The Department of Computer Science's Professional Master of Computer Science (MCS) in downtown Chicago, a partnership between The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Discovery Partners Institute, accepts domestic and international student applications.

Students learn from world-class faculty advancing computer science frontiers and will master in-demand skills to solve real-world problems throughout the computing landscape. Our MCS programs allow maximum flexibility for students. You can attend classes taught in person in downtown Chicago or through an online hybrid model. 

The MCS degree can be completed in as little as three semesters if enrolled full-time or can take up to five years as a part-time student. Busy professionals can complete a degree while they continue to meet their current life and career obligations. Students will also have opportunities for corporate engagement, such as attending professional networking events, industry-led presentations, and entrepreneurship events.

The Professional MCS is a non-thesis (coursework-only) degree requiring 32 hours of graduate coursework. You must choose at least four courses from unique "core" areas of computer science and 12 hours at the advanced graduate level (500-level). Students pay full tuition and applicable fees.

We also offer an Online MCS, an Online MCS in Data Science, and an on-campus MCS.