University of Wyoming

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Admission Snapshot

Typical admitted student: Bachelor's degree in computer science or a related technical field required. Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 required. Prerequisites include undergraduate algorithms, data structures, calculus, and computer organization. GRE General Test: verify current requirement with the UW CS department; program policy may allow waivers. International applicants: TOEFL 79 iBT (520 paper) or IELTS 6.5 minimum. Fall application deadline: February 1 (priority); Spring: September 1. Apply at uwyo.edu/grad.

About This Program

The University of Wyoming's MS in Computer Science is the flagship CS graduate degree at Wyoming's land-grant research university. Located in Laramie, the program serves students targeting careers in Wyoming's energy sector, federal agencies, and the broader Rocky Mountain technology market. Faculty research spans AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and scientific computing applications relevant to energy data and environmental monitoring. The program also benefits from UW's proximity to the Wyoming Energy Authority, the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR, Boulder CO), and federal computing facilities in the region.

Career Outcomes

30-credit thesis or 33-credit non-thesis MSCS at University of Wyoming in Laramie, with research strengths in AI, cloud and energy data systems, cybersecurity, and scientific computing—one of only a handful of CS graduate programs in the Mountain West energy corridor.

• 1. Software Engineer
• 2. ML / AI Engineer
• 3. Data Scientist
• 4. Cloud / Systems Engineer
• 5. Scientific Computing Specialist

What You'll Learn

• Complete 30–33 credits spanning required algorithms, breadth distribution, and advanced technical electives.
• Specialize through electives in AI/ML, cloud computing, data mining, cybersecurity, or scientific computing.
• Apply CS expertise to Wyoming's energy data, environmental monitoring, and federal agency computing contexts.
• Complete a supervised thesis (6 credits) or project course (CS 5950, 3 credits) as the capstone requirement.

Curriculum Highlights

The MS in Computer Science at the University of Wyoming is offered by the Department of Computer Science in the College of Engineering and Applied Science in Laramie, WY. The thesis track requires 24 course credits plus 6 credits of thesis research (CS 5960); the non-thesis track requires 33 course credits including a 3-credit project course (CS 5950). Required core courses cover advanced algorithms (CS 5550) and at least one breadth area each from theory, systems, and applications. Graduate elective areas include machine learning, artificial intelligence (CS 5570), data mining, computer graphics, scientific computing, cloud computing, computer networks, cybersecurity, and parallel processing. Wyoming's energy-sector economy creates unique demand for AI applied to oil and gas data analytics, energy grid optimization, and environmental monitoring. Catalog: catalog.uwyo.edu.

Top Employers

Wyoming energy companies (Ultra Petroleum, PacifiCorp), National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), US Geological Survey, Wyoming state government technology agencies, Rocky Mountain regional technology employers; verify current recruiting through UW Career Services.

Admissions

Bachelor's degree in computer science or a related technical field required. Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 required. Prerequisites include undergraduate algorithms, data structures, calculus, and computer organization. GRE General Test: verify current requirement with the UW CS department; program policy may allow waivers. International applicants: TOEFL 79 iBT (520 paper) or IELTS 6.5 minimum. Fall application deadline: February 1 (priority); Spring: September 1. Apply at uwyo.edu/grad.

Application Materials

• Official Transcripts: Required
• Statement of Purpose: Required (research interests and career goals)
• Letters of Recommendation: Three required
• CV/Resume: Required
• GRE General: Verify current policy with UW CS department
• English Proficiency: TOEFL 79+ iBT or IELTS 6.5+ for international applicants
• Application: Via UW Graduate School portal

Academic Requirements

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