testing, test-case generation, and their applications.

6390: Internet ComputingCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 4330 or consent of instructor. Introduction to Internet, including http, cgi, server-side programming including object-oriented programming, applets, abstract windowing toolkit, multithreading, event handling, security, network programming and object serialization.

6391: Biomedical Image AnalysisCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Principles and computational methods for the analysis of biomedical images. Topics include segmentation, classification, registration and validation.

6394: Infared ImagingCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Fundamentals of infared imaging. Computational aspects of infared video analysis and applications in biomedicine and biometrics.

6395: Computational PhysiologyCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Computational modeling of macroscopic and microscopic physiological systems. Measurement of physiological variables through traditional and novel sensing methodologies.

6397: Topics in Computer ScienceCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

6399:6699:7399:7699:7999: Master's ThesisCr. 3, 6, or 9 per semester.

6407: Computer Organization and Programming Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: consent of the Director of Graduate Studies. Credit may not be applied toward a graduate degree. Basic computer organization; machine cycle, digital representation of data and instructions, assembly language programming, assembler, loader, macros, subroutines and program linkage. Students must make an oral presentation on aspects of the course content.

6408: Computer Architecture Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: consent of the Director of Graduate Studies. Credit may not be applied toward a graduate degree in Computer Science. Principles and operation of digital computers, analyzing their component parts; arithmetic, memory, contraol and input/output units. Students must make an oral presentation on aspects of the course content.

6998: Special ProblemsCr. 9. (9-0). Prerequisite:Consent of instructor and approval of department chair.

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7340: Advanced Database ManagementCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 6340 or consent of instructor. An in-depth study of selected topics in database management including semantics, integrity, logic, distribution, relational theory,and design.

7350: Advanced Software EngineeringCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 6351. Topics in specification languages, software design methodologies, program analysis, software validation and verification, programming environments, program visualization, visual programming, software metrics, etc.

7352: Advanced Symbolic Computing and Formal VerificationCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 6352 or consent of instructor. Study of current research in symbolic computing, rewriting, automated deduction, and formal verification.

7360: Advanced Operating SystemsCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 6360 or consent of the instructor. In-depth treatment of some areas (distributed systems, I/0 subsystems, analytical models, protection and security, etc.) in operating systems.May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

7363: Advanced Artificial IntelligenceCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 6368 or consent of instructor. Study of current research areas in artificial intelligence.

7364: Advanced Parallel ComputationsCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: COSC 6385 and COSC 6374 or consent of instructor. An in-depth study of selected topics in parallel computations.

7369: Advanced Theory of Computation and Formal LanguagesCr. 3. (3-0). (Formerly COSC 7380) Prerequisite: COSC 6369 or consent of the instructor. Selected advanced topics in theory of computation, formal languages, automata theory and computational complexity. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

7371: Data SecurityCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: COSC 6340 and COSC 6360, or consent of instructor. Introduction to problems related to data security; security of statistical databases; authorization mechanisms for systems with shared resources; cryptography and applications.

7372: Advanced Computer GraphicsCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 6372 or consent of the instructor. In-depth treatment of topics in computer graphics, including computer animation, photo-realistic image synthesis, volume-rendering, and other subjects of current interest. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

7373: Advanced Computer VisionCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 6373 or consent of the instructor. In-depth treatment of computer vision, including physics-based modeling, shape from shading, motion tracking, object recognition and other subjects of current interest. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

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7374: BioinformaticsCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 6371 or consent of instructor. Advanced topics and computational approaches in the areas of gene expression data analysis and DNA sequence analysis.

7377: Advanced NetworkingCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Selected topics in communication with and between computer system nodes including routing and flow control, local and wide area networking protocols, collective communication paradigms, quality of service, security, and mobile computing.

7384: Advanced Real-Time SystemsCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 6384 or consent of instructor. Advanced study of the current research in the theory and techniques for the design and development of intelligent, highly fault-tolerant, and distributed real-time systems.

7385: Advanced Computer ArchitectureCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 6385 or consent of the instructor. In-depth treatment in selected areas of recent developments in computer architecture.

7388: Advanced Distributed Computing Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: COSC 6377 or consent of instructor. Advanced topics from current research in parallel and distributed computing.

7397: Advanced Topics in Computer ScienceCr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

8198:8398:8598:8698:8998: Doctoral ResearchCr. 1, 3, 5, 6, or 9 per semester. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor and approval of department chair.

8399;8699;8999: Doctoral DissertationCr. 3, 6, or 9 per semester. Prerequisite: admission to candidacy as a doctoral student in computer science.

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Master of Science Degree

Degree Requirements:

The Master of Science (M.S.) degree will be awarded after students have successfully completed requirements specified in one of the two following plans:

Plan I: Thesis Option

Students may satisfy degree requirements by completing a minimum of 30 approved semester hours, no more than nine of which, with specific departmental approval, may be at the advanced undergraduate level, and no more than six of which may be undergraduate hours in the major department. At least six semester hours of thesis courses and a thesis acceptable to the department must be completed. At the option of the department, a qualifying and/or final comprehensive examination may be required.

Students who complete a thesis as part of their degree requirements must specify a thesis committee and have the names on file in the Office of the Dean at least one semester prior to their graduation. The committee must consist of a minimum of two faculty members from within the major department and one approved member external to the major department from industry and/or academia who is acceptable to the department and the college. After these minimum requirements for committee members are satisfied, additional committee members may be approved from industry and academia.

Plan II: Non-thesis Option

In some departments, students may satisfy degree requirements by completing a minimum of 36 approved semester hours, no more than nine of which, with specific departmental approval, may be at the advanced undergraduate level and no more than six of which may be special problems courses. At the option of the department, a qualifying examination and/or final comprehensive examination may be required.

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