Professor Perspectives: The Online MSCS Difference

In Tulane’s computer science department, “What’s new?” is more than a friendly greeting—it is a call to action. In a continually evolving field, Tulane’s computer science faculty keeps pace with change in their research and classrooms, ensuring their graduates develop the relevant skills they need to make an impact.

To learn more about the future of this dynamic discipline, we spoke with three Tulane faculty members about how the school’s online master’s degree in computer science prepares graduates to become industry leaders.

Online Community: The Tulane Approach

“We built this program to make you feel that you are part of the Tulane community and you are part of New Orleans, even if you are not physically in New Orleans.”

—Carola Wenk, Professor and Chair, Computer Science Department

From curriculum to instructors to professional outlook, Tulane’s online master’s degree in computer science provides the resources and support students need to excel in this challenging and innovative field. This 100 percent online program connects seamlessly with the on-ground experience, building a solid community of peers and professionals that expands students’ knowledge and networks.

Wenk, alongside Ram Mettu, associate professor and director of graduate studies, and Aron Culotta, associate professor, recently shared what makes Tulane’s online MSCS unique.

“When [online master’s students are] joining our program, they’re joining our [entire] graduate program. It’s not separate from the other cohorts, and that provides some great opportunities for engagement and interaction that we think are really valuable.”

—Ram Mettu

Tulane’s online MSCS program was created with intention; Mettu was a part of the team that designed it. “We looked at a lot of other master’s programs … and we weren’t happy with the amount of interaction,” he explains. Program designers prioritized Tulane’s commitment to student success. Culotta explains that “Tulane, on the whole, tends to focus much more on small class size, individual attention, that sort of thing. And we found that we were able to create a program like that in the online space.”

The result is the interactive learning environment Tulane is known for—in an online format. “We want the students to be part of the Tulane community, so we have a live session every week with a smaller set of students,” says Wenk. “We purposefully build in lots of interactions with the students as well… so the students don’t feel alone. The idea is that students interact with faculty and other students throughout their classes.”

An Interdisciplinary MSCS Curriculum

Just as they assist online students in forging connections with the Tulane community, the faculty helps them link computer science skills to other subject areas. Culotta explains how Tulane professors stress an interdisciplinary approach: “I believe that our students will graduate being able to see the connections between computer science and the rest of the world… We try to engage with both the cross-disciplinary aspects [and] the ethical aspects of how computer science affects the world.” 

Faculty members embrace this integrative approach in their research as well. As Mettu puts it: “The way I would describe our faculty is that all of us have our core areas of computer science… but we also all have areas of interdisciplinary expertise. For example, I work in a couple of pretty different areas: computational biology and immunology, as well as in robotics. And we have faculty that work [in] computational geometry applied to spatial data analysis and so on. So we all have these dual focuses.” 

Research also plays an integral role in the classroom. Because computer science evolves rapidly, the faculty consistently revisits materials to stay ahead of current trends, keeping the curriculum fresh by bringing their current research and the latest industry insights directly into the classroom. 

“Our faculty has a breadth of expertise and brings that to the program by teaching classes in their research areas. They bring cutting-edge research to the classroom by providing information about their research and the current cutting-edge areas.”

—Carola Wenk

Flexible and Accessible Without Sacrificing Rigor

Tulane’s online program extends the reach of a Tulane education, giving more professionals access to a prestigious degree from a renowned university. With a 100 percent remote experience and no GRE required, more students can attend Tulane from wherever they are.

“We like to think of the online master’s program as just another one of our graduate programs. So the coursework that we have in our online program is exactly the same as what we offer on-ground.”

—Ram Mettu

The online MSCS program is not limited to computer science undergraduates. “When we were developing this program,” Mettu explains, “we really wanted to make it more broadly accessible to folks who are interested in joining the computer science field and workforce…We look for [prospective students to possess] a STEM focus, but we recognize that there’s a lot of interest in the field and so we want to open it up.” This program accommodates a wide range of professionals, including those looking to pivot their careers, advance in their current position, or take a deep dive into a specialty. 

“Our students come from a lot of different backgrounds. Some of them have an undergraduate degree in computer science. Many of them don’t and they’re looking to change fields from biology or business or anything. And so, for people trying to change careers, I think this degree is super-helpful. We have foundational classes to catch people up, for folks that didn’t do an undergrad in computer science.”

—Aron Culotta

Culotta describes the right-fit student for the program: “Computer science is very much focused on problem-solving. Students who are self-motivated, who are intellectually curious: I think all of these attributes would [describe] a student who would be a good fit for our program.”

Students enjoy great flexibility when determining the subject area in which they concentrate. “We have a number of different specializations that we offer in our master’s degree, and these specializations aren’t rigid,” says Mettu. In addition to concentrations in cybersecurity and data science, “we also have courses like AI and machine learning that can apply to a broad number of areas. So we encourage students to think specifically about what their goals are after their degree and mix and match courses from the different specializations [to achieve them].”

Job Opportunities in Your Chosen Concentration

An online MSCS from Tulane enables students to extend their skill sets and understanding of essential computing principles. “You’re getting a full well-rounded degree here that prepares you, whether you want to go straight into software engineering, continue on for further studies like a PhD, or aspire to a management role [that requires] more of a foundation in computer science,” notes Culotta. “The degree prepares you for any of those directions.”

The career opportunities in computer science are vast—and growing much faster than the average for the overall job market. “Computer science is a hot area….Over a million jobs are projected over the next ten years,” says Wenk. “By getting an advanced degree, you are setting yourself up for those job prospects or [to] advance in your [current] job.”

Discover what’s new. Discover Tulane.

Earn a master’s degree in computer science online from a community-focused university with knowledgeable faculty researchers driving the future of the industry. Secure your future as a leader and innovator in computer science with the flexible online MSCS from Tulane.

Are you ready to find out what’s new? Make an appointment with an admissions advisor, attend an event, or start your application today.