About the Certificate

Significant data growth leads to challenges in efficiently and securely sharing, accessing, and analyzing big data. Proficiency in big data management and security requires knowledge in interdisciplinary areas including computer science, business information technology, mathematics and statistics, and electrical and computer engineering. Currently many colleges and universities worldwide are establishing programs in big data analytics. Missouri S&T faculty have the expertise to provide a unique specialized graduate certificate program to teach practicing computing professionals and graduate students the skills that are necessary for the use and development of big data securely and efficiently.

Admission requirements

The graduate certificate program is open to all individuals holding a bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or a scientific discipline, and who have a minimum of two years of professional experience, or are currently accepted into a graduate degree program at Missouri S&T. The only additional requirement for students entering a graduate certificate program is that they satisfy the prerequisites for any course they take in the program.

The certificate program consists of four courses chosen from three areas. In order to receive a graduate certificate, the student must have an average graduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better in the certificate courses taken.

Students admitted to the certificate program will have non-degree graduate status, but will earn graduate credit for the courses they complete. If the four course sequence approved by the graduate advisor is completed with a grade of B or better in each of the courses taken, the student will upon application be admitted to the master's degree program in computer science as long as they have a bachelor's in computer science, electrical engineering, or computer engineering, and as long as they meet the minimum undergraduate GPA requirements and core computer science course requirements. All computer science certificate courses and up to one non-computer science certificate course taken by the students admitted to the program will count toward their computer science master's degree.

Once admitted to the program, a student will be given three years to complete the program as long as a B average is maintained in the courses taken.

Distance application requirements

Students applying for a graduate certificate must submit the following:

Completed Application
Statement of Purpose
Transcripts

Online Application

When you start a new application, select "Graduate Online/Distance" and then select the certificate program.
Don't forget to list your current employer and company location on the application.
Statement of purpose should be 2-3 paragraphs explaining why you are applying for this program.
Statement is to be submitted electronically on the online application; you'll copy and paste it into the provided text box.

Unofficial transcripts are sufficient for an admit decision.

Upload your transcripts on the online application under your "Institutional Data." If you previously attended S&T, you must upload your transcript. An unofficial transcript can be requested through Joe’SS. How to Request Unofficial Transcripts (pdf)
PDF scans are preferred.
The university requires official transcripts from all schools attended before a student may register for a second semester.
In order for a transcript to be counted as official it must be sent directly from the school to S&T, it cannot come from a student.

Official transcripts should be mailed to Global Learning:

Missouri University of Science and Technology
Office of Global Learning
G8 Norwood Hall, 320 West 12th Street
Rolla, MO 65409

Pathway to a Master's Degree

Are you a working professional who wants to earn your master's degree, but you don’t have time to take the GRE/GMAT? Then start in a graduate certificate program. Graduate certificates were designed as a pathway to a master's degree.* The admission requirements are more relaxed and credit earned will count toward your degree. Once you successfully earn your graduate certificate, you can continue with the corresponding master's degree without having to take the GRE/GMAT.

Related Degrees

This graduate certificate may act as a pathway to the following master’s programs:

*Completion of a graduate certificate program does not automatically guarantee admission into a corresponding graduate degree program. To continue in a master’s degree program, you must apply.

Questions?

Missouri S&T Online Education

Sylvia Skouby, Associate Director for Online Admissions

Phone: 573-341-6903
Email: stgrad@mst.edu

Computer Science

Dr. Ricardo Morales
Assistant Teaching Professor
Computer Science
340 Computer Science Bldg.
500 W. 15th St.
Rolla, MO 65409-0350
Phone: 573-341-6350
Email: csgradcoord@mst.edu
Web: cs.mst.edu

Online Education

Graduate Certificate in Big Data Management and Security Computer Science