The only entrance requirement for students entering a graduate certificate program is that they hold a bachelor’s degree and satisfy the prerequisites for any course they take in the program. Once admitted to the program, the student must take the designated courses. In order to receive a graduate certificate, the student must have an average graduate grade point average of 3.0 or better in the certificate courses taken. Students admitted to the certificate program will have non-degree graduate status; however, if they complete the four-course sequence with a grade of B or better in each of the courses taken, they will be eligible to be admitted to the MS program in computer science if they apply if they meet all the other pre-requisites for the degree.
The certificate courses taken by students admitted to the MS program will count towards their master's degrees. Students who do not have all of the prerequisite courses necessary to take the courses in the certificate program will be allowed to take "bridge" courses at either the graduate or undergraduate level to prepare for the formal certificate courses. Once admitted to the program, a student will be given three years to complete the program so long as he/she maintains a B average in the courses taken.