Computer Science Master's Degree

Degree required for admission: Most candidates have completed an undergraduate degree in computer science. Applicants with degrees in other disciplines and a record of excellence are encouraged to apply; these applicants are required to have completed at least six prerequisites: 4 computer science courses covering the foundations of the field and 2 math courses. 

You do not have to take a specific computer science course.  As long as the courses are undergraduate- or graduate-level grade- and credit-bearing computer science courses offered at a university, they meet the requirement. Examples of computer science courses are: Intro to Computer Science (COMS W1004 or COMS W1007), Advanced Programming (COMS W3157), Data Structures and Algorithms (COMS W3134 or W3137), which is a prerequisite for most of our graduate-level courses, or/and Discrete Math (COMS W3203).  Courses in computer languages such as Java, R, and Python are also sufficient. For the math prereqs, students are encouraged to take linear algebra and differential equations. 

These courses must be taken at a university (can be online) and must be grade- and credit-bearing.  MOOCs such as courses on Coursera and edX do NOT meet this requirement. These courses are not offered here at Columbia Video Network, but may be taken at another online institution or your local university.  Work experience does not waive this requirement. 

GPA required: Most students admitted have earned a grade point average above 3.5 (out of 4.0); a GPA of at least 3.3 is required. 

GRE requirements: General test required. A subject GRE test is not required but may be helpful in strengthening your application. 

Competence in English: If you have not earned a degree from an undergraduate or graduate institution in which the instructional language was English, you may be required to take the TOEFL/IELTS. 

Other application requirements: 3 recommendation letters, transcripts, resume, and a personal-professional statement are required. All application requirements in the Graduate Application must be completed as specified in the application. 

For answers to your most common admissions questions, please review our FAQ page here.

Students must complete all core courses and selected electives for a total of 30 graduate points of academic work via CVN while maintaining a minimum grade point average of 2.7. All degree requirements must be completed within 5 years of the beginning of the first course credited toward the degree. This includes courses taken in the non-degree program.

Students follow a plan of study in one of the Concentration Tracks below.

Concentration Tracks:

Computational Biology

Computer Security

Foundations of Computer Science

Machine Learning

Natural Language Processing

Network Systems

Software Systems

Vision, Graphics, Interaction and Robotics

Students select a track during their first semester in the program. For those interested in a plan of study beyond one of the concentration tracks, please see below.

Personalized Track 

Students must complete at least 30 points of graduate coursework as outlined below. 

• Breadth courses
• Track Electives (6 points)
• A minimum of 6 points of 6000 level graduate coursework selected from Computer Science and/or related areas in consultation with a faculty advisor

Core Breadth Requirement

All students must complete the Breadth Requirement. Visit the breadth requirement page for a list of courses.

Track Courses

Advisor-approved program of 30 points of graduate coursework. At least 6 points of 6000-level graduate courses selected from Computer Science and/or related areas together with your faculty advisor. At most three credits overall may be from "non-technical" graduate courses.

2023–2024 Tuition & Fees

Please note that all tuition and fees are in U.S. dollars and are estimated. Tuition and most fees are prescribed by statute and are subject to change at the discretion of the Trustees.

CVN Credit Tuition: $2,462.00 per point (Credit Hour)
CVN Fee: $395 non-refundable fee per course
Transcript Fee: $105 non-refundable one-time fee
Tuition Deposit: $1,000 (More information on our Resources page)

Estimated cost of one nondegree course: $7,886.00
Estimated total cost of certification (four courses): $31,229.00

Estimated total cost of MS (ten courses): $77,915.00
*Estimated total cost of DES (ten courses plus a minimum of 12 research credits): $108,249.00

Graduate Admission Application Fee: $85 non-refundable one-time fee 
Certification Program Application Fee: $85 non-refundable one-time fee 

Late Registration Fee: $100 non-refundable fee

CVN Withdrawal Fee: $75, plus prorated tuition and all non-refundable fees
For example: A three-credit course would be $7,781 + transcript fee $105 (one-time) + CVN fee $395 = $7,886

*Assumes DES student enrolls in two six-credit research courses.

For Drop/Withdrawal fees and dates, refer to the Academic Calendar for the current term.

Please note: CVN no longer offers courses for audit.

Payment should be mailed to:

Columbia University
Student Account Payments
P.O. Box 1385
New York, NY 10008-1385

Before you mail your check or money order, please take careful note of the following requirements to ensure the timely processing of your payment: https://sfs.columbia.edu/content/pay-mail.