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Join us to find out about the Master of Science in Computer Science. You will learn more about performance-based admissions, pay-as-you-go tuition, industry certificate opportunities, and more. With no entrance exams, applications, or transcripts required, our master's program is built with you in mind.
Ball State University has partnered with Coursera, one of the largest online learning platforms in the world, to bring you an online master of science in computer science. The curriculum is designed by Ball State University, courses are taught by our accomplished faculty, and content is delivered through the Coursera platform.
Whether you come from a computer science or non-technical background, our performance-based admissions simplify the road toward your career goals.
Try before you decide! We offer three open courses on Coursera that apply toward progress in the Master of Science in Computer Science:
About the Master's in Computer Science
Ball State's online master's in computer science emphasizes applications and specializations with hands-on learning experience in state-of-the-art areas such as machine learning, data analytics, cybersecurity, and software engineering. You will also be offered opportunities to engage in research through a selection of courses that include student-led research projects.
You can also enhance your student experience in more specialized areas with electives such as AI, web development, and data visualization. The curriculum will incorporate industry content to enhance career outcomes, preparing graduates for roles in software development, network and systems engineering, and more.
Who Should Enroll?
The short answer is anyone! This program is built for learners of all educational backgrounds and career experiences. Whether you’re working in an entry-level position and want to advance your career, or you want to change careers entirely, we’ll help you achieve your goals.
Performance-Based Admissions
You can gain acceptance into the master’s of computer science through our performance-based admissions. No entrance exams, application fees, or transcripts are required. If you already have a Bachelor's in Computer Science or Computer Engineering, you may be able to waive 6 credits if you submit your transcripts. You will complete three 3-credit Ball State courses, and if you earn a cumulative 3.0 GPA or better, then you will be fully admitted into the program.
Meet Our Computer Science Faculty
Ball State’s Master of Science in Computer Science provides its students with educational opportunities to gain applicable skills, preparing them for real-world applications for their career. The exceptional faculty are active contributors in their fields who design their curriculum around the ever-evolving tech of computer science. Visit our faculty bio page to learn more.
Transfer Up To 9 Credits
If you have prior learning or credentials, you may be able to transfer up to nine credits to count toward your computer science master’s degree. Transfer credits can be made up of credits from other universities or by taking approved Coursera Industry content. Once your transfer credits are accepted, you’ll already have one-third of your program completed!
After enrolling in your first Ball State course, contact your student success specialist at cs.support@bsu.edu for more information.
Hear from Our Students
"This course is ideal for folks like me who have some (or no) background in Python coding but want to get up to speed efficiently and effectively. As a professor who has taught coding for 13 years, this is by far the clearest course and the most valuable time I have ever spent learning coding in a classroom--including my own!" — Nicholas R. Eaton, PhD
Career Outcomes
Earning your master’s in computer science will open career opportunities in any sector: business, government, technology, and more. Growth projections in computer science employment are expected to increase by nearly 12.5 percent nationwide within the next eight years (Source: Lightcast™ – lightcast.io).
You will be ready for the following jobs after graduation.
- Software developer
- Network and systems engineer
- Back-end developer
- Front-end developer
- Information security analyst
- Database developer
- Quality assurance engineer
- And more
Why Coursera?
Ball State is intentional about the organizations we work with. Our priority is always our students. Coursera shares the same commitment to bringing flexible, affordable, job-relevant online learning to individuals and organizations worldwide. Since its inception, Coursera partners with other accredited and well-known public institutions to offer credit-bearing courses and degree programs that involve rigorous study and proven outcomes for graduates of these programs.
The 100 percent online master’s in computer science curriculum is built and owned entirely by Ball State and you will still earn a reputable Ball State degree.
The degree is designed with the adult learner and working professional in mind. You will complete your course work through the Coursera online learning platform. Courses are asynchronous, meaning you can complete them at a pace that fits into your daily routine without worrying about being late to class. Many students take one or two courses at a time to balance work, classes, and other responsibilities.
Pathways to Credit
To earn a Master of Science in Computer Science through Coursera and Ball State University, you will earn 30-36 graduate credits depending on your prior academic history.
Courses are offered in fall, spring, and summer semesters. However, you have options to begin learning right away, including:
- Registering for course in an upcoming term
- Open Content from Ball State University
- Industry Content from Coursera partners including as Google, IBM, and more
Ball State University currently offers three open courses on Coursera. The projects that you complete in open courses can apply toward progress in the Master of Science in Computer Science once you enroll in the for-credit course:
Benefits include:
- Start today: you can enroll in the open course at any time; you don’t have to wait for the semester start date.
- Low cost: you may earn a certificate and add it to your LinkedIn profile.
- Same quality: the open courses are designed by the same faculty who teach our degree course
- Get a head start: completed work in open course Introduction to Programming transfers to CS 617. Completed work in Cybersecurity and Secure Software Design transfers to CS 647. Completed work in open course Data Visualization transfers to DSCI 605. When you enroll in degree courses CS 617, CS 647, or DSCI 605, you don’t have to resubmit projects you’ve already completed in open content courses.
Some designated courses offered through Coursera count toward credit in the Master of Science in Computer Science. Credits earned through Industry Content courses do not apply toward performance-based admission.
You may earn up to nine credits after you successfully complete the approved Coursera certificates and specializations below with a limit of six total credits applied toward CS 669 and CS 679. (Note: you may earn up to six credits in place of CS 669.)
Benefits include:
- Start today: you can enroll in industry content at any time; you don’t have to wait for the semester start date.
- Learn in-demand skills: you will receive professional-level training from a notable company like Google or IBM and earn an employer-recognized certificate.
- Flexible schedule: learn at your own pace.
- Earn degree credit: students who complete eligible industry content may earn credits toward elective courses. (credits do not count toward PBA requirements)
If you are interested in applying credit from any of these Coursera courses, you should fill out and submit the prior learning credit form after you enroll in your first course. For questions, contact online@bsu.edu.
* Courses from the Deep Learning Specialization include Neural Networks and Deep Learning, Improving Deep Neural Networks, Structuring Machine Learning Projects, and one of the following: Convolutional Neural Networks or Sequence Models.
** Courses from the IBM AI Engineering Professional Certificate include Machine Learning with Python, Introduction to Deep Learning & Neural Networks with Keras, Deep Learning with Keras and Tensorflow, Introduction to Neural Networks and PyTorch, Deep Learning with PyTorch, and AI Capstone Project with Deep Learning.
Curriculum Overview
A Customized Learning to Fit Your Background
A career in the growing field of computer sciences is attainable for all students by earning a Master’s in Computer Science from Ball State University. This program is an excellent fit for all—whether you have prior educational background in computer science or not. The curriculum ensures that you will learn applicable skills in innovative areas such as machine learning, data analytics, cybersecurity, data management, and software engineering. Students can apply these skills the very next day in the workplace.
There are two degree tracks to choose from to customize your learning to your career goals.
- Career Changer Track – no prior bachelor’s degree in computer science
- Computer Science Professional Track – bachelor's degree in computer science or computer engineering
If you're eager to learn more about computer science but do not have a prior bachelor's degree in the field, you can jump right into the Career Changer track. In this track, you’ll establish the foundational skills and understanding needed to succeed in the remaining courses.
Core Courses (18 credits)
- CS 601 Computer Programming and Data Structures (3 credits) — Offered Fall 2025
or CS 617 Introduction to Programming — Offered Fall 2025
- CS 602 Discrete Structures and Algorithms (3 credits) — Offered Fall 2025
- CS 621 Data Analytics (3 credits) — Offered Fall 2025
- CS 647 Cybersecurity and Secure Software (3 credits) — Offered Fall 2025
- CS 690 Software Engineering (3 credits)
- DSCI 604 Data Storage and Management (3 credits)
Research (6 credits, choose two courses)
You'll develop an applied research project in the courses shown here. Additional courses from this list may count as electives.
- CS 626 Topics in Artificial Intelligence (3 credits)
- CS 639 Seminar in Computer Science (1-6 credits)
- CS 668 Graphs, Algorithms, and Applications (3 credits)
- CS 679 Research Topics in Computer Science (3-6 credits)
- CS 681 Applications of Computability (3 credits) — Offered Fall 2025
- CS 699 Independent Study in Computer Science (1-6 credits)
Electives (12 credits, choose four courses)
In the advanced elective courses, you’ll tackle concepts such as full stack web development, machine learning, data mining, artificial intelligence, data storage, data visualization, advanced operating systems, advanced networking, graphs, and algorithms. These electives will help you develop specialized knowledge and skills to stand out to employers while pursuing careers in a chosen area of the broad field of computer science.
You also have the option to earn credit by completing eligible programs from Google, IBM, and other industry partners through Coursera. See the Pathways to Credit section above to learn more.
- CS 618 Full Stack Web Development (3 credits) — Offered Fall 2025
- CS 619 Advanced Operating Systems and Networking (3 credits)
- CS 626 Topics in Artificial Intelligence (3 credits)
- CS 639 Seminar in Computer Science (1-6 credits)
- CS 654 Machine Learning and Data Mining (3 credits)
- CS 668 Graphs, Algorithms, and Applications (3 credits)
- CS 669 Selected Topics in Computer Science (1-6 credits)
- CS 679 Research Topics in Computer Science (3-6 credits)
- CS 681 Applications of Computability (3 credits) — Offered Fall 2025
- CS 699 Independent Study in Computer Science (1-6 credits)
- DSCI 605 Data Visualization (3 credits) — Offered Fall 2025
- DSCI 606 Introduction to Cloud Computing (3 credits)
- ICS 664 Cloud Technologies (3 credits)
Students who have previously earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science or Computer Engineering can start their journey on the Computer Science Professional Track, and dive directly into the advanced courses in various compelling topics.
You will need to submit your transcripts to show your prior education in order to waive 6 credits of our program. This track also follows the performanced-based admissions guidelines. You will be admitted into the full program after completing three performance-based admissions courses, earning a 3.0 GPA or higher.
Core Courses (12 credits)
- CS 621 Data Analytics (3 credits) — Offered Fall 2025
- CS 647 Cybersecurity and Secure Software (3 credits) — Offered Fall 2025
- CS 690 Software Engineering (3 credits)
- DSCI 604 Data Storage and Management (3 credits)
Research (6 credits, choose two courses)
You'll develop an applied research project in the courses shown here. Additional courses from this list may count as electives.
- CS 626 Topics in Artificial Intelligence (3 credits)
- CS 639 Seminar in Computer Science (1-6 credits)
- CS 668 Graphs, Algorithms, and Applications (3 credits)
- CS 679 Research Topics in Computer Science (3-6 credits)
- CS 681 Applications of Computability (3 credits) — Offered Fall 2025
- CS 699 Independent Study in Computer Science (1-6 credits)
Electives (12 credits, choose four courses)
In the advanced elective courses, you’ll tackle concepts such as full stack web development, machine learning, data mining, artificial intelligence, data storage, data visualization, advanced operating systems, advanced networking, graphs, and algorithms. These electives will help you develop specialized knowledge and skills to stand out to employers while pursuing careers in a chosen area of the broad field of computer science.
You also have the option to earn credit by completing eligible programs from Google, IBM, and other industry partners through Coursera. See the Pathways to Credit section above to learn more.
- CS 618 Full Stack Web Development (3 credits) — Offered Fall 2025
- CS 619 Advanced Operating Systems and Networking (3 credits)
- CS 626 Topics in Artificial Intelligence (3 credits)
- CS 639 Seminar in Computer Science (1-6 credits)
- CS 654 Machine Learning and Data Mining (3 credits)
- CS 668 Graphs, Algorithms, and Applications (3 credits)
- CS 669 Selected Topics in Computer Science (1-6 credits)
- CS 679 Research Topics in Computer Science (3-6 credits)
- CS 681 Applications of Computability (3 credits) — Offered Fall 2025
- CS 699 Independent Study in Computer Science (1-6 credits)
- DSCI 605 Data Visualization (3 credits) — Offered Fall 2025
- DSCI 606 Introduction to Cloud Computing (3 credits)
- ICS 664 Cloud Technologies (3 credits)
Want to Learn More?
Do you have questions about this program or online learning? We're here to help! You may request more information, or feel free to reach out directly to one of our staff.