Master of Science

The master’s program consists of 45 units of coursework taken at Stanford. No thesis is required; however, students may participate in research projects during the master’s program. Although there is no specific background requirement, significant exposure to mathematics and engineering coursework is necessary to complete the program successfully.

There are four tracks in the master’s program:

• General CME

• Data Science

• Imaging Science

• Mathematical and Computational Finance

Requirements

Unless specified in the Bulletin, a candidate must complete a program of 45 units of courses numbered 200 or above. Courses below the 200 level require special approval from the program office. At least 36 of these must be graded units, and all letter-graded units must be passed with a C- or better and have a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) or better. A course cannot be used to satisfy more than one requirement for the MS degree unless it can be repeated for credit.

Coterminal Master’s Program

University Coterminal Requirements

Coterminal master’s degree candidates are expected to complete all master’s degree requirements as described in this Bulletin. University requirements for the coterminal master’s degree are described in the Coterminal Master's Degrees section. University requirements for the master’s degree are described in the Graduate Degrees section of this Bulletin.

After accepting admission to this coterminal master’s degree program, students may request transfer of courses from the undergraduate to the graduate career to satisfy requirements for the master’s degree. Transferring courses to the graduate career requires review and approval of both the undergraduate and graduate programs on a case-by-case basis.

The university requires that the graduate advisor be assigned in the student’s first graduate quarter even though the undergraduate career may still be open. The university also requires that the Master’s Degree Program Proposal be completed by the student and approved by the department by the end of the student’s first graduate quarter.

The ICME Master of Science with Distinction in Research program is designed for students interested in pursuing in-depth research or preparing for a PhD. This selective program allows students to engage in an extended, original research project for a minimum of three quarters, culminating in a written thesis. The work is conducted under the guidance of a faculty advisor and is associated with the CME 291 research course.

To be eligible, students must be enrolled in the ICME M.S. program, be in good academic standing with a cumulative GPA of 3.6 or higher, and secure a faculty advisor. The advisor must be a member of Stanford’s Academic Council or an ICME Affiliated Faculty member who agrees to supervise the thesis.

Students are encouraged to consult with the ICME Faculty Director and ICME Student Services officers for guidance on identifying a suitable research project and faculty supervisor.

To apply for the program, students must submit the following materials:

• A brief research proposal (3–5 pages) describing the planned project and relevant background.

• A letter of endorsement from the proposed faculty advisor.

• A current unofficial transcript.

Admission to the program is selective. Applications will be reviewed by an ICME faculty committee. Meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee acceptance.

Students may submit their application by May 1 or August 31 of each year. Successful applicants will be notified by late September.

Students admitted to the Master of Science with Distinction in Research are expected to:

• Enroll in and complete a minimum of 9 research units (CME 291) under their thesis advisor’s supervision.

• Produce a thesis or substantial research report to be reviewed and approved by their advisor and ICME faculty director as second faculty reader. Submit the final, approved thesis to ICME Student Services by the university's degree conferral deadline.

• Present their thesis work at the ICME symposium either as a poster or oral presentation. Posters must be reviewed and approved by their advisor before presenting.

• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.6 or higher in courses counted towards the ICME major during their time in the program. The GPA will be reviewed at the end of each quarter.

• Enroll in the CME CME 300 or CME 500 seminar series.