Education-focused 5th year MS

The 5th-year MSCS program (available only to current Berkeley EECS/CS undergrads) lets you spend an additional year taking advanced courses and completing a Masters project. To apply, you need (among other things) a letter from your prospective faculty advisor. Compared to doing a 5th year MS in other concentration areas, there are a few differences if you choose to do it in CS Education. Applying: While admission decisions are made by a committee and not by your individual faculty advisor, applicants in the Educ-focused 5th year MS will be competitive if they have significant UGSI and/or other instructional staff experience, even if they do not have as much prior research experience. Financial Support: Most 5th year MS Educ students can be at least partially supported by GSI appointments; in some cases full support is possible, but this is not a guarantee since it depends on GSI budgets allocated by the Department each year. Masters project: A typical Masters project will involve improving EECS courses in some way—curriculum development, courseware development, etc.—that is expected to lead to a submittable publication with a novel contribution. Course work: If you apply, the same advisor who provides one of your required letters (agreeing to supervise your research) can help you select courses. One option we encourage you to consider is the SESAME Graduate Certificate in the Learning Sciences. Teaching as a career path: If you choose to continue teaching as a career path, most universities will hire teaching faculty who hold at least a Masters. We are especially keen to send CS educators into the field who will not only teach but also continue to do research in support of their teaching. We are always on the lookout for teaching opportunities outside of Berkeley that you can participate in as part of your program. Future PhD study: If you’re considering a PhD in Education, you will be well positioned to apply to the SESAME PhD program here, which requires a Masters in the field in which you teach and leads to a PhD in education. And of course you’ll be in a position to apply to CS PhD programs as well.