Computer science master’s degree candidates can view application Aug. 1

By Mark Muckenfuss

In the fall of 2027, Cal State Monterey Bay will become one of only a few universities offering an accelerated in-person master’s program in computer science, one in which a student can earn a degree in a single year. 

Thang Bui, an assistant professor of computer science, is director of the new program. Applications for the first cohort of students open Oct. 1, but the forms will be available online for review beginning Aug. 1. Bui said he is hoping 30 to 40 students will begin the program next year. 

“Typically, a master’s degree takes two to 2½ years to complete,” Bui said. “Our program offers students the opportunity to earn their degree in one calendar year by completing three consecutive semesters, including the summer. ”

Bui holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in computer science from Stony Brook University. He taught at West Virginia Institute of Technology for two years before coming to CSUMB in 2023.

Students in the new master’s program will be free to complete their degrees in the traditional two years, he added. But he thinks the option of finishing in a shorter time will be attractive to students. 

Even with the compressed time frame, he said, research will be a key component. 

"We will offer a lot of research opportunities for the master’s students, along with hands-on, project-based learning experiences,” he said. “These opportunities will help prepare students for successful careers in industry or for pursuing further academic and research opportunities after graduation.”

The students, he said, will also have a mentorship role to play.

“The master’s students will help our bachelor’s students directly,” he said. “We will have more students to serve as teaching assistants and take on more active roles on research projects. It’s like a bridge between the faculty and the undergrads.”

Bui said one of the biggest challenges in teaching computer science is dealing with a moving target.

“There are a lot of new things rolling out every single day,” he said, referring to industry products. “To incorporate that into our program is very difficult. We need to be able to identify a set of knowledge that establishes the fundamentals. We’re trying to teach the students how to learn, so that, with the evolving industry, they can just adapt to whatever they need to in a short amount of time.”   

Interested students can get more information and view the application form online.