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Computer Science Degrees Available at Frostburg State University

This school appears in our ranking of the Top 30 Best Online Master’s in Computer Science Degree Programs.

Frostburg State University (FSU) offers both Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Computer Science through its Department of Computer Science & Information Technologies, which in turn is part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Students within this department can also pursue a minor in Computer Science, as well as undergraduate degrees in related computer information fields, although the MS in Computer Science is the only graduate degree offered by the department.

Students working toward the Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science must complete eight core courses for a total of 25 credit hours and six required courses totaling 18 credit hours. In addition, students in this major are required to complete 14 credit hours in Mathematics, including courses in Calculus and Probability and Statistics, 12 credit hours in Sciences, obtained by choosing a total of three courses on a prescribed list, six hours obtained through the two courses Introduction to Human Communication and Technical Writing, and at least six hours of electives chosen from a list of courses related to the computer sciences field. A minor in Computer Science requires only 11 credit hours in core courses and nine credit hours in electives, obtained through at least three additional computer science courses and two of which must be at the 300 level or above.

The Master of Science degree in Applied Computer Science is offered with both an online and an on-campus option and can be completed within one to two years, depending on whether the prospective graduate student has a background in computer science or not. As such, this degree is open to both students who have previously earned an undergraduate degree in computer science and to career-changers who are new to the field. The degree requires completion of a minimum of 30 credit hours, comprised of nine credits in basic required courses and the remainder in one of two concentrations, either the Database concentration or the General concentration. Each concentration, in turn, has its own set of core courses and electives to choose from.

Students earning the undergraduate degree in computer science at Frostburg can follow with the graduate degree completed in one year by integrating two graduate-level courses into their schedule during the senior year of their undergraduate program and then taking two online courses over the summer prior to officially starting graduate school. On the other end of this spectrum, students entering the graduate program without a computer science background will need to take two additional introductory graduate courses to make up for the deficiency, moving the timeline for completion closer to between 18 months and two years.

About Frostburg State University

Frostburg State University is a public university, part of the University System of Maryland, and the only four-year institution in this system that is also west of the Baltimore-Washington corridor. It is student-centered and focuses on experiential learning and student individuality. Founded in 1902 as State Normal School No. 2, Frostburg has since grown from its inaugural graduating class of 57 students to its current enrollment of more than 5,600 annually. It has changed names several times since its inception, finally becoming Frostburg State University in 1987. It became part of the University System of Maryland in 1988.

Frostburg State University Accreditation Details

Frostburg State is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, or MSCHE, to award degrees ranging from Associate level to doctoral. While the programs in computer science are not separately or individually accredited, they are covered by the institutional accreditation through MSCHE.

Frostburg State University Application Requirements

Prospective students looking to enter FSU as a freshman can apply online or through downloading the application form and filling it out manually, then submitting along with the $45 application fee. Once the application is forwarded, students must also provide official high school transcripts and test scores for either the SAT, ACT, or both. Students may also choose to submit a one-page essay based on provided guidelines and up to three letters of recommendation, although both the essay and letters are optional rather than required for admissions consideration.

Prospective students seeking entrance into one of the graduate programs must also fill out the application online or manually and submit it with the $45 application fee. In this case, official transcripts are needed for each previous college or university attended. In the case of the specific Master of Science in Applied Computer Science, students must hold a Bachelor degree from an accredited institution and be able to show an overall GPA of 3.0 or above. Students who have a GPA of less than 3.0 may still be considered for provisional admission, something that is evaluated on a case by case basis.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Undergraduate students at Frostburg are assigned tuition based on one of three resident statuses: a resident of the state of Maryland; a regional resident of Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, or Ohio living within 120 miles of Frostburg; or an out-of-state resident. The fees given are for full-time enrollment over the course of a nine-month academic year and are $6,468.00 for a Maryland resident, $14,812.00 for a regional resident, and $19,816.00 for an out-of-state resident.

Tuition at the graduate level is assessed per credit hour, rather than as one lump sum for the year, and is currently $528.00 per credit hour for Maryland residents and $646.00 per credit hour for out-of-state residents. Master level graduate courses taken online have slightly lower tuition rates of $429.00 per credit hour for in-state residents and $547.00 per credit hour for out-of-state residents.

Students at any level who are seeking financial aid may be eligible for grants, scholarships, loans, or work-study programs. In addition, graduate students may be able to apply for graduate assistantships, which come with a tuition waiver and a stipend given in exchange for about 20 hours a week doing research, teaching, or performing other activities related to their program. To be considered for federal aid of any kind, students should start by filling out and submitting the Free Application for Federal Financial Aid, or FAFSA.

The field of computer sciences is constantly growing and developing, providing for a variety of opportunities for those students seeking a vibrant career option with plenty of room for growth. Seeking one of the above degrees at Frostburg State University could also provide the advantage of gaining the individual focus and attention to detail needed to achieve the highest goals, both in one’s career and personal life.