Select one of the options below:
See how our online master's programs can help you keep up with the pace of innovation in the fields of computer engineering, systems engineering, and more.
Whether you're looking to increase your salary, earn the opportunity to work on higher-level projects, or simply need to keep up with the pace of innovation, CSU's computer engineering master's degree can help you get there.
This program offers a customizable curriculum that you can tailor to meet your interests and career goals, with the flexibility to study online.
From autonomous vehicles to smart cities, we live in a hyper-connected world. A degree in computer engineering from Colorado State University will allow you to have an impact well beyond your computer screen. As devices and systems become “smarter” and more connected through the Internet of Things (IoT), computer engineers hold the key to understanding, advancing, and protecting the security of next-generation technologies.
Have an interest in robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, or data science management and optimization? With computer engineering at the heart of these disciplines, ECE professors will prepare you to make an impact in these emerging fields.
The M.E. and M.S. programs are coursework-only degrees focused on fundamentals of innovation, from artificial intelligence to big data to robotics. Heavy emphasis is placed on computer system design and exploration, architecture of mobile and warehouse scale computers, network programming, and internet protocols.
Students in CSU's online master's in computer engineering program will learn:
As an online student, you will be part of ECE’s close-knit department – a community that thrives on innovation and diversity in thought. Whether online or on campus, computer engineering graduate students learn from faculty who are pushing the frontiers of engineering and science.
ECE professors are responsible for 35% of the university’s issued patents since 2015, and they are a leading contributor to CSU’s research environment, an enterprise that has grown by nearly $100 million in the last decade. The department’s research runs the gamut, from developing satellites designed to improve our understanding of the conditions inside hurricanes to microscale nuclear fusion to the development of virtual non-invasive medical biopsies. This variety in research means that no matter what field you work in — or wish to pursue in your future career — you will learn from faculty at the forefront of technology and innovation.
In addition to being the headquarters of the Engineering Research Center for Extreme Ultraviolet Science and Technology, ECE is home to the CSU Information Science and Technology Center (ISTeC), the CSU-CHILL National Radar Facility, and the Engineering Research Center for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere. The ECE department is also part of national and international collaborations through LaserNetUS, a Department of Energy Consortium of ultra-high-power lasers, and LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Detector Scientific Collaboration.
Online students take the same engineering courses from the same faculty and receive the same computer engineering degree as students in our on-campus program.
Faculty teaching in CSU's computer engineering program are actively working with large companies in the computing industry, serving as consultants, and also conducting research. Faculty specializations include chip-level circuit design, high performance computing, computer networking, and embedded systems, to name a few.
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering maintains strong ties with leaders in the field by working closely with industry partners to meet the needs of employers through curricular input, classroom lectures, and on-campus events.
Make a bigger impact within your company and enjoy the salary benefits that come with it. Computer engineers are in demand across virtually every industry, allowing you to pair your passion with your master's degree.
Computer engineers are consistently listed at the top of the salary range with incomes of $111k-$134k for mid-career professionals, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Payscale.com.
Students have 2 degree options to choose from within the computer engineering program:
The program curriculum is highly customizable, with a broad list of courses offered through CSU's Electrical and Computer Engineering, Computer Science, and Mathematics departments. These master's degrees are non-research oriented and focus on enhancing the expertise of computer engineering professionals. Review the requirements and curriculum to learn more.
Students may apply to the online master's in computer engineering program through a deferred fee program to ensure admissions criteria are met before having to pay the application fee to apply to the program. You can earn a guaranteed admission recommendation from the department, if you meet the conditions below.
If you do not meet all the requirements, online students may still be eligible to take coursework before being admitted to the graduate program. Contact an ECE advisor to discuss individual exceptions to these guidelines.
Computer engineers are in demand across virtually every industry, including areas such as medical machines, communication equipment, and hardware manufacturing. These fields are emerging as part of the new global economy, and having the right skills to not only compete, but to engage, is vital for professional engineers. This master's degree will help you advance your career by equipping you with skills and exposure to applied research.
The online master's programs prepare students for a wide variety of computer engineering careers in diverse industries, including, but not limited to:
Computer engineering master's graduates are consistently in the top five most coveted degrees for employment according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers Job Outlook report.
Engineering and computer occupations are expected to grow from 7.3 million to 8.2 million jobs between 2016 and 2026, an increase of 853,600 (11.7%) jobs over the 10-year period. This growth rate is higher than the growth rate projected for all occupations. (Source: U.S. Science and Engineering Workforce: Recent, Current, and Projected Employment, Wages, and Unemployment, November 2017)
Computer engineers are consistently listed at the top of the salary range with incomes of $111k-$134k for mid-career professionals, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Payscale.com.
Learn to apply in-depth knowledge, creativity, and research experience to analyze, design, develop, and improve computer systems. Students will gain experience in state of the art design tools, methods, and theories applicable to computer engineering.
Students complete 30 semester credits, 21 of which must be completed after formal admission to Colorado State University. This degree is coursework only; neither a thesis nor oral exam is required.
Select 30 credits from the following courses.
Select 27 credits from the following courses and 3 credits of ECE 695.
Can manipulate and solve ordinary equations (ODEs). Can compute via (pulse) transfer functions.
Digital communication (source coding; modulation and detection; channel coding), analog communication (modulation).
The objective of the course is to provide students with a solid foundation in computer design. Modern computer technology requires professionals to understand both hardware and software concepts. Accordingly, this course focuses on the interaction between hardware and software at a variety of levels to promote a deep understanding of the fundamentals of computing. Topics that will be covered include instruction set architectures, computer arithmetic, RISC CPU and pipelining, memory hierarchy, networks on chip, parallel programming models, multicores and multiprocessors, graphics and computing GPUs, and game console architectures (such as Xbox360, PS3, Wii).
Today's global information infrastructure consists of various systems and devices interconnected via the Internet. Cellular and wired phone networks as well as TV (cable, dish) networks also play a key role in providing access. Where information resides has become less important compared to ubiquitous and quick availability of information. The quality of service experienced by a user or an application depends on the underlying network hardware (e.g., links, routers), protocols (e.g., TCP/IP) and characteristics (e.g., network traffic, access times and interference). Internet is a dynamically evolving systems held together by a set of protocols, in contrast to many other systems (e.g., microprocessors, workstations) that are designed by a close-knit group of designers. EE 456 introduces computer and communication networking principles and technologies that make such a complex global information infrastructure possible. Course will also provide an overview of sensor networking, an emergent technology that has the potential to dramatically change our interaction with physical world the way the Internet changed how we access information.
Discrete time signals and systems, digital filter design and implementation, fast algorithms, quantization effects.
This course will teach network science concepts, fundamentals of network-centric systems, and case studies.
Machine learning for embedded systems, edge computing, and Internet of Things (IoT) computing; hardware/software codesign for machine learning; model compression and optimization; latency and memory optimizations; data reuse and sharing techniques; applications of machine learning in embedded applications, including computer vision, natural language processing, speech processing, video analysis, and anomaly detection; hardware accelerators for deep learning; ethics in machine learning.
Topics may include fundamentals of computer design, multiprocessors and thread-level parallelism, storage systems, and interconnection networks and clusters.
Embedded systems design including system level modeling, design space exploration, hardware-software partitioning, high-level synthesis. This course has online exams that require a proctor.
Controller analysis and design for nonlinear and time-varying systems.
Introduction to modern robust control theory techniques for analysis and design of large-scale uncertain multivariable systems.
This course covers link technologies, multiple access, hardware and software for internetwork routing, switching flow control, multicast, performance, and applications.
Microstructures of physically vapor-deposited films; thin-film morphological development; atomistic processes of condensation, nucleation, and growth.
All courses are delivered online via our learning management system, Canvas. Courses allow you to watch recorded, campus-based lectures and engage in course content and communicate with peers online. Courses are asynchronous, allowing you to study at the time that best fits your schedule.
Although the online format of this degree offers flexibility, it still requires the same amount of work and time as an on-campus graduate program. Depending on your learning and studying style, expect to spend nine to twelve hours per week on a three credit course.
Your interactions with faculty depend on the specific course, but generally, your instructors have online or telephone office hours and are available by email or course discussion boards.
This online program allows you to earn your degree while maintaining your busy work and family schedules.
Watch this video to see how online learning works at CSU.
As a student in this program, you receive the same education, learn from the same faculty, and earn the same regionally accredited degree as students on campus. Additionally, you can expect:
Learn more about CSU's rankings and accolades.
| Fall semester | July 1 |
| Spring semester | December 1 |
Note: Application dates published on the electrical and computer engineering prescreening site are for campus-based applicants only.
Start your application online and upload materials directly into the online system. You can save your progress and return any time.
Apply NowThis Master of Engineering (M.E.) and Master of Science (M.S.) requires applicants to have the following, at a minimum:
Note that meeting the minimum department standards does not ensure admission to the program. Admission to Colorado State University graduate programs is based on a number of factors, including prior academic and professional experience and your statement of purpose.
Do you qualify for recommended admission?The standard application process into the program requires a pre-application reviewed by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Students who meet the conditions below and submit a pre-application, will be automatically recommended by the department to the Graduate School at CSU.
Contact Katya Stewart-Sweeney at katya.stewart-sweeney@colostate.edu or by calling (970) 491-7850 if you are interested in the guaranteed recommendation option.
Prepare the materials below and upload when you apply online.
Complete the online graduate application and pay the nonrefundable application processing fee (payable online). As soon as you have completed the required information, please submit your application. Your application will not be reviewed until it is complete and all required materials have been received.
If you've been recommended to apply by the department, complete the steps below to finalize your application.
Request one official transcript of all collegiate work completed from all institutions attended. Transcripts from Colorado State University are not required. Transcripts must be received directly from the originating institution to be considered official.
Please Note: Students may be unconditionally admitted and registered in their first semester of courses with an unofficial transcript. Official transcripts must be submitted, prior to or during your first semester, before you can register for your second semester of graduate work. Failure to meet this condition will result in your dismissal from the Graduate School.
Electronic (preferred): Digital Transcripts must be submitted by the originating institution using a secure service such as parchment, eScrip-Safe, the National Student Clearinghouse, or e-Quals. Transcripts received via emails are considered unofficial. Use institution code 4075 for Colorado State University or gradadmissions@colostate.edu if the secure service requires an email address.
Mail (if necessary) Graduate Admissions Colorado State University – Office of Admissions 1062 Campus Delivery Fort Collins, CO 80523-1062
Proof of English language proficiency is required for applicants from countries or United States territories where there are official languages other than (or in addition to) English. This includes the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico.
We love learning about your goals and answering any questions you have.
