Attachment I
South Dakota Board of Regents
New Graduate Degree Program
University:
Proposed Graduate Program:
Degree:
Existing or New Degree(s):
Intended Date of Implementation (term):
Proposed CIP code:
University Department
University Division
South Dakota State University
M.S. in Computer Science
M.S.
New
Fall 2011
110101
Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
College of Engineering
University Approval
To the Board and the Executive Director: I certify that I have read this proposal, that I believe it
to be accurate, and that it has been evaluated and approved as provided by university policy.
President of the University
Date
After approval by the President, a signed copy of the proposal should be transmitted to the Executive
Director. Only after Executive Director review should the proposal be posted on the university web site
and the Board staff and the other universities notified of the URL.
1. What are the purposes of the proposed program?
South Dakota State University requests authorization to offer an M.S. in Computer Science with
no new State resources requested. The new degree would replace an emphasis with the SDSU
M.S. in Engineering. A separate M.S. in Computer Science degree will make SDSU more
attractive to prospective graduate students. The M.S. in Computer Science is widely recognized
by employers and Ph.D. programs. There are no additional costs as a result of this new program.
The primary purposes of the proposed program are:
(1) to more effectively recruit and retain high quality South Dakota students interested in
pursuing graduate education and research-focused careers in computer science;
(2) to provide a more recognized graduate degree than the currently available “generic” MS
in Engineering program, which is not recognized by many prospective students and
faculty as a research-focused degree;
(3) to better support South Dakota’s economic growth in computer hardware and software
systems;
(4) to support the South Dakota Workforce 2025 Initiative by offering programs of key
strategic importance for the state’s workforce development.
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South Dakota State University
New Program: M.S. in Computer Science
Expected Demand for Graduates in South Dakota
A recent study conducted by SDSU revealed that 59% of its computer science graduates (both
BS and MS) who completed degrees in the last five years now live or work in South Dakota.
The table below provides a summary of computer science employment needs in South Dakota
from the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation. Three of the occupations (denoted
**) are highlighted by the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation as being among
the fastest-growing occupations in South Dakota, with strong job prospects over the next five
years.
South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation
Occupational Estimates and Projections: 2008 - 2018
Selected Occupations Related to Computer Science
SOC*
Standard Occupational Classification Title
Code
2008 Base
Number of
Jobs
2018 Projected
Number of Jobs
Percent
Change
151021 Computer Programmers
545
470
-13.8%
151031 Computer Software Engineers, Applications**
675
870
28.9%
151032 Computer Software Engineers, Systems Software**
410
505
23.2%
1,890
2,020
6.9%
151051 Computer Systems Analysts
655
695
6.1%
151061 Database Administrators
100
110
10.080
1,210
1,450
13.3%
800
1,090
36.3%
151041 Computer Support Specialists
151071 Network and Computer Systems Administrators
151081 Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts**
TOTALS:
6,285
7,210
14.7%
Source: South Dakota estimates and projections from South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation, available at:
http://dol.sd.gov/lmic/menu_projections.aspx#occupations
* Standard Occupational Classification, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
**On the South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation list of fastest growing occupations at:
((http://dol.sd.gov/lmic/occupation_projections_fastest_growth.aspx)
Relationship to University Mission in Statute and Policy
The statutory mission of South Dakota State University is provided in SDCL 13-58-1:
Designated as South Dakota’s land-grant university, South Dakota State University, formerly
the state college of agriculture and mechanical arts, located at Brookings, in Brookings
county, shall be under the control of the Board of Regents and shall provide undergraduate
and graduate programs of instruction in the liberal arts and sciences and professional
education in agriculture, education, engineering, home economics, nursing and pharmacy,
and other courses or programs as the Board of Regents may determine.
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South Dakota State University
New Program: M.S. in Computer Science
Related Programs in the System
SDSU has permitted students to complete the M.S. in Engineering with an emphasis in
Computer Science since 1994.
USD M.S. in Computer Science
South Dakota School of Mines & Technology:
• M.S. in Robotics and Intelligent Autonomous Systems (approved in April 2009)
• M.S. in Computer Science, placed on inactive status (March 2010)
Programs in Adjacent States
M.S. in Computer Science degrees in the adjacent states are provided in the table below. Iowa,
Minnesota, and North Dakota offer the program at more than one of their public universities.
State
Iowa
Minnesota
Montana
Nebraska
North Dakota
Wyoming
University
Iowa State University
University of Iowa
University of Minnesota—Twin Cities
University of Minnesota—Duluth
Montana State University
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
North Dakota State University
University of North Dakota
University of Wyoming
Program
MS in Computer Science
MS in Computer Science
MS in Computer Science
MS in Computer Science
MS in Computer Science
MS in Computer Science
MS in Computer Science
MS in Computer Science
MS in Computer Science
Historical Background
SDSU has offered an M.S. in Engineering (emphasis in Computer Science) since 1994, and has
produced many successful graduates. The average enrollment in the program in the last ten years
is 38 students and more than 80 students have completed Master of Science theses and
research/design papers in the last ten years.
Prior to 2010, the MS in Engineering had emphases (Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering,
Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and
Physics). Five of the six emphases were standalone master’s programs prior to 1973 when they
were combined into a single Engineering program as part of a Board of Regents effort to reduce
graduate programs in the state system. The Board of Regents has recently approved new
engineering master’s degrees to replace emphases within the M.S. in Engineering:
•
•
•
•
M.S. in Electrical Engineering, approved December 2009
M.S. in Civil Engineering, approved March-April 2010
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, approved March-April 2010
M.S. in Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, approved March-April 2010
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South Dakota State University
New Program: M.S. in Computer Science
There remains only one “emphasis” area left in the M.S, in Engineering degree: Computer
Science.
The Electrical Engineering & Computer Science Department offers both an ABET accredited BS
in Computer Science program and the current M.S. in Engineering (emphasis in Computer
Science) which is operated entirely as if it were a strong traditional M.S. in Computer Science
program. The program has a Computer Science Graduate Coordinator and five faculty members
who have Graduate Faculty status with the Graduate School. Competition for high quality
computer science graduate students has become increasingly challenging due to the
unconventional name of the program. This is especially problematic now as growth in research
in computer science and engineering has become a high priority strategic goal for the College of
Engineering and SDSU. Computer science has been identified as a target area for investment and
growth in funded research, and renaming this M.S. program is an important part of the SDSU
strategy.
2. Rationale
A. If a new degree is proposed, what is the rationale?
SDSU offers the M.S. degree in a number of disciplines.
B. What is the rationale for the curriculum?
The curriculum is based upon a traditional M.S. in Computer Science program, building upon
a set of foundational courses in computer science covering the fundamental research areas
and including elective courses that provide the student with depth of knowledge in her/his
field of interest. The SDSU computer science program has strong supporting coursework and
faculty expertise in areas of (1) Artificial Intelligence, (2) High Performance and distributed
Computing, (3) Multimedia Computation, (4) Software Engineering, (5) Computer Networks
and (6) Real time Embedded Systems.
C. Demonstrate that the curriculum is consistent with current national standards.
Formal national standards do not exist for M.S. programs in computer science. Standards are
maintained through rigorous coursework and research that is comparable to other recognized
graduate institutions across the nation. The structure for the proposed M.S. in Computer Science
is traditional and very similar to those of other programs including the four leading graduate
programs in Computer Science listed below:
Rice University
http://www.cs.rice.edu/Grad/MCS%20Degree%20Requirements.pdf
University of Texas at Austin
http://www.cs.utexas.edu/graduate-program/masters-program
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South Dakota State University
New Program: M.S. in Computer Science
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
http://www.cse.umich.edu/eecs/graduate/cse/csegradpage.html
University of Utah
http://www.ece.utah.edu/ms_thesis_handbook
The proposed program structure includes the two pathways also available at the four leading
institutions: one for the traditional thesis (30 credits) and a more professional pathway for the
research/design paper option (32 credits). The traditional thesis option requires completion of
30 credits with approximately 24 credits in coursework plus 6 credits of thesis/research. A
comparison of thesis program requirements is summarized in the table below:
Structure of Computer Science Master’s Programs for the Research (thesis) Path
Rice
U.
U.
U. Texas Michigan
Core course credits, all students
Elective course credits (includes approved
courses from both inside and outside of the CS
major)
U.
Utah
SDSU
proposed
12
12
12
9
12
18
12
12
15
12
Thesis Credits
2
6
6
6
6
Total Credits
32
30
30
30
30
Most programs (all four of those leading programs in the table above) also include a professional
pathway for the degree that requires more course credits in place of the thesis credits.
D. Summary of the Degree
M.S. in Computer Science
Required courses, all students
Electives
Total required for the degree
Credit
Hours
12
18-20*
30-32*
Percent
38-40%
60-62%
100%
*Option A (Thesis) requires 30 credits; Option B (Research/Design Paper) requires 32 credits.
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South Dakota State University
New Program: M.S. in Computer Science
Required Courses
Prefix &
Num
CSC 705
CSC 710
CSC 720
CSC 770
CSC
CSC
Course Title
Design & Analysis of Algorithms
Structure & Design of Programming Languages
Theory of Computation
Software Engineering Management
Option A: Thesis*
Option B: Research/Design Paper*
Existing or
New
Existing
Existing
Existing
Existing
Existing
Existing
Credit
Hours
3
3
3
3
6
2-3
*Note: Option A (Thesis) requires 6 credits of CSC 798 Thesis; Option B (Research/Design Paper)
requires 2-3 credits of CSC 788 Research/Design Paper.
Elective Courses in the Program:
All elective courses already exist (no new courses to be added):
CSC 522 GUI Programming
CSC 533 Computer Graphics
CSC 547 Artificial Intelligence
CSC 574 Computer Networks
CSC 601 Accelerated Computer Science Fundamentals
CSC 630 Principles of Data Base System Design
CSC 643 Systems Analysis and Design
CSC 740 Management Information System
CSC750 Recent Advances in Parallel Processing
Math 571 Numerical Analysis I
Math 671 Numerical Analysis II
CSS 701 Methods of Applied Mathematics
CSS 702 Elements of Computational Science
CSS 703 Statistical Modeling and Computing
CSS 704 Computing Paradigms
Other elective courses from outside the department (such as in Mathematics or Physics) may be
used only if: (1) 500-level or higher, (2) they support a coherent plan of study, and (3) they are
approved by the Major Advisor and Graduate School.
3. Student Outcomes & Demonstration of Individual Achievement
A. What specific knowledge and competencies, including technology competencies,
will all students demonstrate be able to demonstrate before graduation? The knowledge
and competencies should be specific to the program and not routinely expected of all
university graduates. Complete Appendix A – Outcomes using the system form.
Outcomes discussed below should be the same as those in Appendix A.
Appendix A contains the student outcomes that were developed to ensure that all graduates
are prepared to enter employment in industry or continue on towards a Ph.D. degree. These
outcomes focus on three major areas:
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South Dakota State University
New Program: M.S. in Computer Science

conduct research and/or design projects that demonstrate an ability to model, analyze
and design computer science processes and systems;

articulate a solid understanding of the fundamental principles in computer science,
including in the area of specialization and supporting areas; and

demonstrate an ability to communicate, both orally and in writing, technical
information in an effective manner.
B. What national instruments (examinations) are available to measure individual
student achievement in this field?
None
C. How will mastery by individual students be demonstrated? Describe the specific
examinations or processes to be used. This is to include external measures. 1 What will
be the consequences for students who do not demonstrate mastery?
Mastery will be demonstrated through assessing completion of the Outcomes in Appendix A
and the existing policies of the SDSU Master of Science Degree Requirements of the
Graduate School (see 2011-2012 Graduate Bulletin) including the Comprehensive Oral
Examination conducted by the Advisory Committee at the conclusion of each student’s
work. In addition, the written thesis or research/design paper, which is submitted to the
Advisory Committee prior to the Final Oral Examination, also serves as part of the process
for verifying mastery. SDSU policy requires that the program submit an annual assessment
report on achievement of the outcomes.
4. What instructional approaches and technologies will be used to teach courses in the
program? This refers to the instructional technologies used to teach courses and NOT the
technology applications students are expected to learn.
Standard contemporary classroom and laboratory technologies will be used.
5. Did the University engage any developmental consultants 2 to assist with the
development of the curriculum? Were any professional or accrediting associations
consulted during the development of the curriculum? What were the contributions of the
consultants and associations to the development of curriculum? See also section 11 below.
None used
6. Are students in the program expected to be new to the university, redirected from other
programs or both? Complete the table and explain how the estimates were developed.
1
What national examination, externally evaluated portfolio or student activity, etc will be used to verify that
individuals have attained a high level of competence and identify those who need additional work?
2
Developmental consultants are experts in the discipline are hired by the university to assist with the development
of a new program (content, courses, experiences, etc). Universities are encouraged to discuss the selection of
developmental consultants with Board staff. See section 11 below.
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South Dakota State University
New Program: M.S. in Computer Science
1st
Estimates
FY12
Students transferring from M.S. in Engineering, fall
15
Students continuing from earlier years
Students new to the university, fall
15
= Total students in the program (fall semester)
30
Program credit hours (major courses)**
225
Graduates in FY
12
Fiscal Years*
2nd
3rd
FY13 FY14
15
15
18
21
33
36
247
270
12
14
4th
FY15
15
24
39
292
18
** This is the total number of credit hours generated by students in the program in the required or elective
program courses.
Students currently enrolled in the MS in Engineering with an emphasis in Computer Science will
be redirected to the proposed MS in CS program. In the past 5 years, the average number of
students enrolled in the program has been 30. Typically 15 or more new students enroll each
year. Students average 7.5 credits per semester with coursework and thesis/design paper. Since
the MS in CS program is recognized as the research MS degree, it is anticipated that the pool of
applicants for the MS in CS program will be expanded and include higher quality applicants than
the current MS in Engineering program. This will allow the department to be more selective in
accepting MS applicants.
7. If program accreditation is available, identify the organization and explain whether
accreditation is required or optional, the resources required, and the University’s plans
concerning the accreditation of this program.
Dual program accreditation by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) was only recently approved for
B.S. and M.S. programs in Computer Science. However, the criteria for MS level accreditation
are still being developed. The institution’s plans for future accreditation of the MS program will
depend on the outcome of the new ABET criteria development. If the institution decides to
pursue future ABET accreditation, no new required resources will be required.
8. Does the University request any exceptions to any Board policy for this program?
Explain any requests for exceptions to Board Policy.
None.
9. Program Delivery
A. Does the University request authorization to deliver this entire program at any offcampus locations? If yes, list location(s) and intended start date(s).
No
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South Dakota State University
New Program: M.S. in Computer Science
B. Does the University request authorization to deliver this entire program by distance
technology? If yes, identify delivery method(s) and intended start date(s).
No
C. Include off-campus tuition and site or delivery costs in the next section and in
Appendix D. If off-campus or distance delivery authorization is not requested, enter
“None.”
None
10. Costs, Budget and Resources
Development/Start-up
Reallocate existing resources
No
Apply for external resources
No
Ask Board to seek new State resources
No
Ask Board to approve new or
increased student fee
No
Long-term Operation
Yes
Yes
No
No
Explain the amount and source(s) of any one-time and continuing investments in
personnel, professional development, release time, time redirected from other
assignments, instructional technology & software, other O&M, facilities, etc needed to
implement the proposed program. Address off-campus or distance delivery separately.
Complete Appendix B Budget and Resources and briefly summarize.
The University has developed the graduate courses in computer science so that students may
complete the M.S. in Engineering with an emphasis in Computer Science. There are no onetime costs or reallocations necessary to implement an M.S. in Computer Science. A budget is
not provided because all resources (faculty, courses, funding, etc.) necessary to operate the
proposed M.S. in Computer Science program are currently in place.
11. Board Policy 2:1: “Proposals for new graduate programs shall be evaluated by
independent consultants retained by the Board.” Provide the names, telephone numbers,
and URLs of professional organizations, accrediting bodies, and journals (editors) who
may be able to assist the Board staff with the identification of consultants.
External review was waived by the Executive Director (Dr. Warner) because the University has
allowed students to complete a computer science emphasis within the M.S. in Engineering.
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South Dakota State University
New Program: M.S. in Computer Science
Appendix A
Student Outcomes for the proposed M.S. in Computer Science
Individual Student Outcome
(Same as in the text of the proposal)
Program Courses that Address the Outcomes
Program Core
CSC 788 or
and
Approved
CSC 798, and
Comprehensive
Electives
Final Exam.
Written Exam.
Conduct research and/or design projects
that demonstrate an ability to model,
analyze and design computer science
processes and systems.
Articulate a solid understanding of the
fundamental principles in computer science,
including in the area of specialization and
supporting areas.
*
*
Demonstrate an ability to communicate,
both orally and in writing, technical
information in an effective manner.
SDSU MS CompSci Sep01.doc
*
*
*
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