As part of the MPCS degree, MPCS students in the 9-Course, 12-Course or Pre-Doc programs may request to take the following types of classes outside of the MPCS:
- Coursework in the CS department, including upper undergraduate level (20000) and PhD level (30000) classes and classes at TTIC.
- Up to two (2) courses from non-CS PSD upper undergraduate level (20000) and PhD level (30000) courses or courses from other graduate divisions and schools (e.g., Booth School of Business).
- Classes at the Booth School of Business are not allowed in your graduating quarter.
Please note: approval from the MCPS to take outside classes does not guarantee you a space in the class. Many CMSC and TTIC classes fill with CS undergraduate and PhD students that have registration priority for those courses. Approval from the MPCS is allowing the class to count towards your MPCS degree requirements, not granting you a space in the class.
No previous coursework prior to entering the program will be considered towards your degree.
Students must be in good academic standing to receive approval for outside coursework.
CS department coursework may be used to complete MPCS core, elective and specialization requirements. Approval is required before registration. There is no limit for the number of CS department courses that can count towards your MPCS degree. Approval is granted based on previous academic background, results of placement exams and performance in MPCS coursework.
Approval for non-CS courses is only given once at least three core classes have been taken in the program. For each course outside of the CS department, you will need to show that you have met the prerequisites for the course, have instructor approval, and in some cases, clearly outline why this class is beneficial to your career plans. Non-MPCS classes, if approved, will count as electives only. A maximum of two (2) non-MPCS will be approved.
- Courses outside the MPCS, CS Department and TTIC covering programming, data analytics or machine learning are usually not approved.
- For a complete list of TTI-C Courses and Prerequisites for MPCS Students, please visit https://mpcs-internal.cs.uchicago.edu/page/tti-c-courses-and-prerequisites-mpcs-students.
Requests must be sent before the quarter begins and you must have the program's approval before you can offcially register for the class. Requests sent after the quarter has started will not be considered.
To request approval, please complete the request form. The following information is required:
- Course Number and Name
- Course Instructor
- Course description, syllabus or website
- Proof that you've met the course prerequisite
- Reason course would benefit your degree
You must earn a letter grade above a C+ in any course taken outside the Masters Program in Computer Science for it to count towards your degree requirements. Pass/Fail grades are not allowed.
Please note that Masters Program in Computer Science Program Policies do not apply to courses outside the MPCS. Different administrative units may have additional policies you must follow.
The MPCS Student Course Request form is not for Bx/MS students. Bx/MS students should contact Jessica Garza (jdgarza@cs.uchicago.edu) regarding any non-MPCS course requests.