MS in Computer Science / MBA
The Joint MS in Computer Science /MBA Degree Program (CS/MBA) enables students to pursue simultaneously a Master of Business Administration at the Graduate School of Business (GSB) and a Master of Science in Computer Science at the Stanford School of Engineering. Joint MS/MBA degree students will have interests in technology and leadership with a desire to become managers or entrepreneurs in technologically-inclined businesses. The Joint MS/MBA Degree Program requires application to, and acceptance for admission by, both the Computer Science Department (CS) and the GSB. Typically, MS/MBA students apply to and gain acceptance for admission to both programs within the same year. However, it is possible for current CS (or MBA) students, who previously did not apply for the joint degree option, to apply for and pursue the Joint MS/MBA Degree Program. CS students in the second year and MBA students in the second year may not apply for the Joint MS/MBA Degree Program.
The Joint MS/MBA Program requires a combined total of 129 units, enabling completion of the joint degree in nine quarters.
Students must successfully complete 84 units of instruction at the GSB. This includes successful completion of the Management Perspectives and Management Foundation area requirements, and an approved Global Experience. Rules concerning Pass-Fail units, independent study, grade point average, the GER, and so forth will match those set for students in the regular MBA Program. Additionally, at least 84 units of the total joint degree units must be completed for a letter grade (not on a Pass/Fail basis).
Students must successfully complete at least 45 unduplicated units of instruction approved by CS. Some of these courses, not to exceed 12 units, may be applied from approved GSB coursework. Specific requirements include:
Completion of the following CS Foundations areas, of which 10 units may apply towards the 45:
Logic, Automata, and Complexity (CS 103, 3-5 units)
Probability (CS 109, Stat 116, CME 106 or MS&E 220, 3-5 units)
Algorithmic Analysis (CS 161, 3-5 units)
Computer Organization and Systems (CS 107 or 107E, 3-5 units)
Principles of Computer Systems (CS 110, 3-5 units)
CS Foundations may be waived, if equivalent coursework has been completed at another institution.
Completion of a course satisfying the Significant Implementation requirement:
CS 140: Operating Systems and Systems Programming
CS 143: Compilers
CS 144: Introduction to Computer Networking
CS 145: Introduction to Databases
CS 148: Introduction to Computer Graphics and Imaging
CS 210B: Software Project Experience with Corporate Partners
CS 221: Artificial Intelligence: Principles and Techniques
CS 227B: General Game Playing
CS 243: Program Analysis and Optimizations
CS 248: Interactive Computer Graphics
CS 341: Project in Mining Massive Data Sets
CS 346: Database System Implementation
Completion of at least 21 units within a single specialization (see CS website for specific coursework): Artificial Intelligence, Biocomputation, Computer and Network Security, Human-Computer Interaction, Information Management and Analytics, Mobile and Internet Computing, Real-World Computing, Software Theory, Systems, Theoretical Computer Science.
All coursework must be taken for a letter grade and no more than 9 units of independent study may be included.
Remaining units may be applied from the student's specialization, from another specialization, or from approved GSB coursework (up to 12 units).
At most 3 units of Computer Science/Electrical Engineering/Engineering seminars may be counted.
CS courses numbered above 110, excluding CS 196 or CS 198 may be counted as electives.
Other electives must be technical and numbered above 100, related to the degree program, and approved by an advisor and the MS Program Administrator.
Completion of at least 36 letter-graded units out of the 45-unit total, while maintaining a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale across all courses counting toward the MS.
Students are expected to complete the Joint MS/MBA Program in nine quarters.
Approved GSB Courses
The following GSB courses have been approved to count towards MS requirements.
FINANCE 341 - Modeling for Investment Management (3 units)
FINANCE 350 - Corporate Financial Modeling (4 units)
OIT 356 - Electronic Business (2 units)
STRAMGT 330 - Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital: Partnership for Growth (3 units)
STRAMGT 353 - Entrepreneurship: Formation of New Ventures (4 units)
STRAMGT 354 - Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital (4 units)
STRAMGT 356 - The Startup Garage: Design (4 units)
STRAMGT 359 - Aligning Start-ups with their Market (4 units)
STRAMGT 366 - The Startup Garage: Testing & Launch (4 units)
STRAMGT 371 - Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation (4 units)
FINANCE 620 - Financial Markets I (3 units)
FINANCE 621 - Financial Markets II (3 units)
FINANCE 624 - Corporate Finance Theory (4 units)
FINANCE 625 - Empirical Asset Pricing (3 units)
FINANCE 626 - Advanced Corporate Finance (3 units)
FINANCE 632 - Empirical Dynamic Asset Pricing (4 units)
GSBGEN 641 - Advanced Empirical Methods (3 units)
MGTECON 600 - Microeconomic Analysis I (4 units)
MGTECON 601 - Microeconomic Analysis II (4 units)
MGTECON 602 - Auctions, Bargaining, and Pricing (4 units)
MGTECON 604 - Econometric Methods II (3 units)
MGTECON 608 - Multiperson Decision Theory (3 units)
MGTECON 610 - Macroeconomics (4 units)
MKTG 645 - Empirical Analysis of Dynamic Decision Contexts (3 units)
Specific Policies for Students Who Begin the Joint MS/MBA Degree Program at the Computer Science Department
A student in the Joint MS/MBA Degree Program who has matriculated and begun studies in the Computer Science Department but has not yet begun studies at the GSB will be considered an MBA student with a plus (i.e., "MBA+"). Once MS/MBA students begin Autumn Quarter Management Perspectives, they will be considered regular MBA students and subject to the applicable policies.
Coursework Planning
Please visit the Computer Science specialization page for your options. For assistance with the CS program and course planning, please contact the Course Advisor at advisor@cs.stanford.edu.
Students will have two open programs (called "careers" in Axess) under which they may register for courses: the GSB career and the Graduate (CS) career. It is imperative that students pay close attention and register for courses under the career, i.e., degree, toward which they plan for them to count.
For more information, please contact the Computer Science Department or the Associate Director for Joint & Dual Degree Programs at the GSB. More detailed information about the CS degree requirements can be found at: http://cs.stanford.edu/education/masters/current-students.
‹ Joint CS MS/Law Degree up Joint CS PhD/Law ›