COMPUTER SCIENCE (MSC)

Backgrounds of the program
The Master’s program in computer science is designed to address advanced level knowledge
needs of its customers, namely the students. This is in contrast to undergraduate studies in the
field that are general and focus on foundation courses. The master’s program, to this end, focuses
on applied courses offered to keep up with the fast-paced world of computing, with the objective
of deepening and broadening of students’ knowledge of computer science. Hence, subject areas
that would help for this very purpose, which comprise advanced computer networks and security,
Wireless communication, Systems engineering and Theoretical computer science are included.
Rationale
The world has seen a remarkable expansion in information and communication technologies and
services in the past three decades; and this has demanded that professionals in the field of
computing, that includes computer science, be well equipped with the knowledge time demands.
The fast pace growth seen in recent years in the field of computing has now managed to have its
impact felt across the fast developing nations, among which Ethiopia is a prominent.
The master’s program in computer science at Rift Valley University is tailored to address the
human resource needs for computer science professionals which an expanding economy like that
of ours demands. Opening a master’s level study in computer science should therefore be seen as
an endeavor to support the development programs of the nation through producing computer
science professionals the economy demands; as there is no any nation on earth these days which
could sustainably score remarkable growth and development without the use of ICT in general
and computers in particular.
The number of entries to government and public universities per year is increasing from time to
time which is very high potential for launching master’s degree programs aimed at giving
opportunity for the prospective graduates to pursue higher education and to produce instructors
with master’s and above degree qualifications.
The GTP-II document, at the end of which the number of entries to the public and private
university is targeted to be 600,000 per year, implying 3 million over five years. Some of these
graduates with bachelor’s degrees will need to continue and further higher education some of
which will be needed for teaching professions. It is, however, evident that there are only few
Higher Education Institutions capable of accommodating such a number. Therefore, even if more
master’s degree offering institutions are established in the country, there will still be abundance
of bachelor’s degree graduates in need of further higher education.
There is chronic shortage of instructors with master’s and above degree qualifications in the
country. Though, both public and private higher education institutions, including Rift Valley
University, do exert very acute competitions to employ master’s degree and above scholars with
higher pays, they are still being victims of this chronic shortage. Bachelor’s degree students are
being thought by bachelor’s degree graduates. This is even more severe in the areas beyond
Addis Ababa.
Owing to the overall development endeavors of the country, the Industry which is being
dynamically growing is in need of specialized professionals (specifically manufacturing such as
brewery, soft drinks, spring water, cement factories; construction, banks and science &
technology require highly specialized human resources). There is very high competition among
such organizations for scarce higher profile human resources specifically in computer science.

Overview

Objectives

The Master of Science in Computer Science at Rift Valley University offers a profound and indepth

education in computer science. The Master’s program is tailored to s student’s’ interests,

needs, and goals. Its objective is to help students become practiced, creative, and efficient

problem solvers in the domain of computer science. To this end, up-to-date and advanced level

knowledge of the field is embedded in the curriculum that guides each individual student in

taking a meaningful path through the variety of course offers and designing a profile that matches

both personal inclinations and prospective career opportunities.

 General Objectives

The main objective of the program is to provide advanced-level knowledge and skills in computer

science at master’s level. The focus is on imparting body of core knowledge areas and evaluating

the student understanding through individual research activities for students in the thesis track

and through software development for students in the project track.

Specific Objectives

The specific objectives of the program are:

  • To provide advanced education in computer science that exposes students to the areas of
  • advanced computer networks and security, Wireless communication, Systems engineering
  • and Theoretical computer science.
  •  To enable prospective graduates to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to meet the
  • growing needs of the country for trained man power in computer science.
  •  To produce highly competent graduates who are able to practically apply their theoretical
  • knowledge in the real world system
  •  To produce graduates capable of understanding the fast changing developments in ICT
  • and computer world.
  • To enable graduates conduct various researches in the field of computer science.

Graduate Profile

A graduate from this program is expected to be able to:

Execute significant development work in the computer industry that include design and

implementation of advanced computer solutions.

Develop and manage large scale computer programs, databases and networks.

Critically evaluate and analyze computer systems with respect to current realities and

future developments.

Provide consultancy services in the area of computing.

Conduct research in the field of computer science.

Identify and structure system requirements for different scenarios including pervasive

systems,

Analyze, design, code, implement and test of software development

Localize software systems and models to meet the local contexts

Predict, learn and find patterns from data (warehouse) using data mining

Conduct research related to computing fields in general and Computer Science in

particular.

Play crucial role in understanding the need for developing and maintaining productive

working relationships.

Understand and explain the core theoretical concepts of distributed system (models,

algorithms, and techniques) and design such technologies.

Analyze, design, and implement computer security algorithms and technologies

Program Requirements

The program has specific requirements both for admission and graduation as outlined herein

below

Admission Requirements

The admission requirements to the master’s program in computer science are:

An applicant must have a bachelor’s degree in computer science or any other related field

from a recognized higher educational institution.

The applicant must pass an entrance exam administered by the department.

An applicant must meet the general Rift Valley University admission requirements.

Graduation Requirements

Students should fulfill the requirements set by the University to be eligible for the award of the

master’s degree in computer science

No grade below C

A successful completion of 36 credit hours.

Completion of a project/thesis as a partial fulfillment for the master’s degree

A minimum grade of ‘satisfactory’ in thesis (For students opting thesis over project)

An overall CGPA of at least 3.0 and the maximum number of grade scores for any course

with ‘C’ result shall not be more than 2.

Above all the requirements will be bounded by the university legislation.

Fulfilling the graduation requirements set by the school of Graduate of the University.

Duration of the Study

The duration of the study is 2 years, divided across four semesters of fulltime course work

and thesis/project work.

Degree Nomenclature

The master’s degree to be awarded upon successful completion of the program shall be

designated as (in English and Amharic respectively):

Programme

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