Louisiana State University

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Admission Snapshot

Typical admitted student: Bachelor's degree in computer science or a related technical field required. Minimum GPA of 3.0. Prerequisites include programming, data structures, algorithms, and calculus. GRE: verify current requirement with LSU CSE department. International applicants: TOEFL 79 iBT or IELTS 6.5 minimum. Fall priority deadline: January 15. Apply at lsu.edu/graduateschool.

About This Program

Louisiana State University's MS in Computer Science is offered in the College of Engineering at LSU's flagship campus in Baton Rouge. The program benefits from LSU's Center for Computation and Technology (CCT), one of the country's premier academic HPC and computational science centers, as well as research ties to the petroleum engineering and environmental science disciplines that are pillars of Louisiana's economy. Baton Rouge's petrochemical industry corridor (ExxonMobil, Shell, Turner Industries) provides industry placement opportunities.

Career Outcomes

30-credit thesis or non-thesis MSCS at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, with research strengths in AI, machine learning, computer vision, and high-performance computing at the SEC's flagship research university.

• 1. Software Engineer
• 2. Machine Learning Engineer
• 3. Data Scientist
• 4. HPC / Research Computing Specialist
• 5. Systems Engineer

What You'll Learn

• Complete 30 credits with required algorithms and graduate CS foundations.
• Choose electives in AI/ML, computer vision, HPC, databases, or distributed systems.
• Access LSU's Center for Computation and Technology for HPC and computational AI research.
• Complete a supervised thesis or comprehensive exam-based non-thesis track.

Curriculum Highlights

The MS in Computer Science at Louisiana State University is offered by the Department of Computer Science and Engineering in the College of Engineering. The thesis track requires 24 course credits plus 6 thesis credits; the non-thesis track requires 30 course credits. Required core courses cover algorithms and graduate-level CS foundations. Elective areas include artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision, pattern recognition, databases, networks, parallel and distributed computing, and software engineering. LSU hosts the Center for Computation and Technology (CCT), a major hub for HPC and computational science. Catalog: catalog.lsu.edu.

Top Employers

ExxonMobil Baton Rouge, Shell Chemical, Turner Industries, IBM, Amazon, state government technology agencies; verify current recruiting through LSU Career Services.

Admissions

Bachelor's degree in computer science or a related technical field required. Minimum GPA of 3.0. Prerequisites include programming, data structures, algorithms, and calculus. GRE: verify current requirement with LSU CSE department. International applicants: TOEFL 79 iBT or IELTS 6.5 minimum. Fall priority deadline: January 15. Apply at lsu.edu/graduateschool.

Application Materials

• Official Transcripts: Required
• Statement of Purpose: Required
• Letters of Recommendation: Three required
• CV/Resume: Required
• GRE General: Verify current policy with LSU CSE department
• English Proficiency: TOEFL 79+ iBT or IELTS 6.5+ for international applicants
• Application: Via LSU Graduate School portal

Academic Requirements

• Degree Required: Bachelor's in CS or closely related; minimum 3.0 GPA
• Prerequisites: Programming, data structures, algorithms, calculus
• GRE/GMAT: Verify current policy
• TOEFL/IELTS: Required for international applicants (TOEFL 79+ iBT or IELTS 6.5+)