Where Theory Meets Real-World Impact
At Brown, computer science Master's students and alumni don't just study complex systems—they pioneer them. Our community is actively:
Scaling Supercomputing: Breaking exaflop barriers to power AI climate change models.
Advancing AI: Winning awards and fellowships for work on LLMs and computer vision, and winning industry hackathons.
Publishing Award-Winning Research: Earning top honors across systems and software conferences.
Preserving History: Deploying cutting-edge media access and digital preservation technologies.
Brown's Master of Science (Sc.M.) in Computer Science offers a flexible, high-value graduate experience, with either two years on-campus or in the new artificial intelligence and machine learning online track. Students build technical depth in systems, networking, AI and more – while gaining faculty mentorship and a global network of Brown alumni.
Residential students choose from research or coursework-only options that can be easily customized to align with your goals, and both options offer the professional track which extends the opportunity for industry experience. Online students in the AI/ML track can specialize in a curriculum that features a new full-stack approach to mastering AI and ML as they are developed, practiced and impact our lives, and while having course material effectively delivered to them using the latest remote learning technology and conveniently scheduled for busy professionals. All students, on-campus and online, learn from world-renowned faculty who have earned a reputation for innovation and collaborate with industry and government partners on real-world challenges.
Program Snapshot
Academic Tracks: CS Comprehensive or Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML)
Format: On-campus (for CS Comprehensive and AI/ML track) or Online (for AI/ML track only)
Professional Track: Optional internships (for on-campus students only)
Length: From 2 years to as little as 16 months
Courses: 8
Entry terms: Spring or Fall
Deadline: January 15
Outcomes
Brown CS Master's graduates are hired by top companies and hold a variety of dymanic positions as:
Technical Roles: Software Engineer, AI/ML Engineer, Data Scientist, Senior Architect, Research Scientist
Leadership Roles: VP of Engineering, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Product Manager
Brown CS Master's graduates are regularly admitted to top PhD programs at schools such as Boston University, Brown University, Carnegie Mellon University, MIT, Ohio State University, Princeton University, Stanford University, University of Chicago, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, University of Oxford, University of Washington and University of Southern California.
Faculty
A growing community of outstanding teachers and researchers both broad and deep:
Teaching: Offer small, accessible classes covering a wide range of timely, practice-oriented topics
Research: Pursuing diverse, interdisciplinary, and cutting-edge research
Advising: Providing individualized academic consultation through structured, open-door interactions
Reputation: Maintaining and expanding strong networks with leading roles and rich scientific experience
Experiences
"My experience at Brown has taught me to be comfortable working through open-ended problems combining technical methods with critical judgment, communicating and organising ideas clearly, and iterating closely with a team. That mindset was central to our success in the hackathon." — Ankit "Patrick" Verma, current master's student
"I really appreciate the flexibility and freedom of Brown’s master’s program. There is a wide range of AI courses to choose from, and faculty work across many different areas of the field. The CS department is also a very supportive and collaborative community, making it a great place to learn and grow." — Oliver Nan, Cohere
"Brown CS empowered me with a top-notch, research-driven curriculum and practical, real-world experience that are valuable in both industry and academia. It is so much more than a Master's degree. Some technology we learned will be outdated in decades, but the close partnership with world-class faculty and friendships with fellow students and future leaders will stay, as well as our determination to make the world a better place, 1 bit at a time." — Art Jiang, Uber AI Solutions
"During my master’s at Brown, I had the chance to be deeply involved in research and work closely with faculty. They taught me how to think through hard problems, develop my own research taste, and engage thoughtfully with researchers in the broader community. My time at Brown has shaped a lot of who I am as a researcher today." — Jacob X. Li, Ph.D. student at MIT
Curriculum: An Individualized Degree, Built for Added Value
At Brown, no two CS Master's students follow the same path: A Master’s in Science in Computer Science offers total flexibility in forming your personalized study plan to gain full-range expertise in computer science and hands-on experience in scholarly activities and industry. Whether you choose to explore wide technical foundations or specialize in a single domain, you can design a curriculum that is tailored to your precise career goals and that equips you to excel as a leader across industry, government or academia. Beyond selecting from two academic tracks, you have options for going broad across the chosen discipline, or deep on a special area that matters to you, and for doing coursework, research and internships, with world-class faculty guiding you all the way towards your degree.
Learn more about Brown’s Master’s in Computer Science degree and the two tracks by selecting an option below.
Tailor your path across broad CS foundations or targeted specializations
to build the essential skills for high-impact technical leadership.
Gain full-stack AI expertise to develop and lead intelligent systems,
guided by top Brown faculty researchers and industry practitioners.
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