The Certificate Program allows students to receive a certificate in a specialized area of computer science. Each certificate requires students to complete three courses (4 hours each, a total of 12 hours). In addition, students are required to maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher for the sequence and receive a letter grade of "B-" or higher in each course. One 4 hour course in a certificate area can be taken before admission to the program and credit transferred if a letter grade of "B-" or higher is received.  All courses are offered via the Internet using streaming technology.

The certificate areas available are listed below:

Security
CS 498 (IA) Information Assurance
CS 498 (CSA) Computer Security Architecture
CS 598 (CAG) Advanced Topics in Computer Security

Networks and Distributed Systems
CS 425 Computer Networks and Distributed Systems
CS 438 Communication Networks for Computers
And one of the following:
CS 423 Operating Systems Design
CS 523 Advanced Operating Systems

Information Systems
CS 411 Database Systems or CS 412 Intro Data Mining
CS 511 Design of Database Management Systems
And one of the following:
CS 423 Operating System Design
CS 425 Computer Networks and Distributed Systems

Software Engineering
CS 427 Software Engineering I
CS 428 Software Engineering II
And one of the following:
CS 527 Advanced Topics in Software Engineering
CS 598 (RJ) Object-Oriented Programming and Design

System Software
CS 423 Operating Systems Design
CS 523 Advanced Operating Systems
And one of the following:
CS 425 Computer Networks and Distributed Systems
CS 438 Communication Networks for Computers

Single Course Certificate Option
This option allows students to take individual computer science courses online for credit without having to be admitted to a particular program. A certificate is awarded for successful completion of a course with a grade of at least a "B-". Up to 12 credit hours can be transferred towards the MCS degree program if accepted for admission.