FAQs about the master’s program in CSE

What is “course equivalency”? What is it good for?

This is only for satisfying breadth requirements. If you have previously taken a graduate-level class that is very similar to one of the EECS courses that satisfy a breadth requirement, you can request equivalency. If the professor teaching the EECS course, your advisor, and the graduate committee approve, then you can use it to satisfy that breadth requirement. This gives master’s students an additional slot for an elective course. The equivalent course, however, does not satisfy any other requirement. It will not appear on your transcript, it is not calculated into your GPA, and it does not count for credit.

You should request this as soon as possible since it can help you plan which courses to take. The equivalency form (pdf) may be found via the following the link.

How can I find a research position and/or a job?

Most paying positions are advertised via cseg-jobs@eecs.umich.edu or cseg@eecs.umich.edu. You are automatically included in these email groups when you join the department. These may describe positions within the department as GSIs, graders or research assistants; positions with professors in other departments that need computer science expertise; or from outside companies.

The department has a few GSI positions for MS students, but they are quite limited and usually go to people that have previously been IAs or previously taken the course. Most other positions pay by the hour. For research positions within CSE that may not be advertised, you can contact professors that do research that’s interesting to you.

For jobs outside of the university and within the United States, international students may find information via this page on the College of Engineering’s Career Resource Center website.

Where can I find mental health resources?

To see a listing of U-M on-campus resources for concerns related to mental health issues, visit tiny.cc/distresssignals_coe (pdf).