The MSE program is Penn's standard Masters degree program; the emphasis is on theoretical computer science, and many students go on to a PhD program. Students entering this program are expected to have an undergraduate degree in computer science (or clearly equivalent coursework).

The MCIT program is designed for students whose undergraduate degree is not in computer science. The emphasis in MCIT is on practical knowledge. As such, the MCIT degree may be used as a terminal Masters degree, or as a stepping stone into the CGGT, MSE or PhD programs. The requirements for the MCIT degree are:

• Six core courses: CIT591, CIT592, CIT593, CIT594, CIT595, and CIT596.
• Four electives, chosen from among a list of courses pre-approved for MCIT; other courses may be approved by the MCIT director.

The six MCIT core courses provide much of the needed background for the CGGT (Computer Graphics and Game Technology) degree; additional math may be required..

Transferring from MCIT to MSE

The MCIT and MSE are independent degree programs. Being accepted for either does not guarantee admission into the other; you must apply for admission, and you may or may not be accepted. Your grades will significantly influence your chances of being accepted.

Since the required MCIT courses take the place of an undergraduate computer science degree, they are not accepted for credit in the MSE program. (CIT597, which is not a core course, is accepted for MSE credit.)

If you originally applied to MSE but were offered admission to MCIT, it is because you are seen as a potentially valuable student with insufficient formal training (specifically, a prior computer science degree or equivalent coursework). In this case, your application was examined individually by both CIS and MCIT admissions; it was not mechanically assigned to one pile or the other, but was considered with more care than most applications. Bear in mind that:

• Admissions standards (grades, GRE scores, etc.) for the two programs are approximately the same, and
  
• A strong programming background is not in itself a substitute for an undergraduate degree in computer science; students entering the MCIT program range from computer neophytes to professional programmers.

If you are now in MCIT but wish to be in MSE, the recommended procedure is to complete at least the six core CIT courses and apply for admission into MSE. You do not have to have completed the Spring semester courses before you apply. Admission to MSE is not guaranteed, but is highly likely if your MCIT grades are good. If accepted, and you complete the MSE requirements (for a total of 16 courses), you will have a dual degree in MCIT and MSE.

It is also possible to apply for admission into MSE after completing only some of the CIT core courses, or some mixture of CIS and CIT courses. If accepted, you would then complete the CIT and MSE requirements. (If not accepted, you may wish to continue with the MCIT program.) This is generally discouraged; it is also a riskier option, as you may be taking CIS courses with inadequate background.

We do not have statistics to compare the "economic value" of the two degrees. The evidence so far, however, suggests that MCIT graduates are more employable than MSE graduates. As director of the program, I would like to believe that this is a reflection of the quality of the courses; but a more likely explanation is that it reflects the quality of the students, who come to MCIT with an already strong background in some other field. Simply put, people with multiple skills are generally more employable.

Dual MCIT/CGGT degree

MCIT and CGGT are independent programs; admission to MCIT does not imply automatic admission to CGGT. However, students who do well in the six MCIT core courses can be reasonably assured of admission to CGGT.

Most of the required CGGT courses are suitable as electives for MCIT. Hence, students who take the six MCIT core courses, and then complete the CGGT requirements, have satisfied the requirements for the dual degree.