MA in Computer Science
and Information Technology Entrepreneurism

Today's business world demands both sharp technical skills and broad business insight. Our two-year master’s program in Computer Science and IT Entrepreneurship goes beyond a traditional graduate technology degree—we teach students how to form a business around their ideas in the IT sector, from IT research to software development. This program combines graduate level Computer Science coursework with electives that emphasize cutting-edge research and the special skills required for launching a successful business in IT.

Brandeis is just minutes away from Route 128, a premiere technological concentration and Boston’s own “Silicon Valley.” Within a world-renown research university which houses both the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the International Business School, Brandeis’ Computer Science and IT Entrepreneurship program is very well-positioned to provide students with opportunities to connect with current and future business leaders, including our alumni who have become successful entrepreneurs.

Curriculum

Our two-year program incorporates 4 required classes and a palette of electives that emphasize cutting-edge research, of which students take 8. In addition, students may substitute up to 2 approved courses at our International Business School for the Computer Science electives.

Required courses

• CS 235 IT Entrepreneurship
  This course covers the fundamental concepts needed to transform an idea into a viable business. The course focus is software-based IT enterprises and the specific challenges and opportunities they present. A wide range of topics will be covered, including: creativity and innovation– how to recognize good transformative ideas; the product development cycle, including the role of rapid prototyping as a tool to generate interest and solidify your plans; the business plan cycle, revenue models for information goods, IT marketing, and the overarching issue of pricing in the Information Economy. The course will also cover IT-specific issues such as enterprise computing architectures, security engineering, and traffic analysis techniques. The course will be conducted using case studies, lectures by successful entrepreneurs across the IT industry, as well as project work.
• CS 236 Software Development for IT Entrepreneurship
  This course teaches the fundamentals of software engineering and emphasizes rapid prototyping, unit testing, usability testing, and collaborative software development principles. Students will apply these concepts by building a complex software system in small teams of programmers/ developers.
• CS 315 (a & b) Practicum in Entrepreneurial IT
  This two-semester sequence in the second year provides students with the opportunity to collaborate in small groups to create software or web-based applications, and to launch a business based on that application (both non-profit and for-profit businesses). The students work independently but meet regularly throughout the year to share their progress and challenges. The fundamental requirement is to produce a working product and business plan by the end of the year. Students also complete an initial round of market analysis and user
  testing. As is the rule in all course-based instruction, students retain full intellectual property rights to what they have produced in this course.

Electives:

For a full listing of computer science and International Business School electives, please visit http://www.brandeis.edu/registrar/catalog

Apply now!

We are still accepting applications for the class entering this Fall (September 2009).
To apply, visit the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Web site and download and complete an electronic application.