CS 6900 Independent Study (1-4):
CS 6900 allows students to cover material that would not ordinarily be available in a regular course. (Graduate students are expected to register for CS 6900 and not CS 4900.) The units can be used to satisfy degree requirements and, as such, there is a high expectation for the student's work product. Each unit of an independent study must require at least 25 hours of work. So a 4-unit study requires at least 100 hours.
A student interested in doing an Independent Study should find a faculty advisor to monitor the efforts of the student. Although the advisor provides general direction and guidance, it is expected that the student is capable of designing and managing much of the workload themselves.
The student also needs to present a written proposal to the Graduate Advisor. Note that the proposal should not just be a "study" of a topic area. Instead, the proposal should indicate deliverables such as analysis, implementations, enhancements, experiments, etc. The Graduate Advisor will then make a decision based on: topic, work effort, student capability, and deliverables.
Normally, an independent study will not be considered if
a) the student is on academic probation
b) the student has not completed prerequisites
c) the student is not making progress towards completing the WST
A student will normally be limited to 4 units of independent study out of the 45 M.S. units. This may be extended for a student with a strong record and an extensive undergraduate computer science background. The proposal must be submitted by the third day of the quarter.
CS 6909 Deparment Thesis (1-4):
CS 6909 is an alternative to the M.S. Comprehensive Examination and goes beyond CS 6900 in terms of workload. The student develops and writes a research paper for submission to the department, which specifies the format. The work is supervised by a departmental committee, at least one of which must be a CSUEB faculty member. CS 6909 may be repeated for a maximum of 5 units.
The prerequisites are CS 6000, advancement to candidacy, and approval of thesis proposal by advisor and departmental committee. The committee is particularly interested in proposals that indicate a serious and substantial effort. To be considered for the thesis option, the student's academic record must be sufficiently strong as to demonstrate the same fundamental knowledge required to pass the comprehensive exams. A student who has unsuccessfully attempted the examination is not eligible.
The proposal must be submitted before final exam week of the previous quarter.
More details: University Thesis Writing Guide