Situated within the McCormick School of Engineering, the Department of Computer Science (CS) at Northwestern University equips students with the technological expertise to build computer science solutions for a better future. Driven by the CS+X Initiative, the department broadens the scope of CS impact by actively fostering transformational relationships between computer science and intersecting fields at Northwestern’s top-ranked schools.
Earn your master’s degree in computer science in our supportive, inclusive, and enthusiastic community that enables you to personalize the program to fit your own research interests and career aspirations. You’ll study alongside our PhD students in our integrated classrooms and perform world-class research with faculty who have developed new ideas and achieved results in all areas of computer science. At the same time, you’ll broaden your definition of CS by working with CS+X faculty who create interdisciplinary connections between computer science and other disciplines ranging from economics to law to art.
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“McCormick finds the balance between high-quality resources and low student-to-teacher ratios. Not only are the courses taught at a high caliber, but opportunities to work alongside exceptional professors and peers are easy to access, thus enriching the overall educational experience.”
Benefit from our culture, community, and proximity to Chicago’s growing tech sector
In our CS+X environment, you’ll have the opportunity to uncover new areas of study while taking advantage of our robust research connections across Northwestern’s top-ranked schools including medicine, business, journalism, music, and more.
When you join Northwestern CS, you’re entering a community, not just a classroom. You’ll not only find ample opportunities to network with fellow students, faculty members, staff, and even professionals in the CS field, but you’ll also to form supportive friendships.
Situated along Lake Michigan, 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, Northwestern’s unique location offers unsurpassed access to research partnerships and networking opportunities at neighboring tech organizations.
The basics at-a-glance
Students work with the MS program director to develop plans of study to meet their individual goals. Students can focus on a course degree plan or supplement coursework with a formal research master’s thesis or application project.
The degree can be completed in 3-4 quarters, while some students may take longer.
Credit options include CS courses, relevant courses from other departments, and research.
Students can work with CS faculty on a multi-quarter application project or more formal thesis research.
Students can design a breadth-based program in CS or a depth-based program that focuses on a specific area.
Click on an area to learn more about our current work.
Let us help you envision and advance your potential
In addition to preparing students for PhD studies, Northwestern computer science master’s degree graduates are recruited by employers in nearly every industry. Our career advisors in Engineering Career Development and Northwestern Career Advancement assist students with career development and placement.
Common career paths include:
Where our alumni work
Request a customized program guide about the master of science in computer science.
