Within a university, CS departments are administratively housed in a specific College or School, such as a College of Engineering, a College of Science, a computing-focused college (e.g., College of Computing, Informatics, Information Sciences), etc. An institution with a computing-focused college may offer computing-related MS programs with admission not managed by the CS department. Examples of such institutions include CMU, GTECH, IU, Penn State, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, U of Michigan. (See the CRA report “Creating Institutional Homes for Computing: Transforming a Department into a School or College” for related information). Depending on your objectives and background, an MS degree in such a program may be of interest. The information given in this FAQ on the different types of MS programs applies to other computing focused academic units. Read program descriptions carefully and don’t assume coordination between admissions offices. Contact respective admission offices with questions.