This 9-credit professional graduate certificate is a container credential, offered as a direct pathway and aligned to the online Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS). Learners complete any three (3) graduate computer science courses, drawn from the MSCS curriculum, for a total of 9 credits. The certificate is positioned as a stackable on-ramp into the Online MSCS: all 9 credits earned in the certificate apply directly toward the 30-credit MSCS degree upon admission. Recommended pathways are provided for learners targeting AI / machine learning, software development, cybersecurity, cloud and databases, computer vision, or general computer-science depth. Course offerings, eligibility, prerequisites, and minimum-grade policy follow the official MSCS catalog maintained by the Department of Computer Science.

The certificate inherits and prepares learners for a selected subset of the parent MSCS Program Objectives:

1. Develop competence in the software development skills required by industry through completion of three graduate computer science courses drawn from the MSCS curriculum.

2. Build the ability to create effective solutions to complex problems in computer system design or deployment within a chosen sub-area of computer science (AI / ML, software development, cybersecurity, cloud and databases, computer vision, or systems).

3. Practice effective collaboration as a member of a team within graduate-level project, assignment, and assessment work.

4. Establish credit-bearing momentum toward the full MSCS degree by transferring all 9 certificate credits into the parent program upon admission.