BS in Computer Science
The Bachelor of Science program emphasizes fundamental principles and provides a careful balance between the applications of computer technology and the theory of computing. In addition to the required fundamental computer science courses, students must also take technical electives to broaden their knowledge in major computer science areas.
The undergraduate academic program in Computer Science will enable our graduates to acquire by the time of their graduation: the ability to design, implement, and test small software programs, as well as large programming projects; knowledge of the theoretical concepts of computing; knowledge of the fundamental principles of programming languages, systems, and machine architectures; exposure to one or more computer science application areas; technical communication skills in written and oral form; the capacity to work as part of a team; and awareness of the ethical and social implications of developments in the field of computer science. Graduates of the computer science bachelors program will be well prepared for both industry employment and graduate study.
BS in Information Technology
As we enter the Information Age of the 21st century, society will be increasingly dependent on Information Technology and demand for IT professionals will remain high throughout the decades to come. The Bachelor of Science in Information Technology program at New Mexico Tech is administered jointly by the Computer Science and Management departments. The curriculum includes relevant computer science, management, and engineering courses and emphasizes secure information systems and information assurance that are among the areas of research at Tech’s Institute for Complex Additive Systems Analysis (ICASA) where IT students may find employment or internship opportunities. Students must also take a sequence of 12 hours of technical electives to broaden or deepen their knowledge in an IT area of their interest. Graduates of the IT program will be well prepared for immediate industry employment or graduate study in an IT-related discipline.
Graduates of the IT program will be well prepared for immediate industry employment or graduate study in an IT‐related discipline.
Minors
New Mexico Tech awards minors for your secondary field of study. While the number of credits required for a minor vary from department to department, a minimum of 18 credit hours is required. Students cannot earn a minor with either the Associate of General Studies or Bachelor of General Studies.
You must declare a minor and be assigned a minor advisor prior to completing the coursework for the minor.
The CS department offers minors in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Cybersecurity, and Data Science
Please visit the NMT Course Catalog (PDF) for the latest program requirement information.
BS/MS Five-Year Program
Highly motivated students with strong academic records may earn a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a Master of Science in Computer Science within a five-year period.
Please visit the NMT Course Catalog for the latest program requirement information.
MS in Computer Science
The Masters of Science program in Computer Science is based on course work as well as research
(either thesis or independent study option). The student must meet the general requirements of the
Graduate Program.
There is no foreign language requirement for the Master of Science degree in Computer Science or the Master of Science degree in Computer Science with Specialization in Information Technology.
Please visit the NMT Course Catalog for the latest program requirement information.
PhD in Computer Science
The department also encourages interdisciplinary work with other departments at Tech and offers specialization in other areas through the New Mexico Cooperative Ph.D. Program in Computer Science (which includes Tech, the University of New Mexico, and New Mexico State University) and in cooperation with researchers at Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories.
As computer science is a diverse and rapidly changing discipline, the program of study of a Ph.D. student will depend on the area of specialization and on prior experience and education. All Ph.D. students will be required to demonstrate master’s-level knowledge of the core areas of computer science, as well as a thorough understanding of the intended area of specialization. The core areas include programming languages, algorithms, systems, and computational theory. In addition, all Ph.D. students are required to take 3 credit hours of CSE 585 (Graduate Seminar). The specific course requirements are determined with the consultation and approval of the student’s advisory committee and the chair of the department.
To earn a Ph.D. degree, students must complete at least 60 post-baccalaureate credit hours. This includes at least 24 credit hours of dissertation research and at least 9 credit hours of coursework including CSE 585.
Before the degree is approved and granted, at least one paper on the subject matter from the dissertation must be accepted for publication to a reputable journal or conference proceedings acceptable to the doctoral committee of the student.
In order to advance to Ph.D. candidacy, the student must pass a candidacy examination (Ph.D. proposal defense) in his/her specific area of specialization. The student’s advisory committee will conduct the proposal defense.
The doctoral dissertation demonstrates the candidate’s capacity for independent research. The student may register for dissertation hours only after successfully completing the candidacy exam. A minimum of 24 credit hours must be devoted to the dissertation. The student is encouraged to explore the various current research projects in his or her field of interest before choosing dissertation subject.
The dissertation must be defended before the Tech faculty under the supervision of the student’s advisory committee. Manuscript requirements are in the catalog. An external examiner will be included on the defense committee. The candidate must be registered during the semester in which the completed dissertation is submitted to the Graduate Office.
Doctoral candidates are required to present at least one departmental or general seminar on the dissertation during their tenure as a graduate student.
Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity
The Cybersecurity Graduate Certificate offers graduate students and post‐ baccalaureate professionals an opportunity to build and strengthen their capabilities in cybersecurity for academic and professional work. The 12 credit hours of coursework required for the certificate include the foundational overview of cybersecurity and in addition allow the student to focus on cybersecurity courses that are of particular interest.
Please visit the NMT Course Catalog for the latest program requirement information.
GRE Waiver
The GRE requirement is waived for graduate applicants (Accelerated MS in CS, MS in CS, and PhD in
CS) who meet all of the following criteria: (1) current NMT undergraduate students or recent NMT
graduates (within the past five years) or current NMT graduate students; and (2) majoring in
Computer Science, Information Technology, Mathematics, or Electrical Engineering; and (3) 3.0 or
higher CGPA.