PhD in Computer Science Program Description
PhD in Computer Science Program Description
PhD candidates are required to complete the following program milestones on a timely basis: required coursework completion, qualifying exams passing, dissertation advisor designation, dissertation committee appointment, research proposal defense, final dissertation defense. A graphical illustration of these milestones and the associated timeline is provided here.
Important Resources:
- For students entering the program with a Master’s degree in Computer Science or related areas, 12-21 credits at the 600 and 700 level (at least 12 credits at the 700 level) are required. The default requirement is 21 credits, but waivers for 600 level courses may be determined in consultation with and written approval by the PhD committee based on the student's prior background in the three areas of the qualifying examinations. At most 6 credits can be Independent Study in Computer Science (CS 725 and/or CS 726). If a student takes two Independent Study courses, then they should be done with two different professors. At least 6 credits must be for lecture-based courses at the 700 level.
- For students entering the program without a Master’s degree in Computer Science or related areas, 36 credits at the 600 and 700 level. At least 12 credits must be at the 700 level, and out of those at most 6 credits can be Independent Study in Computer Science (CS 725 and/or CS 726). If a student takes two Independent Studies, then they should be done with two different professors. At least 6 credits must be for lecture-based courses at the 700 level.
CS 792 (Pre-doctoral Dissertation), CS 790A (Doctoral Dissertation Research), and CS 791 (Doctoral Seminar) do not count towards the 700-level course requirements.
Doctoral Seminar (CS 791)
Full-time students are required to enroll in CS 791 every semester. Full-time PhD students are required to attend 2/3 of the weekly Wednesday departmental seminars. It is strongly recommended that all PhD students (including part-time) attend these seminars in order to benefit from their educational value.
Pre-Doctoral Research (CS 792) and Doctoral Dissertation Research (CS 790A)
The PhD dissertation registration requirements are described in the institute-wide PhD credit requirements.
Qualifying Examinations
The qualifying examinations test general academic preparation and competence in the theory and practice of computing. Students should apply for permission to take the exam through the program director. PhD students are expected to pass three qualifying exams at the end of their first year in the program, per the rules described in the "Qualifying Examinations" section of the CS PhD program catalog description.