MSC Credit distribution.xml

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
<!DOCTYPE concept PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DITA Concept//EN" "http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.1/OS/dtd/concept.dtd" []>
<concept id="ms-coursework-credit-distribution">
<title>Credit distribution</title>

  <shortdesc></shortdesc>
  <prolog>
    <author type="creator">Graduate Program Committee</author>
    <copyright>
      <copyryear year="2014"/>
      <copyrholder>CS Department</copyrholder>
    </copyright>
  </prolog>
  <conbody>

<p>The credit distribution table for the Coursework option can be summarized as follows: </p>

<table>
  <tgroup cols="4">
  <colspec colnum="1" colname="c1" colwidth="4*"/>
    <colspec align="right" colnum="2" colname="c2" colwidth="1*"/>
    <colspec align="right" colnum="3" colname="c3" colwidth="1*"/>
  <colspec colnum="4" colname="c4" colwidth="6*"/>
  <thead>
    <row>
      <entry>Category of courses</entry>
      <entry>Credits Min</entry>
      <entry>Credits Max</entry>
      <entry>Notes</entry></row>
    </thead>
    <tbody>

    <row><entry>CS courses at 4000 level and above</entry>
      <entry>33</entry>
      <entry></entry>
      <entry>Cannot include 
        <xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses/CS5014" format="html" scope="external">CS 5014 Research Methods in Computer Science</xref>, 
        <xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses/CS5894" format="html" scope="external">CS 5894 Final Examination</xref>, 
        <xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses/CS5904" format="html" scope="external">CS 5904 Project and Report</xref>, 
        <xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses/CS5944" format="html" scope="external">CS 5944, </xref>
        <xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses/CS5994" format="html" scope="external">CS 5994 Research and Thesis</xref>, or 
        <xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses/CS7994" format="html" scope="external">CS 7994</xref>. Visit our website for a list of the approved graduate courses (see <xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses" format="html" scope="external"/>).</entry></row>

    <row>
      <entry>CS courses at 4000 level</entry>
      <entry></entry>
      <entry>3</entry>
      <entry>Visit our website (see <xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses" format="html" scope="external"/>) for a list of the approved courses that can be taken for graduate credit. The list includes appropriate 4000 courses.</entry></row>

    <row>
      <entry><xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses/CS5974" format="html" scope="external">CS 5974 Independent Study</xref></entry>
      <entry></entry>
      <entry>3</entry>
      <entry></entry>
    </row>

    <row>
      <entry>CS courses at 6000 level</entry>
      <entry>3</entry>
      <entry></entry>
      <entry></entry>
    </row>

    <row>
      <entry>Minimum required credits</entry>
      <entry>33</entry>
      <entry></entry>
      <entry></entry>
    </row>
    </tbody>
  </tgroup>
</table>

    <note>Each of the lines above must be interpreted as an individual, distinct, constraint so that all constraints have to be simultaneously satisfied. The columns are not meant to "add up", i.e., 33+3 is obviously not equal to 33.</note>

    <p>Additional credit hours may be taken in any category, but do not count toward degree requirements. Substitutions for degree requirements are allowed only under rare or exceptional circumstances. Requests for substitutions must be made to the AGS.</p>

    <p>Observe that all courses must be at the 5000 level or above with possibly at most one 4000 level included. Furthermore, if a CS 4000 level course is included, it must be from the list of CS 4000 level courses approved for graduate credit (see <xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses" format="html" scope="external"/> for a list of available graduate courses). Credits from 
      <xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses/CS5014" format="html" scope="external">CS 5014 Research Methods in Computer Science</xref>, 
      <xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses/CS5894" format="html" scope="external">CS 5894 Final Examination</xref>, 
      <xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses/CS5904" format="html" scope="external">CS 5904 Project and Report</xref>, 
      <xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses/CS5944" format="html" scope="external">CS 5944 Graduate Seminar</xref>, 
      <xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses/CS5994" format="html" scope="external">CS 5994 Research and Thesis</xref>, and 
      <xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses/CS7994" format="html" scope="external">CS 7994 Research and Dissertation</xref> cannot be used to satisfy any M.S. coursework credit requirements. Finally, observe that at least one 6000 level course is required.</p>

    <p>Although the credit distribution table indicates that 
      <xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses/CS5974" format="html" scope="external">CS 5974</xref> is optional, the final report from 
      <xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses/CS5974" format="html" scope="external">CS 5974</xref> effectively serves to fulfill the final exam requirement and hence registering for 
      <xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses/CS5974" format="html" scope="external">CS 5974</xref> is the most common way to obtain a coursework Masters degree. See more discussion below on how to satisfy the final exam requirements if 
      <xref href="http://www.cs.vt.edu/graduate/courses/CS5974" format="html" scope="external">CS 5974</xref> is not included in the student’s plan of study. </p>

  </conbody>
</concept>