Student Resources

Meet Your Advisor

Todd Schnitzer

The College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering (CNSE) is committed to enhancing your undergraduate experience and work closely with you to navigate your academic program with the goal of ensuring academic success and professional growth.

The University requires that you meet with your academic advisor every semester to ensure that you’re enrolled in the right courses to meet requirements for your degree. Once you meet with your advisor, you’re given an AVN, so you can register for that semester’s classes.

We can help you

• Connect with people and offices across campus
• Get the information you need to succeed at the University at Albany
• Take advantage of all that UAlbany has to offer

Please read the weekly emails from [email protected] as they provide important information about how and when you can prepare for your advisement appointments.

Contact Us

Please contact the CNSE Advisement Office at [email protected] and schedule an appointment today to speak with an advisor.

Related Links

• Read Your Degree Audit
• Search Schedule of Classes
• Academic Calendar
• Undergraduate Bulletin

• Computer Science, BA
• Computer Science, BS
• Computer Science & Applied Mathematics (CSMAT) Data Analytics Concentration, BS
• Computer Science & Applied Mathematics (CSMAT) General Concentration, BS
• Computer Science Minor

• Add or Update a Major
• Add or Update a Minor
• Cross Registration Guidelines
• Time Conflict Override Form

• Student Forms

• Internship Request Form 
• Internship Request Review Committee

The Computer Science department at University at Albany offers both an MS and a PhD in Computer Science. Both programs have been recently modernized and include up-to-date cutting-edge content. The MS program is primarily course-based and prepares students for technical leadership roles in the software industry. The PhD program is research-based and prepares students for academic positions, research positions, and technical & leadership roles in companies and government services. PhD students learn how to do cutting-edge research under the supervision of world-class researchers in.

Both degree programs have stringent acceptance criteria and are rigorous and challenging. Students usually have undergraduate degrees in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or something closely related. Most PhD students start with an MS or obtain an MS during their studies.

Please refer to the Graduate Bulletin for all official rules pertaining to the MS-CS program and the PhD-CS program.

The MS-CS program is summarized in the following two charts. First is the overall structure of core courses, concentrations, breadth, and capstone:

Next is the concentration area courses, which define the breadth courses available for the three areas:

Please refer to our graduate courses prerequisite chart when planning your coursework:

To connect with your advisor please reach out to our department [email protected], where we can answer general inquiries. If appropriate, we will forward the request to your advisor.

Every MS-CS student must provide evidence of a basic level of competency in discrete mathematics. This competency is a prerequisite for many graduate courses, including required courses such as Algorithms & Data Structures. The discrete math requirement should be satisfied in the first semester of graduate studies. The student can demonstrate competency in discrete mathematics in one of two ways:

1) Passing the Discrete Mathematics Examination: The Discrete Mathematics Examination (DME) is given before classes start at the beginning of each term. Students can take the DME a maximum of two times. Please make sure you are adequately prepared when signing up for the test. A student’s grade for the examination will be a pass or a fail. A pass permits registration for any course requiring a discrete mathematics prerequisite. Announcements for how to register and prepare for the DME will be sent to all new students. 

2) Grade of C or better in CSI 521: CSI 521 is offered in both the Fall and Spring semesters. Students who receive a grade of C or better will satisfy the discrete mathematics competency requirement.

The Placement Exam, for those who need it, is given before classes start at the beginning of each term. If you are required to take this exam you will receive notice in your admissions letter. This exam tests for core CS deficiencies and requires that you take them in your first semester here.

Students that decide to enroll in the degree program will be given access to preparation materials for the exam, which gives them an opportunity to review before taking the exam. Once the exam is graded, you will meet with an advisor to review your results and register for classes.

• Graduate Internship Request
• Internship Request Review Committee

Please refer to the Graduate Bulletin for all official rules pertaining to the MS-CS program and the PhD-CS program.

1. Graduate School's forms; please refer to the Graduate School's website for additional forms

• Advanced standing & transfer credit form for PhD students: Transfer credit requests will be reviewed by the CS Department. Please enter the Department Chair as advisor
• Transfer credit request for MS students: MS transfer credit requests will be reviewed by the CS Department. Please enter the Department Chair as advisor
• Advance to candidacy for PhD students: This form can be submitted to the Graduate School once you have completed the requirements to advance to candidacy

2. CS department forms for PhD students

• Dissertation Approval: Submit this document to Graduate Education after successfully defending your dissertation
• Degree Conferral: Submitted this document to Graduate Education when all other requirements of your PhD program have been met
• Internal Milestones: PhD students should complete this form twice; once after completing your Oral Qualifying Exam and again after successful defending your dissertation. Send completed forms to [email protected]

3. CS department forms for MS students

• Request an Advisor Verification Number (AVN): You will need to be advised, either in one of our group advising sessions or in a one-on-one meeting with your faculty advisor
  • Request a Winter session AVN
• Request a Permission Number (PN): Use this if you do not have the prerequisite as given in the course description in the graduate bulletin
• Declare a concentration: Use this to declare your MS-CS concentration
• MS CS degree and GPA checking tool: Download this spreadsheet, enter the courses you have taken, and check your progress towards your degree. If you need to meet with your advisor, you should submit an up to date version of this tool.