MS in Computer Science - Artificial Intelligence
Application Deadlines
SPRING:
Extended to: October 1
FALL:
Scholarship Consideration Deadline: December 15
Final Deadline: January 15
- Program Overview
- Application Criteria
- Tuition & Fees
- Meet Our Students
- Career Outcomes
- DEN@Viterbi - Online Delivery
- Request Information
The MS degree in Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence), is one of the first programs of its type in the nation, and provides students with rigorous training in the theories and applications of deep learning and artificial intelligence. Topics include machine learning, statistics, computer vision, natural language processing, and robotics.
Interested in this program but did not earn a BS in Computer Science? Visit our MSCS Eligibility Criteria page.
International Students: This program is eligible for the OPT STEM extension.
- This program requires completion of 32 units of coursework
- Thesis option not available. Directed Research (research without thesis) may be requested after completing first semester
- USC Catalogue
- USC Schedule of Classes
| SEMESTER | DEADLINE |
|---|---|
| Spring | September 1 (extended to October 1) |
| Fall | December 15 (Scholarship consideration) January 15 (Final deadline) |
Visit our Ready to Apply page for more information.
Applicants to the Master of Science program in Computer Science - Artificial Intelligence must have a bachelor’s degree or be in the process of completing a bachelor's degree. Most applicants have degrees in computer science or closely related fields. For those who do not, they should meet the eligibility criteria on our MSCS Eligibility Criteria page.
Applicants without a bachelor's degree in a directly related field may still be considered if they have completed and demonstrated strong proficiency in the following coursework (or equivalent):
| Computer Science |
| Math |
This is not an exhaustive list. Applications are reviewed holistically; simply taking these courses does not guarantee admission.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
The following materials are required to be included with your online application:
- Transcripts
- Resume/CV
- Personal Statement
- Letter of Recommendation (Optional)
The following link will take you to an overview of the tuition & fees for graduate engineering students, including payment information. Both on-campus and DEN@Viterbi students pay the same tuition
Use the link below to download the Cost of Attendance to see a summary of tuition and fees by semester. The document is a typical example and the number of courses, and time to complete the program, will vary by student.
PRASHANT VIBHOR AGARWAL
What were the main reasons you chose to pursue this graduate program at USC?
- The Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence) program at USC is the first of its kind in the United States. No other university offers such a dedicated track for learning Artificial Intelligence.
- The cultural diversity at USC gives you an opportunity to see things from different perspectives allowing you to grow as an individual.
- Being one of top universities with world-class faculty doing cutting edge research and having an extensive alumni network doesn't hurt either.
Tell us about an exciting and unforgettable experience from your time so far at USC.
The grand Diwali festival held during my first semester at USC was an awesome experience for me. It gave me a sense of belonging, making it feel like a home away from home.
Which organizations/activities have you been involved with outside of the classroom?
I was a member of the E-board of HSO [Hindu Student Organization] which organized various events to celebrate religious occasions. I also served as a mentor in AthenaHacks, Southern California’s premier hackathon for women, femme, & non-binary students.
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RUIJUN DENG
What were the main reasons you chose to pursue this graduate program at USC?
I decided to pursue an MS in Artificial Intelligence at USC because I always wanted to get a taste of what AI research looks like at the graduate level. USC's MS in AI program definitely provides the opportunity and resources for me to gain a deeper insight into the field.
What are some personal achievements or experiences you’d like to share?
I was fortunate to intern as a Software Engineer at Uber and will be joining the company after graduation.
What advice would you give future Viterbi students?
Take advantage of the abundant research opportunities here at USC. The research labs actively recruit student workers all seasons. If students are interested in doing research, I highly recommend them to apply.
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SWARALI ATUL JOSHI
What are some personal achievements or experiences you’d like to share?
From never having lived alone to living alone in a foreign country, I've become much more independent. USC provides a strong support network to its students and I can truly say that it's a home away from home.
Which organizations/activities have you been involved with outside of the classroom?
I actively volunteer with Friends and Neighbors (FND), a community service program. It's a great opportunity to participate in varied volunteering opportunities and make new friends!
What do you like most about living in Los Angeles?
I love the weather! Los Angeles also has a lot of tourist attractions like the Griffith Park Observatory and Santa Monica beach.
2025 First Destinations Survey - Outcomes*
Alumni Employment - 2025*
Companies & Job Titles (multiple positions may be listed)
Average Reported Salary: $129,667
- Amazon - Software Development Engineer
- Arcee.ai - AI Research Engineer
- Campus Crow - AI Engineer Intern
- Field AI - Autonomy Engineer
- LE Greenheart LLC - Project Software Engineer
- LG Silicon Valley - AI Researcher
- Lumen Technologies - Software Engineer II
- Northern Lights - Data & Machine Learning Engineer
- Opal AI Inc. - Data Scientist
- Outlier - Advanced Coders (AI Training)
- RedBlock Security, Inc. - AI Engineer
- Relativity Space - Data Engineer I
- Reliable Software Resources, Inc. - Programmer Analyst
- Scale AI - Prompt Engineer
- United Medical Imaging Healthcare - Software Engineer
Previous Years
- Amazon Web Services - Software Development Engineer / Software Development Engineer (ML) (2024)
- Antra Inc. - Full Stack Developer (2023 and before)
- Bank of Thailand - Senior Analyst (2024)
- BOT - Analyst (2024)
- CDW Corporation - Software Engineer I (2024)
- Cirrus360 - Software Engineer (2024)
- CortoAI - Sr. AI Scientist (2024)
- Fanfix - Head of Product (2024)
- Google - Software Development Engineer, Software Engineer (2023 and before)
- Lucid Motors - Senior Data Scientist (2024)
- Microsoft - Data Scientist (2023 and before)
- Northern Lights - Machine Learning Engineer (2024)
- SAIC - Machine Learning Engineer (2024)
- SCG America - Lead Data Intelligence Engineer (2024)
- TikTok - Software Engineer (2023 and before)
- Uber - Software Engineer (2023 and before)
- VisionX LLC - Full Stack Software Engineer (2023 and before)
Additional career outcomes information can be found on our general MS in Computer Science pages.
.Internships (2025)**
Total No. of Internships:48
Amazon.com, Inc.; Apple Inc.; Applied Medical Resources Corporation; Arcee AI; Autodesk; Careplix Healthcare LLC; Caresoft Technologies Inc.; Chewy Inc.; CNH; Cosmic Labs Technologies Inc.; CSUN ARCS; Decompute Inc.; GE HealthCare; General Atomics; GuruFocus.com, LLC; IBM; Janssen Research & Development, LLC; Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine; KLA Corporation; Leaniar LLC; Magnopus LLC; Meta; Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.; Nano IC; Object Tech, Inc.; Reality AI; ReferU.AI; Samsung Research America, Inc.; Scale AI, Inc.; Search-AI (managed by WMC Genius); SecLytics; Siemens Industry Software; Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC; TWG Global Holdings, LLC
Previous Internships
Amazon (2023); Arista Networks Inc, (2023); Calix, Inc. (2023); CloudBees, Inc. (2023); Flawless AI (2023); Intel Corporation (2023); Kloudfuse (2023); Loop Now Technologies, Inc. (2023); Lumen Technologies (2023); Qualcomm (2023); The Trade Desk (2023)
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* Information is based on a voluntary survey and should not be interpreted as a comprehensive view of the 2025 graduating class.
** Internship data is from CPT internships done by our international student population.
This program is not available through DEN. For a full list of the 40+ engineering graduate programs available online, please visit Online DEN@Viterbi Offerings.
COURSE INTRO:
CSCI 662 (elective course)Advanced Natural Language Processing